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"Making Book" - Tracking Other Online Poker PlayersMaking book in the world of online poker refers to collecting, analyzing, and using information about how your online opponents play. The best poker players keep detailed records of other players as well as themselves. In this article I'll try to convince you that a good book is critical to winning at online poker. Poker is a people game, not a card gameIn Killer Poker Online John Vorhaus writes that "Poker is a people game played with cards, not a card game played with people." While some of your success does depend on how the cards are dealt, most of it relies on how you read, predict, and react to other people in the game. Anyone can read books, calculate odds, and play each hand by the numbers. It's even possible to make some money by becoming a competent player. Professional poker players, however, go a step beyond this competence by studying their opponents to find their weaknesses. Exploiting such weaknesses is how professionals win big. Poker Players are human, and humans are creatures of habitCollecting and analyzing information about other online poker players lets you see the patterns in their play. Even a tight/aggressive player, one of your more dangerous opponents, can be punished to your profit. The reason: every poker player does certain things by habit. Learning that your tight opponent rarely defends a blind, for example, means that you can raise into him and often steal the blinds. Conversely, understanding how an opponent plays can help you avoid his traps. The check-raise is a good example of a skilled poker play that you should note when used by an opponent. Next time he checks to the bettor, and you're the bettor, you can see the next card for free. Online poker makes it easy to keep bookComputers are marvelous things, aren't they? This is one thing you can appreciate when playing poker online and looking for a way to keep notes. A simple text file or spreadsheet is an excellent way to keep book on your opponents without too much effort. If you can get access to hand history files, such as the ones maintained by Party Poker and Empire Poker, you'll have a wealth of information about opponents (as well as your own play). The key point in this section: start now! The sooner you begin keeping book on other online poker players, the sooner you'll have enough information to start profiting from (or avoiding) them. |
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