Every Player Has a Name

One thing a winning poker player must remember when he sits down at a table is that every player has a name.

I am not talking about their real names, of course. Their real names are unimportant. I am talking about the name you give them based on their play.

Doyle Brunson once told me, 'I don't just play my cards. I play the players. You can win with good cards and bad cards, but a player usually plays the same based on who he or she is.'

Repeat those words to yourself and repeat them again.

I can walk into any card room, whether I have been there before or whether it's my first time there. During my first hour or so of play, I study the other players and give them nicknames.

The woman in seat one is nervous and very passive. She only calls with good cards and she rarely raises even when she has a dynamite hand.

I call her Nervous Nellie.

The player in seat two is another non-aggressive player. Once in a while he will call a raise with a less than perfect hand, but not very often.

I call him Timid Tim.

Player in seat three is an action player. He raises often and is capable of bluffing with nothing. He is ruthless, dangerous, and fairl predictable.

My nickname for him is Dangerous Dan.

Player in seat four is an unpredictable woman who is capable of making some tricky plays. She is an experienced player who is difficult to read but she can be beaten if you concentrate on outthinking her.

I call her Action Annie.

Player in seat five is an average player who sometimes raises but more often just calls. He doesn't set traps and just plays the hand he has been dealt. If there is a showdown and he has less than a perfect hand, he probably won't call a bet.

My name for him is Average Al.

Player in seat six is a calculating individual who rarely calls without a good hand. He is a formidable foe who rarely leaves the table a loser. If you go into a pot with a good hand and he calls, you can be assured that he is not putting in his chips without having powerful cards.

I nickname him Bold Bennie.

Player in seat seven is a calling station. He will probably lose his chips, re-buy, and then re-buy again. He can be called Easy Ernie.

As players drop out and new ones come in, you will have to evaluate their play and give them nicknames as well. As long as you keep track of who you are playing, who is raising, and who is just calling, you should stay ahead of the game.

Nicknaming players according to their abilities is especially important in tournaments. This is the most challenging and rewarding part of being a poker player. How well you do will be determined by your skill in defining your opposition.

With that said, I have to wonder: what nickname do the other players have for me?

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).