Instead of being content with quietly taking everything in and
reacting to their opponents’ proclivities, proactive players take charge by
inducing their opponents to act how they want them to. Often times, this means
being quite skilled at chatting it up, and indeed, proactive players are
typically quite chatty. Table banter and exposing hole cards are the main tools
used by proactive players.
Proactive players approach the information battle differently from
their reactive counterparts. Proactive players don’t try to give
information away, but they realize that they will inevitably give some
information away. To the best proactive players, winning the information battle
isn’t about giving no information away; instead, it’s about receiving more
information than they give. The information differential is what’s ultimately
important.
Great proactive players know the psychology of their opponents to
the point that they can turn folds into calls and vice versa. Daniel Negreanu is
probably the poster-child for reactive players.
The Right Style At The Right Table
Both reactive poker and proactive poker are about accumulating
massive book on your opponents. When thinking in terms of loose/tight or
aggressive/passive, there’s no right style – it’s all about choosing the right
style for your table. Similarly, reactive poker will be your tool of choice in
some games, and proactive poker will be your tool of choice in others. Master
both mindsets, and you’ll be able to use both and play effectively against both.
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