For a long time now Ive been meaning to write an article on "playing by feel" or by instinct if you like that word better, as oppossed to being a math player. Now, Im a poker playing cop, not a best selling author like Sklansky, so bare with me.

Math was always my best subject in school and alot of the things Im good at revolve around math, like poker, trading stocks and options, even building furniture involves alot of math....but Im not math genius like alot of BTPers. When I see some of the formulas that Aisthesis posts, I get dizzy.

In my opinion, you need an above avg understand odds and statistics to be a good poker player, but you dont need to a math major or anything. For me, trying to use exact pot odds and comparing that to the odds I think Im ahead when I make a call has always been a losing proposition. Maybe I just suck at using that method but for me, using my instincts and reading people have always been my meal ticket.

In police work, you need good people reading skills and good instincts. I cant count the number of times I was able to look someone in the eye and be able to tell they were about to run from me, or take a swing at me or whatever. Now you cant look at people online but you can use those same instincts when playing. Mostly its about remembering peoples habits and the general habits of online players. Online players seem to do the same things in the same situations. Ive never figured out why this occurs, but it does. Its like they were all handed a "fish manual" when they signed up to play and they all make the same moves at the same times. Once you get enough experience, you will see these same moves over and over again.

Heres 2 examples with hands I posted recently
forum/viewtopic.php?t=30569
forum/viewtopic.php?t=30679

In hand #1)

I raised [7d] and got 1 caller. The flop came [8c][7s]. He checked, I bet $15 and he check raised to $30. I reraised to $80 and he called.

The turn was the and he suddenly fires out a full pot bet which is $176. Thats almost a full $200 stack at this $1/2 table. Its very rare to see a bet of that size in this game. What does this tell us?

Im not a math player so I dont know the exact thought process that they would use but I sssume that they would figure the pot odds which are 2-1. and decide that they need to be ahead 33% of the time to call. He had a few bucs left over but not enough to make a difference.

I dont worry about that. I figure that if I have to sit there and figure out what the odds are of each hand in his hand range and figure what my pot equity is, that its probably pretty close and I would rather just fold and not have the variance. I mean why flip a coin which is 50 / 50 even the person is giving me 52 / 48 odds? Unless Im going to flip the coin a million times I dont see the point.

I use my instincts to decide whether or not to call. Ive played somewhere between 1 and 2 million hands online. The play that this guy made is very rare. Why is he making it? Where have I seen it before?

The board reads [8c][7s][Jh]. He knows I have a strong hand (or did on the flop) and now he comes out of nowhere with this huge bet when the board shows 4 cards to a straight. Do people do that with a 9? No way. They dont want me to fold if they have a 9. If he bet $70-$90 I would be much much more likely to fold because it looks like he thinks he has me beat, knows I dont have a 9, and doesnt want me to check behind. If he bet something stupid like $30 he would most likely have a draw because thats what the "fish manual" says to do with a draw.

So when he pounds the pot like this, my instincts tell me that I have the winner and I call. During the hand, I never even considered what odds I was being given. He had [Qc]

In hand #2 theres is a similar situation.

I raise with [Qs] and the button and BB call.
Flop comes [7c][5c]. The BB quickly leads out for $22. Now, my instincts tell me right away that he doesnt have a strong hand because almost nobody leads out like this with a strong hand like a set. The BB could have a flush draw and I dont want to giove the button a chance to draw at something so I raised to $70. The button folded but the BB called.

The turn was the and the BB almost instantly went all in for $150. I have $146 left.

He couldve easily have had a flush draw on the flop, but again, people dont pound the pot like this for almost a full stack when they hit a flush because they dont want me to fold. If he had a flush he wouldve tried to check raise all in because he wants more money out of me and thats what the "fish manual" says to do. I see it constantly.

He could have some combo of a pair and draw. If I was a math player I would probably start calculating odds and equity and all of that jazz and figure what I want to do.....but....

Its very obvious to me again that he wants me to fold. My instincts tell me he is hoping I have something like TT and the King and the flush will scare me. Not too long ago, he wouldbe been correct and I wouldve folded but my instincts after seeing these same plays so many times tell me that Im ahead and I called after thinking for less than 2 seconds. He had [9c]. Notice how weak his hand is on the flop? Exactly as expected and exactly how a large percentage of online players play. If he had a set he wouldve check raised the flop because he wouldnt want to lead out and have me fold if I had AJ or something.

Heres another spot that comes up quite a bit....

Let say you raised with [Jd]. The flop comes [5h][2h]. You bet and the guy calls.

The turn is the . You bet $34 into a $44 pot and the guy calls again making the pot $112.

The river is the . You check. Lets play this hand against 2 different guys.

Villain number 1 is a regular player and plays a full stack. Hes a decent player. He bets $65 when you check.

Villain number 2 is a short stacked player. He shoves all in when you check, but only has $65 left.

Its obvious that you are getting the exact same odds against both players but the hands are totally differnet. I dont care about the math at all here. What I care about is my instincts. They tell me that most short stack players play scared money. They also chanse flushes like Joey Tribiani chases women. When the short stacked guy shoves all in, he will have a missed draw very very often. If he had even KQ he would normally be afraid to bet. This can be opponent specific but if you have no specific read, the "shorty read" is good enough. This is an instacall for me.

Villain number 1 is almost never going to chase a flush draw on the turn when you bet that much because he is a regular player and knows better for the most part. He is much more likely to have a real hand. He may or may not value bet thin or bluff rivers so you have to give this call alot of thought and cant just instacall even though your pot odds are exactly the same. Im much much more likely to fold this but it has nothing to do with math.

Even though you're using 'reads' and making plays based off those reads, it still comes down to maths. You're just not thinking about the maths, but, it's there.

Of course the math is always there. Im saying that I almost never factor it in and when I do Im usually wrong.

If I get to the point where I say...."UGH! I dont know what to do..lets see, its $65 to me with a $150 pot...I have to win at 2 1/2 times for very time I lose...OK, maybe its close..I call"....Im always wrong. I dont calculate odds like this at all.

that last QJo hand, pot odds are the same.. his range is totally differently distributed tho, which leads to the decision -> Fist pumpcall. as Roy stated, the math is there.

Last couple of months i tried to stay away from the threads you post since you never respond to any math oriented reasoning and you're very self-centered with your "one of the best players in the world at my stakes" comments.

The most blatant example of you being deaf for science is your thread : "LOL at global warming" where you made a complete jackass out of yourself.

To your credit, you're very good at reading and overcame the math barrier by having superior reads. Makes me wonder how good you could have been if you overcame the dizzy barrier and looked into the stuff Ais posts, it will make your decisions more solid and will give you an extra tool to work with. Even if you decide not to use it, it's always useful to look into what "the enemy" does.

I'm not really sure what the purpose of this thread is, i assume something like : "there are several ways to victory". I 100% agree on this.

I wish you would try to really type out why your instinct came to a certain decision, we might come to the conclusion the reasoning is based on subconscious math. Something some people have by nature (read; talent), others have to take the hard route and learn all the math involved.