Level One Thinking

In becoming a successful poker player, it is essential to understand the “game within a game,” i.e. the psychological twists and turns that may be present in every hand that is dealt. These mental permutations take place between the players who are in the hand, and are largely dependent on the levels of thinking that each uses to try and analyze the action. The deeper you can go in your analysis, the more you will be able to compete at any stakes level against anyone whom you come across. This article talks about Level One thinking, what it is and what its limitations are. The purpose of the article is for you to be able to recognize this type of player at the table, and take proper measures to counter his or her play.

A Level One player is someone who is fixated on one thing, the cards in his/her hand. When you read a poker textbook describing which hands are “appropriate” to play in various positions at the table, this information is designed with the Level One part of the brain in mind. At each stage of the hand, the Level One player will be examining his hand in a vacuum, meaning he will make decisions based solely on whether he perceives his hand to be strong or weak, not taking into account what other players may hold. If ignorance is bliss, the Level One player may be the “happiest” of all, because he will not agonize over the plays of his opponent, but rather move ahead or retreat because of the cards in his hand and how they match the board.

One of the classic types of Level One thinkers is the Calling Station, the player who, as long as he catches even a small piece of the board, will see it through to the very end. Since he has a pair, he will continue to call bets all the way to the river. One of the most important rules to follow in poker is “Never bluff a Calling Station.” This type of player will ignore your brilliant moves because he literally cannot see that the hand you are representing has him crushed. Since a Level One thinker is simply focused on his own cards, anything else around him fails to register in his brain, and when you try to push him off his hand when the board suggests a made straight or flush, he will just call your bluff on the end, obliviously wondering why you bet with such a weak hand.

On the flip side of things, Level One thinkers are much more likely to pay you off when you do hit your hand. Since you know they will stay in until the very end with any marginal holding, you need to punish them by building as large a pot as possible when your hand is strong. Also, you can stretch your range for what constitutes a “strong” hand, because this type of player is likely to see the hand through to the end with something like middle or even bottom pair.

You can recognize a Level One thinker at the table based on the hands that they showdown, as well as the frequency with which they themselves bluff. When a Level One player runs a bluff, it is likely to be somewhat bald-faced, meaning that there isn’t really a consistent story to the bluff that makes sense, but rather just a decision at the start of the hand that “It’s time to bluff.” Once you’ve identified this type of player, wait for opportunities to take as much of his money as possible, while avoiding getting fancy with him. Just bludgeon him to death with your strong hands, and gratefully pad your bankroll.