Observation skills in poker

How do we acquire information at the poker table? This may seem like a simple question, but there is more to it than meets the eye. The problem is not only the gathering of information itself, but also the sifting of that information from the information noise. Once the noise is removed, we have to interpret and use the information we receive in play. Although
most of the time we do most of this automatically, which is not easy.

The process starts with information gathering. Gathering information is not just about playing at the poker table and letting things just happen. This can be described as the art of selective attention. Human beings are inherently imperfect, we lack certain qualities, we may overlook certain things. Our attention and perception are limited. For this reason, we have to decide which elements of a poker match we will focus on and which we will ignore. Selective attention is a process that extracts important information from the total flow of information that comes in.

Most of the time, everyone imagines that high-level poker players are special and better at picking up information than others. That they are more observant, or that they have some innate ability to spot tells, to pick better patterns of play.

But this is complete nonsense. If high-level players can spot certain trends more clearly and interpret them into clearer patterns, it is only for two reasons. Firstly, they have had an enormous amount of experience in building psychological models, which has sharpened their sensitivity and made it much easier for them to reproduce these models in play. Secondly, they have had a great deal of experience with unusual situations, all of which has moved into the subconscious, so that their conscious mind is free to concentrate on the psychological game. In other words, skilled poker players are not able to concentrate any more, in any special way, just that they have already experienced it all, and they can allow their mind to concentrate on other problems. Their conscious attention is free to look for more subtle tells, some structure or other valuable information that a weaker player does not have time to look for.

What if you want to improve your observation skills in a different way than just collecting experience? While raw, real experience is the most important factor, there are a number of other ways that can help.

The first way to develop observation is to simply focus on it. This seems too obvious to state, but remember that being focused is something you can do, not something you just experience. Of course, sometimes you will be focused without even thinking that you need to do it. But you shouldn't let your inner moods control you. Reminding yourself to concentrate on watching the competitor when your mind is on autopilot and you start dreaming about something can help you a lot. Focus! Tell yourself this from time to time and remember that focus can be an active and conscious process.

As you watch your opponent, pay attention to each situation and try to understand what it tells you about your opponent's game. Look at specific areas and try to see how they fit into the overall portrait of the player. Once again, this will not happen automatically. You will have to force yourself to actively and carefully process the information you get about his psychology, betting patterns, etc. Observe, interpret and complete the further portrait of your opponent.

One of the best ways to do this is to express it (both loudly and quietly). For example, if you see someone consistently checking back a lot of draws in a tournament, call yourself out: "He is checking back a lot of draws on the turn, which means he doesn't like to take risks, he hardly makes any semi-bluffs, and his range is based on value. I should bet him on the draw river." Of course, you won't always have such clear conclusions from every hand. But it's important to remind yourself of the evidence for your reads, not just to keep repeating the reads themselves. The more conscious and evidence-based your reads are, the more naturally you will deal with the various subtleties of observation. And not only that. By reviewing your findings consciously and clearly, you will "imprint" them more firmly in your mind, which will make them easier to recognise, recall and act on.

If you play online, you should always use your notes and keep your observations up-to-date. The art of note-taking is very subjective and different things affect people differently. The most important thing is that you take notes frequently, consistently and use them effectively. Ideally, your the notes would mainly contain the following:

1) Marking significant events, e.g. "He made a call down, the board had XYZ cards, with bottom pair".

2) Observations from psychological readings, e.g. "Likes to bluff twice in a row" or "Does not like to take risks".

3) Bet-sizing, e.g. "Overbet your flushes on the river".

4) Make notes on how to play against him, e.g. "When you have a colour, make small bets because he likes to raise small bets".

Remember, notes are not only valuable because you can take them out and read them when you feel lost or have forgotten your readings. Above all, notes are valuable because they reinforce the imprints in your mind and make them easier to remember. The process of taking notes consistently will make you remember your readings better, even if you never open them. It will also make your mind more attentive to your opponent when you play, so if you don't take notes yet, start now.

You've probably noticed that many good players seem to have amazing observation skills, but usually can't articulate how they know it. If you try to press them on how you did that read, they'll just shrug their shoulders and say they knew it. And once again, these players are not any more special than anyone else or any more genius. It's just that their observational skills have been transferred to their subconscious. Their automatic minds have been trained to evaluate, synthesise and reproduce the actions of their opponents automatically.

You don't have direct control over your subconscious concept of your opponent, but you can pay active attention to his play and use your conscious skills to penetrate your subconscious. You can do this by talking to yourself, actively exploring and reframing the player's theory of mind, taking notes and consciously working on your observations. If you do this consistently and often enough, gradually, over time, the process will automate and move into your subconscious.

Turn poker into an exploration of your opponent. Identify with them. Breathe his air. Watch him, learn from him, move him and gather information about his weaknesses and strengths, his beliefs and fears. Only then will you be able to understand your opponent and, with a little luck, predict his actions. There is no better feeling in poker than achieving mastery by analysing your opponent's mind.

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