Poker is, first of all, a game of people. Okay, we use cards and chips, but the best players know that this is not the main thing in this game.
Starting from this premise, and taking into account that we are no longer beginners, not only thinking about our hand, but about the possible range of our opponents, we started to classify opponents as passive, aggressive and manic. Okay, there are subdivisions within those divisions, but discussing this in this article is irrelevant.
Here, let&'s stick to thinking about the ideal opponent, that opponent we always want to have at the tables.
Initially, I believe it is essential that he does not understand the most fundamental concepts of poker. That is, they do not care for position, do not select their starting hands properly, play the same way against competent and weak opponents, do not even look at stack sizes, in short, they want to play, bet and feel the adrenaline that the sport provides.
Then, it seems to me that they should be loose-passive, that is, they play and get involved in different hands, but always passively. In summary, they limp, call, rarely raise, and when they do, we know they have good hands. When they miss the flop, they fold. When they get it right, they bet completely wrong sizes. They never bluff, they are predictable. You can place them exactly where you want, without difficulties.
They call without odds, don't even know what implied odds are, and play all hands, regardless of position and opponent, in the same way.
Still, they don't understand the importance of psychology and mathematics in poker, tilt after every bad beat taken, blaming dealers and bad luck for their defeats. They do not believe that studying the game can make them better players, thinking that mere table experience is enough. In fact, they don't even realize how much they lose in the long run. In fact, they may prefer it that way.
They do not adequately understand the concept of variance and how important volume is!
The ideal opponent, does not realize that poker is a game in constant change, and that who does not prepare and dedicate, becomes easy target in an extremely competitive predatory chain.
Despite being big losers, they are pleasant people at the table, talking and being friendly to everyone. At least they understand the importance of treating others properly while playing.
Anyway, if you know or play against an opponent who remembers this article, treat him well, praise his hands when they win, encourage him to stay playing. Whenever possible, talk to him. These are the players who keep poker profitable to this day. And, as we well know, the customer is (almost) always right.
