Quote Originally Posted by scalabrine:
@james
I'd like to hear the 20 potential weaknesses you've spotted that you've profited from.
Of even just a few unique ones...
Just saw your post. I have about ten minutes so I will do my best on the fly. These are not in any particular order though some are crucial. Also order of importance does have something to do with stakes you play, table dynamics, and your style of play. Ok here we go
1. Players unaware of position, position is crucial.
2. Limping into pots. This is a very very common fish mistake.
3. Is failure to isolate limpers when you have a premium hand preflop
4. Trying to bluff calling stations. This applies to all stakes
5. Being overly creative in low stakes games. Stick to ABC poker
6. Being a calling station ( this is as bad as bluffing one)
7. Raising too may hands on button. The button is important but do not think it is a suit of armor, you still need to show some restraint. Good players are very familiar with people bullying with button and they will slow pay a big hand to go over the top or smooth call and you will likely be in big trouble after the flop. Button raises are good, button raises every time is a very risky strategy.
8. Incorrect bet sizing/pot odds. This has many sub chapters. Not betting enough to get people off draws when you have a made hand or over betting when you have a nice chunk of a dry board.
9. Not mixing it up at all. This is more for mid stakes to high stakes. Playing ABC poker low stakes is acceptable. Playing too conservative or too tight in higher stakes means good players will only play back at you if they have monster hands. I can think of 10 guys I would fold bottom two pair on the flop to if they bet or reraised me that I see regularly in LA cash games. I can think of dozens of other guys I would go over the top against in the same situation. The ones I would go over the top against are FAR better players then the ones I would lay my hand down to.
10. Drinking
11. Straddling. Straddling is ok ( at best) if at least half the players are doing it and its a loose game with a few weak players. However typically when you straddle you are playing in an unnaturally bloated pot in relation to your hand and you are out of position.
12. Failure to continuation bet after a preflop raise.
13. Set mining with less then 8-1 implied odds.
14. failure to protect quality hands preflop
15 Calling 3 bets too light. If someone bets, you raise and they go over the top. Your range of calling hands here should be very clearly defined in your head. Remember 4bet and fold are both also options.
16. Playing too many hands preflop/ lack of patience
17. Playing scared, usually because you are in a game too big for you bankroll. You see this often in big card rooms. If I see a 5-10 or 10-20 reg in the 25-50 game the first thing I try to find out is if he is stakes or sold some pieces of himself. If he did not I try to put pressure on him at these higher stakes whenever possible.
18 exhaustion. People playing too long make many mistakes. When you show up to the cardroom in the morning its not hard to figure out who pulled an all nighter.
19. Awareness of stack sizes. There are many examples I could cite but due to time restraints I will only mention one. For instance, in a multiway pot after the flop you can not bluff nearly as often if one of the player in the pot only has 900 left and there is 5k in the pot. He is probably calling with any pair or draw hoping to improve on turn or river
20. Tilt.chasing losses
OK I listed 20 and saved one of my favorites for last. This is a huge mistake for many weaker players. # 21 is the reverse free roll. Most of us as gamblers know what a free roll is. If you dont know I will tell you. Lets say you bet a baseball game over 9 and its 6-3 in the 7th inning. Well you are on a free roll. You are going to win or push, you can not lose. Thats a free roll. A reverse free roll is very common in poker. Its when a player makes a bet on the river that is ONLY getting called by a better hand. For instance if you have a set and there are four clubs on the board and you make a big bet on the river, do you think you are getting called if your opponent doesnt have a club? Same applies to a four card straight on the board, if you have top 2 or a set. There are more subtle nuances to the reverse free roll when people over bet top 2 pairs, the a** end of the straight or a weak flush but I am out of time.
I would happily answer any questions about any specific leak and go into further detail when I have time. I am sure I missed half a dozen more and will notice it when I reread post later today.
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