Not really a question, just a bit of a ramble (as I dont have a blog). Had a game with a villain today which got me thinking. When do you give to much credit to an opponent and how much does it affect your game?

As I am not playing all that regularly at the moment after a long hiatus from the game, I wouldn't really know who is who. So I was sharkscoping my opponents and with this particular one I saw he was a reasonable winner (10% ROI) and I also recognised his name from somewhere so I obviously gave him alot of credit. For the first few match it was like I was playing a little scared and it noticeably affected my game. After being a bit tilted I started calling him down out of spite or to see what he had and saw what he was doing in some situations. After which I lost some respect I guess and started playing him like he was any opponent, and from then on started crushing him to the point where would have to flop the absolute stone cold nuts or suckout to beat me.

Having not really used a hud etc much, this has really confirmed some thoughts of mine that sometimes we have too many tools at our disposal which we rely on too much at times. More so with heads up, sometimes it might pay to play a new opponent and not look up their stats, or without a hud. Next time you sit down for a session play one table and concentrate super hard on your opponent, you might be surprised on how much you pick up and how much you learn. You might also be surprised to learn that the opponent you just crushed for 5 bi's is a big winner - imagine what that would do for your confidence! :)

T