Using
Imagination to Create Table Image
Quality
cards, chip stacks and sound strategy are three
fundamentals of poker. But image? Image can mean
everything.
A
constant psychological game is also going on as the
cards are being played, and to be successful, you must
hide who you are while reading the personalities of
your opponents. This, in essence, is called table
image. Your table image is how other players view you,
and how you view them.
Watching
professional poker is a great tutorial for table
image. The pros have worked for years reading player
image sand disguising their own. There are players
with their trademark monikers
– Chris “Fossilman” Raymer’s hologram
glasses; Phil “Unabomber” Laak’s hooded grey
sweat jacket; and Sammy Farha’s unlit cigarette –
that help cultivate their table image.
It
goes way beyond sunglasses and cigarettes, however.
Good players will watch your every move, even if they
don’t seem like they’re paying attention. They
will psych out the weaker players and manipulate the
game in their favor. And when it comes to
salesmanship, a good poker player puts a used-car
salesman to shame, with the ability to sell ice to an
Eskimo. Regardless of what personality you take to the
table, it doesn’t matter what others think. It only
matters that they buy what you’re selling.
What’s
great about table image, is, you don’t have to stick
with the same one. It can be totally different than
your personality, an alter ego of sorts. You create a
personality that adheres to the competition and
scenario. One that works and can be controlled in
order to keep the competition guessing. Here are three
types of table image common in poker:
The
Thinking Man:
Professional Howard Lederer is the poster child for
this type of player. His nickname, after all, is The
Professor. Players like Lederer are intellectual and
use their mathematical skills to clean up at the
table. These players may be boring, but their
persistent studying of players and the game makes them
dangerous.
The
Neighborhood Bully:
Aggressive players like themselves and aren’t shy
about letting you know this. They can be loud, cocky,
trash-talkers who use their sometimes obnoxious
personalities to rattle their opponents. These players
will often bluff, raise and generally push the table
around. They’re often the most successful players at
the table, too, as long as they realize when to back
off and not cross the line. And, like in life, it’s
always good from the perspective of the other players
when the bully gets bounced from the table.
The
Shy Guy: Unless
you are skilled at taking advantage of this persona,
this type of table image usually ends in disaster. The
shy guy shows no aggression, checks and calls a lot,
doesn’t raise enough, and generally plays tight and
passive. Generally, if you sit down at the table and
get labled with this, it’s like having a sign
tattooed on your forehead saying, “please, take all
of my chips.” If you’re a soft-spoken person and
have a personality that will keep you from winning,
use the poker table as the place to bring out the
extravert in you.
