One of the most difficult transitions in playing middle-high stakes poker is to learn to play with multiple levels of thought processing. This can be highly profitable, and a huge improvement to your game providing you are able to change levels during a hand.
Let's start by explaining what the three basic levels of thinking are:
Level One Most poker players are playing with level one thinking. They see only their cards, and the texture of the cards on the flop. They either have a hand or don't, they never really represent anything different, and rarely give any thought to what their opponent is holding. Level one players are the easiest players to beat, and often play too big of pots with hands like top pair, top kicker.
Level TwoLevel two poker starts to become a real game, the basic concept of level two is knowing what cards you hold, but also considering what your opponent might hold. Most poker players will eventually achieve level two thought processing if they play poker for any real length of time. Level two players will play winning poker at low limits, and will achieve big tournament finishes once in a while if the cards fall their way but they will never players you consistently see at final tables.
A key improvement most level two players have made to their game is understanding what their opponent thinks they might have, and representing it. Because of this, solid level two players are able to start executing some well timed bluffs.
Level ThreeLevel three thought is the nuts. Very few players will ever get to this level of thinking. Level three poker players think to themselves, what do I have? What does my opponent have? What does my opponent think I have? What do I want my opponent to think I have? Most importanly, what does my opponent want me to think he has? Level three players play bluff catcher more often, and they also execute more bluffs than the average player. Level three players are consistent winners, they final table often and the best of the best are found most of the time at high stakes heads up tables, usually taking some level two players stack for tens of thousands of dollars at a time.
Tips to improve to different levels of thinking Aside from practicing your game as often as possible, start watching some of the better players at high stakes tables. When playing yourself, make a concerted effort to put your opponents on a hand and decide what they think you have.
Once you know, or can reasonably assume how your opponent will act or react in certain situations it becomes easier to posture and represent different holdings.
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