Table Image and the Table Captain

One of the more important factors of playing no limit texas holdem tournaments is table image... there are many different images that you can give off to your table that will affect the way they react to your bets, being in control of this image and using it to your advantage can prove very profitable...

When I started out playing tournaments I believe I had a basic understanding of the principles of poker but I wasn't very good at reading or making moves... this meant that I played ABC poker which is only playing the best hands pre flop and folding everything else... this is a successful strategy to a degree, It will get you deep into a tournament but it is unlikely you will be able to win against some of the more advanced players... the table image that you will be projecting to your opponents will be that of a very tight player who wont mess around with marginal hands...

The tight image has the advantage that your bluffs wont be called but the disadvantage that your good hands wont get much value against good players... this style works a treat against muppets who don't watch what their opponents are doing and only pay attention to their own hands... these muppets will pay you off with second pair or worse and not even realize that you haven't been playing any hands... this is the suggested strategy against muppets... boring but gets the job done...

The image that I attempt to display in the later stages of the tournament (when the muppets have been weeded out) is that of the loose aggressive player... this style is hard to pull off and I don't believe that I have mastered it yet... this image means playing more hands and raising a lot... I personally don't like splashing around too much with weak hands so I try to accomplish this image by the way I act at the table... I usually talk a lot to the people I'm playing and make it look like I'm here for a good time not a long time... this strategy works to a degree but the good players at the table realize that I'm switched on and will be wary... another factor that is important in tournaments is being the table captain...

The table captain is the player at the table who controls the action and the flow of the game... in the later stages of a tournament the chip leader is usually decided by who has the largest chip stack... but early in the tournament when the stacks are about the same being the table captain is going to put you in good stead for heading to the end of the tournament... being aggressive can make you the table captain at some tables but at the pub games that I play it just wont work because there are so many muppets that your aggressiveness will just be called down by 4 players and just cause larger pots decided by luck... so in order to get respect from at least some of these muppets and become the table captain you need to employ a few other tricks...

One thing you can do to improve your image is to perform chip tricks at the table... I don't know that many tricks but the few I do serve my purpose just fine... there's not much more intimidating to an opponent than for them to look across the table and see you handling chips like you were born on the felt... they might think twice before drawing at their gut shot straight...

Knowing your odds and outs is another way to stay in control of a table... it isn't really appropriate to yell at your opponent that they weren't getting the right odds to draw at their flush draw and that they are a stupid muppet even though that is exactly what you are thinking... when this comes in handy is when somebody at the table starts talking about the maths of the game, when this happens you can join the conversation and show that you aren't a muppet... not including the fact that it will help your game...

Another way to become the table captain is to know your maths when it comes to using chips... what I mean by this is that you are able to change a $500 chip for four $100 chips and four $25 chips... or being able to calculate the size of side pots when they arise (when a player is all in while there are still active players in the hand)... or being able to split pots as accurately as possible... I personally am terrible at calculating side pots and split pots but I'm working on it...

These tips should help you on your way to being the table captain and getting your bluffs respected and making opponents fearful to play you...

Signing off

Shane