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Changing pace in poker is a useful tool in keeping one key element in tact, the element of surprise. Predictability is not a good trait at the tables, and if you play the same strategy every time, your opponent will soon know how to counter act your plays. A successful player will always keep his opponent guessing by changing pace. There will be times when he is aggressive and other times when he is passive. He will give the illusion of being very tight and when his opponent least expects it will become very aggressive. Mixing it up, or changing pace, will maintain the element of surprise.
The main styles of poker player can be categorized as either tight-passive, tight-aggressive; loose-passive or loose-aggressive. Each of these styles has particular attributes which classifies a player to a particular style. It is important to keep your play unpredictable so that you opponents don't know what your going to do.
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 Changing Pace - Putting into Practice |
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Ok, so you understand the concept, so how do you put it into practice? When you enter a game you will have a strategy. It might be that you are supper tight and only play premium hands. You play like this for a good amount of time and every time you are caught in a pot, you have a premium hand. The players at the table, the ones that are paying attention, will notice this and will take note of your playing style. To back up your strategy, don't be shy to show a couple of hands to show that when you get involved, you have the big starting hands to back up your moves. After a while, you should change your strategy, or at least alter it. The table know what when you enter a pot, you usually have a big hand so use this to your advantage. You will usually get the credit when you now bluff at a pot as your opponent will put you on the hand, particularly if an Ace or King hits the board (as they think you usually play premium hands).
Of course this is just an example. Much of the time the benefit in changing pace is just to shell shock your opponents however make sure that you use these moves wisely. Putting all this effort into it to bluff at a minute pot is hardly worth the effort. Changes in pace should not be scripted. For example, you don't want to be switching from tight to aggressive on the hour every hour as it won't take good players long to work out what your doing. Keep it random and do it enough so that just when you feel like your opponents have you figures, you change.
Take care when you are changing pace and you get busted trying to bluff at a pot, especially if the table get to see your cards. This is often a good time to mimic the play if you get a big hand. Keep mixing it up and watch out for the information that you give away during the play.
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