Game Flow and Momentum
Lately I have been playing a lot and have been putting in many hours and hands. I notice that by playing so much I sometimes lose focus and start to play somewhat robotically. I mean by this that I start to move plays/moves automatically, without really thinking critically. By doing this I start to make mistakes, because if I have been paying more attention I would have taken another course of action.
Two things that I will discuss in this article are game flow and momentum. The last few months I have been loosening up my game and then these concept become more important than when I was playing tighter. I am still in a learning process in my game and therefore this article will be more explorative and less descriptive than my other articles. I also would like to hear other opinions on these topics, so I can learn from these.
Game Flow
Many players are using statistical software nowadays and so do I. I use Holdem Manager and I am certain I would play less well without it, but there are some risks using it. Holdem Manager and Poker Tracker display accumulated statistics. These programs will return averages on variables over a certain number of hands. These averages are very useful, but they do not take into account game and table flow. Sometimes when I am playing online I play 30/27(VPIP/PFR) on one table and 15/11 on another one. So, on the first table I am playing a total different game than on the second one. Opponents who are zillion tabling only see my average stats of 23/19 and react accordingly or better said don’t react properly.
Other opponents too may play differently per table or make adjustments to you or other players. Not paying attention to these adjustments is a costly mistake, which I also still make too often. For instance, I sometimes 3bet a fairly loose cut off raiser with a hand like QJs on the button, without really reasoning why I did that (except for that Cardrunners told me to do it). I think that this is a correct play if the cut off has been active lately and will not 4 bet bluff me too often, but if the cut off has folded his last 20 cut offs (even if he is loose aggressive) he will probably have a hand here. Same situation and the cut off opens and there are 2 maniacs in the blinds. Assuming the cut off is a thinking player he will tighten up his opening range with 2 maniacs in the blinds. So, raising QJs here is a bit spewy.
Good thinking regulars will adapt to you too. If you have been a pain is the ass for some players (for instance 3 betting them to death), they may adapt by playing tighter against you out of position, even if they are normally loose aggressive players. So if they raise now you should give them a lot more credit than before. I sometimes am not focused enough anymore after my 3000nd hand of the day and still 3 bet them with a marginal hand like QJs. Of course I then get 4 bet and I have to fold and consequently I throw away 12 big blinds which is 6 BB’s in Holdem Manager or Poker Tracker and when I do this too often, this error will have a major impact on my winrate.
Opponents who are losing may be off their A game and may be playing differently than they normally do. Most players who are off their game or are even tilting play more loose then they normally do (for those who don’t understand this have to watch Daniel Negreanu in High Stakes Poker Season 5 Episode 3). If you are not aware that an opponent is off his game, you will make mistakes, because you assume he plays his normal game. For instance, you might bluff a tilting player, which is never a good idea.
A factor that has a big impact on game flow are show downs. A tight player who is caught 3 bet bluffing preflop with 72o, will receive few respect the next couple of hands. A loose player who 3 bets a lot, but has only show down AA and KK will still get respect, because he has shown good hands. It is very frustrating when a player is 3 betting you constantly, but is able to only show down big hands and I would be more careful to 4 bet bluff a player, who has just shown me aces.
Momentum
Everyone has suffered those sessions where are player who had position on you, is totally owning your soul by 3 betting you to death. Well, we could be that villain too. If you have 3 bet someone a lot, but only has shown big hands, you should continue 3 betting him. Who wants to 4 bet a player, who has just shown down aces and kings. I have seen many videos of good players and these stress the importance of momentum and say to keep the momentum. They make decisions aimed at keeping the momentum. For instance, they may opt to play specific hands more tight or don’t bluff specific spots, because they have momentum and wants to let their opponent make a mistake (e.g they don’t to flip against a tilting player).
