The Poker Intimidation Factor

If you play poker regularly you have probably noticed that some players are able to leverage their intimidation factor into their play. What does intimidation really mean? Well, intimidation is all about perception and not always about reality. We are not talking about physical intimidation because poker is not a physical game. What we are talking about is phsychological intimidation being a huge factor in a poker players success.
The fact of the matter is that if I just sat down in a tournament and then began to raise every time I had the button and no one did anything about it you could certainly consdider that I am using intimidation to bully the pots even when I don't have a hand.

In other words I am establishing myself and my table image as someone that needs to be dealt with and taken seriously. It goes far beyond the obvious fact that I am raising every pot.

Let's take a look at an entirely different scenario. What if I am sitting on a truck load of chips after only the first hour of the tournament and begin playing every single pot. To some that can be intimidating to them because they don't know what kinds of hands I am playing. Even worse, what if I begin to make timely raises and re-raises from both in and out of position taking down a couple of pots without showing my hand? That is intimidation!

Obviously you must be completely aware of how your table is playing at the moment and take advantage of it accordingly. If your table is playing aggressive you are not going to be able to intimidate much of anyone but if the play is solid or tight that kind of table can be prime pickings for a player that wants to maximize their intimidation factor. Remember, intimidation is a part of the game and when used correctly it can net you plenty of chips in both the short and long term.