We’ll start with an example from a live tournament I played at recently. My look at the table is a study in contrasts; the prototypical hoodie, witty poker shirt that only 40% of the people you play with get, (“But they were suited? Well, duh, they ARE suited. Dumb kid.”) ipod, and so on. But, I also sport some pretty wild hair (orange/black) and a lip ring, and I’m incredibly talkative before a tournament. I chatted up my table, and a few people started talking about the weather, but I also caught two players in the corner eying me over, and talking to themselves. They labeled me “one of those internet punks” and started chuckling to themselves. I noted that observation in my mind at the start of play.

In the second level, I opened A8o on the CO, and got flatted by a weak-tight player in the SB. I flopped air, continuation bet a funky number ($875, all in $25 chips) and got called. The turn put a blank out, my opponent checked, and I fired a second barrel of $2,025 into the pot, this time by flicking a pink $5,000 chip in and announcing the precise bet of $2,025. My opponent studied for a bit and folded, and as I raked in the pot, one of the two guys who had been watching me earlier grunted, “Is that how you kids always bluff?” I obliged him by turning over my ace high and meekly asking, “Best hand, yeah?” Weak-tight guy shuddered, the table got a bit of information on me, but most importantly, I confirmed the watcher’s suspicions that, indeed, I was simply an internet kid that fires annoying numbers and bluffs constantly and is just itching to irritate the crap out of you.

Later in the level, I was dealt AQh in middle position. I opened for a slightly above standard raise to $475 (blinds $50/$100) in all green chips. Observant guy called in the SB, as did a player in the BB. The flop was As2c4s, giving me top pair, good kicker. The blinds checked, and I bet $975, in a black/green tower. Observant guy thought for a moment and called, and the BB folded. The turn was the 4c, putting a second flush draw out there. My opponent quickly checked, and I thought for a moment. I was pretty convinced that he didn’t have the flush draw; I expected him to make some sort of play, whether it be leading the flop or check-raising the flop, if he actually liked his hand, especially against me. He could possibly have a four, but if I check the turn, he would easily bet the river with this hand. I pegged him for a weak ace or a pocket pair, with the slim possibility of a four in there. I then decided to simply check the turn, and allow him to fire the river with a four, or check everything else, which I could then value bet if a safe card hit.

The river was the ugly 5d, putting four to a straight on the board. My opponent checked, then began watching me like a hawk, eyes fixated on my stack. I immediately recognized this as “bluff watching,” where an opponent attempts to stare you into checking the river when they have a hand that can’t stand a bet, but could possibly be best. Sensing that my opponent was waiting for me to bluff, I decided to oblige him, throwing two yellow $1,000 chips in the pot and announcing a tiny number, $1,125, as my bet. As soon as the chips hit the pot, my opponent, who had not shifted his gaze, announced raise and quickly threw a $5,000 chip into the pot along with the $1,125. I smirked and said call as fast as he bet. “I’m dumb, sir. I’ll pay you off for that straight.” He shook his head, muttering, and exposed two sevens, and I raked a nice pot. Against an unknown, I’m content to simply value bet a standard amount on that river, something like $2,000, and probably get a fold from those sevens. BY using my image as a wild, bluffy internet kid,I induced a hopeless check-raise on the river from a player that did not seem familiar with the concept at all.

Another form of image manipulation can be via your play style. People love to jump to conclusions about play styles very early in sessions, before any true assessment can actually be made about the style of play you may actually be utilizing. I recently attended my first limit live ace to five lowball game around here, and bought in for the table minimum, $400. My actual image was much more subdued this time; just a plain shirt, no ipod, hat over my hair, no lip ring. I said hello to everyone, and they started playing a incredibly wild game, with $25 straddles of the $5 button, people capping before the first draw then drawing 4, and people patting two pair and trips to run bluffs. I, on the other hand, held snug my first three orbits, playing zero hands. Two players immediately started heckling me for being tighter than anyone they’d ever played with, and started habitually straddling my button. After making a wheel a winning a decent pot, I played a larger pot with one of the players trying to run me over.

Ron, a solid, very aggressive regular in the game, straddled for $25. I made it $30 with A26xx, and the button, “Jack,” who was significantly stuck and steaming called, as did Ron. Jack drew two, Ron drew 3, and I drew 2. The bet moved to Ron, who mucked, and looked down at a 4 and a K. I bet $10, and Jack called. We both pitched one, and I picked up another 4. Jack bet his $15 dark, and I decided to raise to $30. I had a few factors going for me on this raise; Jack’s an intelligent, solid player when he’s not stuck. When stuck, he tends to make big mistakes and rely too much on his observational abilities. I had been playing ultra snug, had shown no bluffs or plays, and had made it $30 predraw, making it look solidly like I had a monster draw that got there. I didn’t expect Jack to fold now, but I thought by making the raise here and then patting and leading $20 after the final draw, Jack may throw away hands as strong as A2349 or 34568 for the single $20. Jack called the $15 more, and I set $20 more on the table, indicating my pat hand and my desire to bet. Jack drew 1, muttered, and slammed A3458 on the table, folding and saying, “No way you have worse than a 6 there.” I showed him everything but the paired 4, mucking my hand and raking in a solid pot.

Be keen on players that are noticing aspects of your game, both physical and mental. By staying one step ahead of them and reacting to their tendencies, you can find spots to extract value from some players that simply don’t exist the majority of the time.

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The HUPC is played a Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, generally in late winter / early spring, and is typically broadcast on NBC a month or two later.

The buy in for the HUPC is 20k. The HUPC is not an open event; you must receive a bid in order to register for the tournament. Open bids are generally made available through satellites at Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, and Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas.

Binions: 800.937.6537
Venetian: 702.414.1000 or 877.883.6423
Rio: 702.777.7698 or 702.777.7961
Caesar’s Palace: 702.785.6566
Wynn: 702.785.6566
Golden Nugget: 702.386.8164

Download an Excel Spreadsheet of this schedule here.

View a Google Docs version of this spreadsheet here.