Weaknesses (continuation)
There are also latent weaknesses. On pre-flop it is usually raise from a position of still. Application of re-still very strongly depends on reads and demands attentive supervision over the table. Some players prefer to throw off on re-raise (it is supposed, that stacks deep), some almost always answer. On a course of the game I try to classify always opponents by their force of game and aggression on pre-flop and on flop accordingly. If the player seems to be weak in the post-flop game, I often simply call in hope to change it at late stages but if he is strong in post-flop oppositions, I often do re-raise and I try to take away bank without struggle, especially if I feel that it starts to become impudent. If you see that aggression of your opponent is minimal, and raise from his party is the big rarity, it is better to forget about possibility of still even if it seems that it uses a position.
On post-flop the most typical form of the latent weakness is overbet. Again I am compelled to warn you, good players will use overbet with strong cards to look weak, but average players often do overbet to dissuade you from call. Before trying to use this at first sight seeming weakness, be convinced that you have looked at structure of flop. On the dangerous flops, that is on flops where the set of not completed hands is possible, chance that overbet means a strong hand, raises, as many will use overbet as protection. Overbet on separated flops is just what you search. Besides, your actions depend on reads. If against you the player stands, who is not capable to shoot two times without a hand, to you it is better to call overbet and to look at his actions. Against more artful players you can make re-raise, showing the real force. The variation of game and game on the opponent depending on his force or weakness has vital importance.
These are the most typical forms of weakness, that I see, but there are more many others. Playing it is more and more, you learn to distinguish and use them. As you likely have noticed, I have not told anything about game with short stacks. If you have decided to attack weakness, but this player has a short stack, you practically compel him to go all-in. Sometimes it will work all the same, but often you will look silly, showing on opening dust. If you have quite an average stack, you need to narrow decently a range for attack of weaknesses without a decent hand. For example, if your stack ten times is more than size of bank, and you decide to attack limper from an average position, and then do kont-bet on flop, you use practically half of stack. Perhaps it also will make for you profit, but, in my opinion, it is better to use these counters later, having in stock a real hand. Attack of weak players is what works 80 % of time for small banks and does not work 20 % of time for the big banks. Be convinced that you presume to lose yourselves these 20 % of time, or don’t do it.
Then, when we attack weaknesses, it is still, and we should consider it also. And this still does not turn to game on value when we catch average pair on flop. If we did not manage to catch two pairs or something better, it is still. We have shown force in the sense that attacked an aggressor but if suddenly it has a real hand, it is necessary to come off in time. If at attempts of still you cannot throw off the averages, and even senior steams, you will lose all profit on the game and even will stay at a loss. Once again, still is still, and in game it does not pass to the value if only you do not manage to catch two pairs or something better.
And in the conclusion, probably, the most important advice: be reasonable. Don’t play under the scheme, always analyze a situation. Use the image and game style to solve how much often it is necessary to attack the players showing weakness. After all you don’t begin to argue, that if you do it each time, it becomes obvious and predictable. If to during some time you won’t be given good cards anymore, use your tight image, image of the player playing only good hands to win some banks. The knowledge of the way how and when to do it, is based on intuition more, but you always need to observe the reaction of people on your actions, and to change the game accordingly.