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Local poker tournaments are full of predictable patterns, and the biggest edge often comes from knowing how to exploit them. Let’s break down five common mistakes recreational players make, and learn how to capitalize on each one.
Never Folding Multi-Way
Most of your opponents have never folded top pair or a draw in a multi-way pot to the first bet.
This is a huge problem for them, because if somebody raises from early position and then continuation bets 75% pot into four people, they’re usually not messing around.
If that’s a solid live player, that range tends to be sets, two pairs, top pair with top kicker, and huge combo draws. You can easily fold your mediocre top pairs and draws to that range.
However, your opponents tend to feel weak if they do that. They feel like they’re being exploited. “If I fold this hand, aren’t I folding every hand? What am I even doing here? It’s hard to make these hands! I can’t just fold them.”
This fixed manner of thinking doesn’t allow them to appraise each situation for its individual merits. The lack of flexibility traps them when they’re playing against a person who is going for extreme value with a great hand.
You can take advantage of their lack of flexibility by betting larger with your made hands multi-way. Every good player at the table will know what you’re doing, but there’s not many of them.
Playing Too Many Hands Preflop
I know you’ve heard this before, but it’s overwhelming how bad most people are at this. If you’re playing at a nine-handed poker table, it’s you versus eight people. You’re supposed to be folding most of the time! But the average local tournament player will fold for 14 minutes and then start telling everyone who will listen how bad they are running.
If I’m ever playing and one of my book readers or students watches me, they’re always stunned at how tight I am most of the time. It’s not that I’m a tight player, it’s just that they are playing that loose.
I’m using standard opening and three-betting ranges most of the time, because it takes a while to develop reads that allow you to deviate. Those solid ranges will have you hanging out for a long while before you strike. You can’t just fling chips in because you’re bored.
The most common ways people play too many hands is with too many preflop raises, cold calls, limps, and three-bet flats. If you see someone show up at showdown with a goofball hand, you can start value betting more thinly versus them. You can also choose to run a bluff versus their weaker ranges if you believe they don’t want to play a big pot yet.
Never Three-Betting
It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t have this leak in local tournaments stateside. Americans especially, believe three-bets are supposed to be used sparingly and primarily with good hands. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Sure, you don’t have to spam the three-bet out there every chance you get, but a three-bet is the most fundamental aggressive play in the toolbox. It’s only costs seven to nine big blinds generally, and it’s a great counter-punch to someone who is opening way too many weak hands and is continually trying to steal your positional raises.
You don’t have to three-bet with 9-2 suited or anything junky like that, but some unsuited big cards or suited gappers are good enough to take into combat. You can also three-bet more of your middle pairs if you believe someone is opening too wide.
Only Bluffing When They’re Frustrated
Most people in local tournaments only bluff when they’re frustrated, which tends to mean they bluff when their A-K misses the flop or their pocket queens see yet another overcard. They will also bluff when they miss their third draw of the day. It’s generalized agitation.
The problem they have when they run these bluffs is they often don’t represent much of anything. If they checked back a turn to see if they could hit their overcards, for example, that makes it less likely they have a set or two pair or great top pair – they would generally fire with those hands in hopes of making more money with the hand. If there was a flush draw on the board, it’s more likely they would be betting to protect their hand as well.
When they suddenly rip it with their frustrated hand on the river, their opponent can ask an obvious question. “Wouldn’t they have bet turn with all the hands I’m worried about here?”
A better time to bluff is when your opponent is capped at all of their weak hands. When you raise and the big blind flats, that’s a situation where many people would three-bet their best hands. If that person then declines to check-raise you on a dangerous board, it’s more likely they have mediocre pairs. It’s possible they would have check-raised with sets or two pairs to protect themselves from potential draws, so you can keep firing if the turn is a scare card.
The average person in a local tournament doesn’t know an ideal bluff spot. They bluff when they feel like it, which tends to be when they’re frustrated with how they’re running. If they capped their range earlier in the hand with a check back or call on a draw-intensive board, we can use that information to make thinner hero calls.
Never Finding A Fold On The River
This is the largest leak most people have in small tournaments where they can easily re-enter. If they don’t like the guy? They’re calling. Do they feel like their hand should be good, damn it? They’re calling. Are they mad about how they’re running and they want to make something happen? They’re calling.
It’s hilarious to see these folks at the WSOP. In their local games they can flail around and hope for the best. But when their decisions account for much more money, they don’t have a solid A-game.
In general, if a boring recreational player or reg triple barrels you, three-bets and fires multiple streets, raises turn, or raises river, they generally have it. You don’t have to rack your brain for bluffs they probably don’t have, especially on the river where bets are largest and most of your opponents are squeamish.
Conclusion
By recognizing these leaks in your opponents’ games, you can turn every hand into an opportunity for profit. Sharpen your awareness, adjust your strategy, and watch your results improve at the local tables.
Learn how to play A-K when it misses the flop!
Alexander Fitzgerald is a professional poker player and bestselling author who currently lives in Denver, Colorado. He is a WPT and EPT final tablist, and has WCOOP and SCOOP wins online. His most recent win was the $250,000 Guaranteed on ACR Poker. He currently enjoys blasting bums away in Ignition tournaments while he listens to death metal. Free training packages of his are provided to new newsletter subscribers who sign up at PokerHeadRush.com
