Table Image
Do you have a table image?
Answer: Yes!
Why? Because table image in not what you project or how you play or what you say. Table image is how the other players at the table see you and at any poker table there are going to be some players paying attention and formulating an impression of how you play. That is your table image.
Aggressive, passive, calling station, rock, maniac, tight aggressive, loose passive and on and on; more potential table images then there are wild cards in a home game.
So, since you have no choice but to have a table image, you should be aware of what it is on any given day, at any given table, during any given span of time because your table image is not consistent, it will changed over time and if you know what it is, you can use that image to manipulate your opponents into making mistakes.
For example: You have been playing a limit Hold’em cash game for two hours, you haven’t caught any cards to speak of, the only big hand you won was when a short stack got reckless with top pair on the flop (tens) and you had pocket kings. So you have been folding most of your hands for two hours. Some players are the table are going to think you are a tight, conservative player, who only plays premium hands; they are not going to think you are just having a horrible run of cards. So use that, steal some blinds, aggressively open from early position.
Now be aware your table image changes as you play more hands and show more hands, the other players get better information on you. So as your image shifts, you shift your game to take advantage of their new image of you. The key is that if you are aware of your own table image, you can use it to your advantage and what’s one more image to keep track of, you already have the other nine players figured out, right?
-This is Beginner’s Poker Blog Post #123
