The more I watch the higher limit tables where often pro's are playing I can't help but notice the garbage hands they play. Not only that but they will chase or even be a call station and river their opponent? Other times they play it real aggressively like they should and sometimes they get a good hand on the come but in most cases you wouldn't even play the garbage in the first place. I understand in the real world you don't play by the book but come on. Have you guys noticed this? If so, what is going on? This is really jacking with my mind since I feel it's good experience to watch the game.

No Point in watching them play if you can't understand there mind set and creativity.

Theres a reason why they do what they do, if there wasnt they wouldnt be doing it.

I think that pros are much better at post-flop play and more highly skilled in reading players than the rest of us. Those skills enable them to "play the player" rather than play the cards that the pros are holding. Thus, to someone with my meager skills, it might appear that they are playing like maniacs, when in reality the pros are playing at a much higher level.

There was a famous hand in the 2004 WSOP involving Dan Harrington that illustrates what I mean. Josh Arieh had opened a pot from UTG with a standard raise. Harrington knew that Arieh is an action player and that his raise didn't necessarily mean that he had a really strong hand. Greg Raymer was aware of that, too, and so he just flat called Arieh's raise.

Harrington looked down at his cards, and he had 6 2 offsuit. But it didn't matter. He knew that if Raymer had a real hand, he would have raised Arieh. Harrington also knew that everyone viewed him as a tight player and that his own raise would be respected. So Harrington made a huge raise, about 1/2 of his stack. In making that raise, Harrington knew that neither Arieh nor Raymer could call without a premium hand, something that was unlikely either had given their styles of play and their actions. As expected, both folded.

Harrington's reads were perfect. As we now know from ESPN, Arieh had opened from the UTG with K 9 offsuit, and Raymer had called with A2 suited. Neither was in a position to call a big raise, and Harrington's meager 6 2 offsuit was enough of a hand to prove that.

That is something I have thought about and you just confirmed that. Of course there is a right time to make that play cause otherwise you will get caught with your pants down. Never the less I see this in Limit play, not just NL.

In limit the pro's know that if someone wakes up with a big hand, after they have raised with a garbage hand, they only have to call one more bet pre-flop. This helps to build a pot so that if they catch a draw, with a suited connector lets say, they will be getting good odds to call down to see the river.

The same concepts apply in limit games, too. Thomas Keller described a hand that he played in a $40/$80 limit game. A solid player whom Keller knew opened from early position with a raise. Keller looked down at his cards and saw AKo, and so he made it 3 bets before the flop. A weak player in one of the blinds called, and the solid player called as well.

The flop came down K Q T. Both players checked to Keller, and he led out. The weak player called, but the solid player check-raised. At this point, Keller recognized the check-raise against two opponents as a really strong move. Nevertheless, getting good odds to call, Keller actually decided to raise in order to drive the weak player out of the pot. Sure enough, the weak player folded, but the strong player re-raised. At this point, Keller figured that he was probably up against AJ, for a made straight. That would explain the simple call of Keller's raise before the flop, but the check-raise after it. But since the pot was laying him 19:1 to call, Keller did.

The turn brought another Q. The good player led into Keller; however, Keller trusted his read that his opponent was only playing a straight. Thus, Keller immediately re-raised, representing a full house with KQ as his cards. The good player thought about the raise and concluded that it was impossible for Keller to be playing anything else. And so he folded, flashing the AJ that Keller knew he had.

Keller's skill here is pretty remarkable. For his bet to work, he need both his read of his opponent's hand to be accurate and he also had to know that he was up against an opponent who would lay down the nut straight. Keller was right on both counts, and this goes to show that "playing the player" is not a skill that is useful in NL games only.

Most of the pros tend to play the short handed high limit tables, I watch Juanda, and the other John fairly often on Fulltilt. They are playing the other players, and the other players are good enough to throw stuff away, there is a different between 50$/100$ and 1$/2$ in that sense. Bluffing becomes a massive part of the game, and aggressive play is played off especially when you flipped over Q7o on the previously hand. As for calling down to the river it is often about pot odds, if there is 10 BB in the pot you only need to pick up one bluff out of ten to make it profitable, so you'll see people calling with A high. (Pot odds dictate that people should make more river calls at lower limits too, unless obviously you have nothing)

I can be fairly certain they would tighten up if playing in a full ring or in a limit tourney.

If you played garbage like that at a full ring LLHE game you would be labbelled a "maniac" and people would call you down your whole time there.

Good story but,

The good player led into Keller; however, Keller trusted his read that his opponent was only playing a straight.

If you think about that keller re raised pre flop why would his opponent put him on K,Q? I would have at least had a showdown with a nut straight unless it was really obvious there was a boat or flush. Then again I'm not a pro.

I agree with you. the pot has $1040 in it? if you call the 80. keller is betting the river, so another 80, plus a call from you. so you have to put a 160 to win 1120. so you are getting 7-1 for your money. now I know a pro can lay down big hands, and if you put him on a full house, you should fold. Ok. but dont show your cards. who is the guy trying to impress? now he is showing keller how he plays.... Bad play. If your gonna make that big of a laydown dont show anyone.

I may have made a mistake in relaying the story. I said Keller was representing KQ for the full house. But Keller could have also had pocket Kings as far as Keller's opponent was concerned. That would make a full house as well when the board paired and be consistent with the betting patterns. I apologize for any confusion, but it doesn't change the point about a pro's skill in reading opponents enables them to make play that us amateurs would never dream of making, and they can make these plays in both Limit and No Limit games.