Making Reads in Rush Poker
The Rush Poker
naysayers are out in full force: “it isn’t real
poker,” they say. “You can’t read opponents!
Everything’s random,” they shout. They sure yell
a lot, these windbags. But let me tell you
something: they’re all wrong.
You
can read opponents in Rush Poker. In fact you
can read players in many different ways. It’s
just that in Rush, the kinds of reads you’re
looking for are different. No, you won’t be able
to analyze one player’s betting habits to death.
However some obvious tells are hard to miss. For
example, you can look out for:
- Screen names.
Don’t laugh—these can actually give away a
lot about a player’s style!
- Stack sizes.
Sometimes, the fish are just too obvious.
- Stock moves. In
some contexts, a c-bet just doesn’t make
sense.
- Timing tells.
Why’s that guy pounding the time bank?
Information gained from
any of the above factors can aid you in making
decisions. Let’s take a more detailed look at
how you can make some Rush Poker reads.
Rush Poker
Reads: What’s In A Name?
Often,
quite a lot. A Rush Poker player’s online screen
name is a reflection of his personality; and
often, personality is inseparable from the style
of poker one chooses to play. Look for:
- “Internet nerd”
names. This is a big one. A lot of poker
players hang around on poker discussion
boards. They talk strategy (which is often
total crap) and pretend they’re great. A
name like “LOL_DonkedU”, or “donkament_imo”
is a sure sign that your opponent is a forum
nerd. It also advertises the fact that they
are insecure, and want to let everyone know
their status as a member of the in-crowd.
They will often psych themselves out, always
thinking everyone’s bluffing them. They will
often be pseudo-aggressive preflop, but meek
in the face of a 3bet. Exploit their false
aggression by throwing it right back to
them.
- Names containing
the word “poker”. I am not the be-all and
end-all for poker advice, but consider this:
I’ve never come across an excellent player
with the word “poker” in their screen name.
Often, these players are limpy/cally. They
don’t like folding, and they don’t like
raising. Don’t try to outplay them—just
isolate and dominate with strong hands.
- “Baller” names.
For example: “P$$Dollaz$$Balla”,
“xI_got_$$$x”, and “GangstaRay”. Often,
these players are young males with
aggression problems. These aggression
problems transfer over from their real lives
into their poker games. Combat the spew by
tightening up, and playing back with strong
hands.
Rush Poker
Reads: Stack Sizes
This
is an important tell, mainly because it’s so
reliable. Want to spot a fish immediately? Look
for players who are seated short-stacked.
Absolutely no skilled player will sit at a Rush
Poker table with less than a full stack (100 big
blinds). It simply doesn’t make mathematical
sense to do so; buying in short leaves profit in
the garbage can.
Say
you’re playing 50NLH Rush Poker. The maximum
buy-in is $50. The guy to your left has $33.24.
The guy to his left has $22.96. Both of these
players are terrible, and you can safely assume
they’re not playing profitably. Isolate and
abuse these guys until their chips dwindle to 0.
Rush Poker
Reads: Worn-Out Moves
You
know the line: a guy raises 3xBB from middle
position, and the big blind calls. The flop
comes dry rags, and middle position continuation
bets for 2/3rds of the pot. Does MP ever have
anything here? Probably not, and BTN would be
right to raise; more often than not he’d take
down the pot right there.
Stock
lines are as close as you’re going to come to
gathering betting tells in Rush Poker. The
bet/c-bet line is among the most transparent;
keep it in mind, and counter it in context
(e.g., when your opponent probably has air).
Don’t place too much emphasis on analyzing
lines, but take them into consideration.
Sometimes they’re really obvious.
Rush Poker Reads: Timing Tells
You’re
dealt AdQh on the cutoff seat. A guy in middle
position raises into you, and you 3bet. MP
calls, and you see the flop. Qs-Js-9c. MP takes
a time out—he’s thinking… thinking… thinking…
yep, still thinking—and then bets half the pot.
What the heck?
Can
you call? Should you raise? How about a fold? I
couldn’t tell you. But take into consideration
the fact that he think-tanked before making a
decision. Combine the timing read with any other
reads you might have on the guy, and make as
informed a decision as possible.
Rush Poker Reads: Combine Tells to Crush
Fish!
The
key to making reads in Rush Poker is synthesis;
combine all of these individual tells in order
to create a broader picture of the type of
player you’re up against. Rush Poker might
decrease the importance of reads, but you can
surely take some of them into consideration. In
fact, to not would be a crime!
Join the Thousands of Players Who Have Made the
Switch to Rush Poker
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