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Table image at the poker table


One thing that I’ve noticed as I’ve started to play in larger poker tournaments is the importance of a player’s table image. This is something that new players tend to neglect but with a few basic pointers, the way that you’re perceived at the poker table can help you pick up those pots which will turn a bad session into a good one.

Perhaps the main thing to point out is that when it comes to cultivating a table image, you need to be at a table where your opponents are going to be trying to get a read on you. In lower level tournaments, players are more concerned with their own cards rather than their opponents and in this sort of situation, it’s more important to make sure that you play your cards solidly. Players at this level are much more likely to make poor decisions and as such you will find your bluffs called a lot more than they should be.

However, as you begin to come across more able players the way that you are perceived becomes very important. If you are seen as a tight player (someone who only plays premium hands), you’ll find that opponents are less likely to call your raises than if you are seen as a loose player (someone who plays a lot of pots).

I should point out at this stage that there is no ‘right’ table image to have when you sit down as each style has its their own advantages.

When you’re perceived as a tight player, you’ll find that you’re generally entering pots with good, strong hands and as such you’re likely to win a lot more pots than you lose. Equally, your raises will count for a lot more as your opponents will be a lot more concerned about the strength of your hand, which can lead to some good bluffing opportunities.

Those players seen as ‘loose’ will find the pots that they’re competing for will be generally larger than those of a conservative player. That’s because the other players at the table will know that to be playing as many hands as you have been means that you’re not being so fussy with regards to your starting hand. Loose players will also find that they will be able to make more conservative players lay down their cards with a lot more ease.

There’s no doubt that you’ll find one of the styles comes to you much more naturally than the other, but to truly maximise your play, you will need to feel comfortable playing both ways. That’s because your table image should reflect the opponents you’re playing with. At a tight table you want to be seen as a tight player. At a loose table, you want to be seen as someone who will play anything.

Note the words in bold above. Although you want to be seen as an aggressive player at a loose table your play should be generally tight and conservative. Likewise, at a conservative table you’ll have a lot more success playing aggressively while appearing to be a tight player.

Therefore your actual playing style may well vary from your table image.

Perhaps the best example of this in recent times was Jerry Yang at the WSOP 2007 final table. It could well be argued that Yang was following a fairly conservative strategy at the beginning of the evening. He got dealt some premium hands and was able to make some fairly impressive raises confident in the knowledge that he held premium cards.

However, to the rest of the table who hadn’t had the opportunity to see any of his hands, he came across as a super aggressive player who was probably raising with anything and seemed to be stealing pots left, right and centre.

As a result, Yang was able to build up an unassailable lead by cultivating a very loose table image while actually playing fairly conservatively. His opponents started to call him with some less than impressive cards believing that Yang must be doing something similar which lead to the eventual champion being able to eliminate a large part of his competition relatively early.

So when you next find yourself sitting at a poker table trying to decide your best course of action, a lot will be going through your head. Yes, you’ll be trying to get a read on your opponent. You’ll be trying to calculate pot odds and taking into account things like position.

But don’t forget to have a think about how the table currently sees you. The answer to that question may well help you to decide whether to muck your cards or throw those extra chips into the middle of the table.