Table Image

So, Wednesday I played in a satellite for the Foxwoods Poker Classic Main event in lovely Southeastern Connecticut. I lasted 4 and a half hours in the tournament and got knocked out about 60th out of 232 entrants. The top 23 finishers would move onto the $10,000 buy-in tournament (ending today) where first place would walk away with at least $2 million.

But, I'm not there, I made a fatal mistake on Wednesday (moved all-in with KQ suited hoping everyone would fold, guy with AQ called and took the pot and left me neutered). Don't get me wrong, it was a great expirience and I learned alot while playing all these games...and that is the importance of manipulating table image.

I'm fairly decent at playing poker online, where you can't see your opponent...but at the casino, much of the game happens above the felt by reading the characters sitting around the table. Everytime I sit down, before any cards are dealt, I look around the table and try and assertain who the threats are. The imitiating guys in shades, the grizzled poker veterns, the guys wearing shwag from different tournaments...I pick a couple and decide they are the serious players I should watch out for.

I'm always wrong. The guy I usually peg to the be the chip leader is usually knocked out first. It's uncanny -- and it's a lesson I refuse to learn.

But, on the flipside, I try to use these perceptions to my advantage. I try to dress as young as possible (hello, Neighborhoodie!), I try to act as much like a "kid" at the table, I act like it's my first time doing it...and, most importantly, I fold a couple of big hands early on. I try to convince everybody that I'm new, I'm young and I'm scared. Then, I wait half an hour and get hyper-aggressive -- pushing my whole stack in with middle pair. Sometimes, I get called out, but people never know what to think about what I do. My reputuation becomes "unpredictable", "volitile", and ultimately "threat".

I wonder if all those shades-wearing guys who I initially think are threats are wearing thier carefully created poker costumes as well...and their play (and wrong headed table images) just don't hold up mine.