Been a while..

It's been a while I wrote a blog entry. I guess I'll leave this thought behind...

This is what almost all poker players go through at one point or another. I believe this is inevitable because one is trying to become better and do not want to end up being a dog to another player.

What I'm talking about is the notion of worrying of becoming too exploitable and having too many exploitable tendencies. You hear it all the time, "I have to 3bet this to protect my weaker/stronger holdings" or "I'll be too exploitable if I don't do X". I can guarantee that this is almost NEVER the case even against really good players who notices your tendencies. Yes, you should be somewhat mindful of the actions you take, but generally these types of thinking are not necessary to be successful.

There is an intricate balance here. If you can play in an EXTREMELY exploitable fashion yet you aren't exploited, you make the MOST amount of money. If you play in a completely unbeatable or balanced fashion, you make very little money even against terrible players. Being exploitable = more profit, balance = less profit, please don't forget that.

Part of being successful at the game is being able to adapt. As CTS has put it, you want to be one step ahead of your opponent. If your opponents think you never bluff, you need to bluff all the time. If your opponents think you are always bluffing, you need to NEVER bluff. These are both very exploitable tendencies, but you can understand why they can be extremely profitable. Table dynamics is key to the mid stakes tables. Sometimes I always 3bet/4bet bluff and never 3bet/4bet my big hands, instead always slowplay them. The reverse can easily happen also. Nobody but you knows your strategy, and as long as you know what you are doing, and that you understand your own tendencies, there is nothing to be exploited. Simply put, the game is a lot less complicated than some people make it out to be.