Poker Log re scripts
Part of my poker log from this week. Comments?
Scripts and pattern recognition
Have you ever locked your keys in your car? If you have, chances are that something out of the ordinary occurred. Usually you pull into your driveway, turn off the ignition, remove your car keys, and get out of the car. But, on one fateful day you pulled the keys out and then remembered that you had to install battering in the toy that you were bringing home for your seven year old son. You dropped the key on the passenger seat, installed the batteries, and THEN got out (now, forgetting your keys on the seat). The point is, you broke your usual pattern and THAT is why things got goofed up.
In life we generally follow a series of scripts. Get up, use the bathroom, start the coffee machine, get in the shower, wash hair, shave, get out of shower, etc… Last week I went to work having neglected to wash my hair. Why? I was SO tired that my script got broken. I staggered into the shower and started shaving. As soon as I was done shaving, I got out of the shower (the usual next step). But, I skipped a line. I forget to wash my hair. There was nothing to be done about it, though, because once I had skipped it, it was gone. I was back following my script even though a key element had been missed. Human beings create and follow patterns, or, if you will, scripts. Examine your own life and you will discover this to be true. Some of us are more dependent upon scripts than others, but we all develop patterns. The hardest part of quitting smoking was getting rid of all the cigarettes that were deeply ingrained habits. Every time I got in the car, I lit up. That was one of the last urges to go.
Patterns (or scripts) tend to develop particularly when we are dealing with oft repeated activities – getting up in the morning, driving a car, smoking, or playing poker.
So, ensure that your own scripts are valid. Your betting motion, etc should be similar one time to the next.
But, mess with your scripts to throw off observant opponents AND mess with their scripts to take them off their game. If you always bet with your right hand, decide that the next hand you play you will bet with your left hand. Observant opponents may wonder what is going on? It is, of course, important to make this decision BEFORE you look at your cards or you may be developing other scripts (tells) that are valid if observed.
And, perhaps most importantly, figure out what your opponents’ scripts are and refuse to follow them. If your opponent always defends his blind in limit hold’em and then always goes for a c/r when he hits any pair or any draw (my usual, by the way) then check your top pair when he checks to you. Not always, but occasionally. You want to teach your opponent that his usual script is not reliable.
There are, I think, a lot of applications regarding this line of thought. I am going to start thinking about typical betting progressions (scripts) and looking at whether or not there is a profitable departure from the usual.
Scripts and pattern recognition
Have you ever locked your keys in your car? If you have, chances are that something out of the ordinary occurred. Usually you pull into your driveway, turn off the ignition, remove your car keys, and get out of the car. But, on one fateful day you pulled the keys out and then remembered that you had to install battering in the toy that you were bringing home for your seven year old son. You dropped the key on the passenger seat, installed the batteries, and THEN got out (now, forgetting your keys on the seat). The point is, you broke your usual pattern and THAT is why things got goofed up.
In life we generally follow a series of scripts. Get up, use the bathroom, start the coffee machine, get in the shower, wash hair, shave, get out of shower, etc… Last week I went to work having neglected to wash my hair. Why? I was SO tired that my script got broken. I staggered into the shower and started shaving. As soon as I was done shaving, I got out of the shower (the usual next step). But, I skipped a line. I forget to wash my hair. There was nothing to be done about it, though, because once I had skipped it, it was gone. I was back following my script even though a key element had been missed. Human beings create and follow patterns, or, if you will, scripts. Examine your own life and you will discover this to be true. Some of us are more dependent upon scripts than others, but we all develop patterns. The hardest part of quitting smoking was getting rid of all the cigarettes that were deeply ingrained habits. Every time I got in the car, I lit up. That was one of the last urges to go.
Patterns (or scripts) tend to develop particularly when we are dealing with oft repeated activities – getting up in the morning, driving a car, smoking, or playing poker.
So, ensure that your own scripts are valid. Your betting motion, etc should be similar one time to the next.
But, mess with your scripts to throw off observant opponents AND mess with their scripts to take them off their game. If you always bet with your right hand, decide that the next hand you play you will bet with your left hand. Observant opponents may wonder what is going on? It is, of course, important to make this decision BEFORE you look at your cards or you may be developing other scripts (tells) that are valid if observed.
And, perhaps most importantly, figure out what your opponents’ scripts are and refuse to follow them. If your opponent always defends his blind in limit hold’em and then always goes for a c/r when he hits any pair or any draw (my usual, by the way) then check your top pair when he checks to you. Not always, but occasionally. You want to teach your opponent that his usual script is not reliable.
There are, I think, a lot of applications regarding this line of thought. I am going to start thinking about typical betting progressions (scripts) and looking at whether or not there is a profitable departure from the usual.
Comments
Perhaps medidate I should, hmmm? Perhaps the question I ask, too soon? Can you expand on this for the simple minded?
I suppose I'm thinking I want my opponent to go right on thinking his script is reliable!
Congratulations on quitting smoking. It was as recent as yesterday I rejoiced at never starting.
Good point. And, I think that with some opponents you want them to feel like you are playing accoring to the rules -- their scripts are reliable. For instance with "rocks" you probably want them to feel comfortable so that you can steal their chips.
With other opponents you want them to feel uncomfortable. I want players like Daniel N and Howard L to feel uncomfortable playing against me. I want to avoid following a script. I want to improvise. I want these sorts of players to feel really worried that I am not following a script.