Reads & Rhythm

A big congrats to my friend WackyJaxon for winning 5k in Event 13 of the FTOPS!!!

Rhythm:

Live Play: To stay in a rhythm and take near the same amount of time when it is your turn gives you a couple of advantages. If you need a little extra time to go in the tank about a hand it isn't as obvious to your opponents as it would be if you normally play fast. There's plenty going on in each hand to pay attention to even if you know you are going to fold. When you know you are going to fold, you can use this time to casually observe opponents looking for tells they may be giving away.
One word of caution: One player that I play with frequently takes this to the extreme. An opponent went all in ahead of him when he held pocket aces and had already picked up a full house. He took his usual amount of time then made the call; he didn't want to break his rhythm!

Online Play: If you always auto-fold when you aren't going to play, this can give your opponent information. Exercising your thoughts before each move can keep you alert and focused on your opponents as well as your own cards.

Reads:

Live Play: Reading the strength of your opponents and knowing their ability to fold a hand is crucial. Be sure to keep in mind their actions from every street of the hand so you can figure out what they have. Calculating hand ranges is going to give you a huge advantage over the casual player. A lot of players like to wait until it's their turn before looking at their cards. I want to throw a little twist on this. If you wait until it's your turn, you give everyone a chance to see your reaction to your cards. I like to make sure the players I consider strongest at the table are not looking my way when I look at my cards.

Online Play: Going in the tank online is a little easier. You have a typed out copy of their actions on every street to review ( the dealer will announce all action at the table provided you don't have this option turned off ). You can also pull up the previous hands at the table and see exactly what kinds of hands they have shown.