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26 October 2007 - by BrainMaker
  
Some thoughts about using the Opponent Respect Level (ORL) with Online Poker Inspector.

The Opponent Respect Level (ORL). What is it and do we need it?
  
A lot of uncertainty abounds in how the Opponent Respect Level (ORL) is enforced by Online Poker Inspector. I will try to shed some light on this tricky function from my understanding of how it works and how most likely to use it in your profile way of playing. Let us get this dangerous function squashed….

But first I have to inform you that I am also not 100% sure if my thoughts about this ORL function are correct. The manual of OPI is not clear and very confusing about it. Questions regarding this ORL function to the software writer Robert of OPI remained unanswered and at best I got referred back to the manual by him. Since I am building profiles ranging from low limit (Grinder) up to the 30-60 limits (T-Rex). I found it important to get to the core of it.

I am basing my thoughts on how ORL works from imperative and deductive reasoning during simulation tests and live play.

ORL is, as it names implies, a function which enable your profile to give respect to the other player(s) you play with. This is could be a nice function to use because it enables you to get some kind of memory built into your profile about how your opponent acted on the previous round and deviate from certain scenarios built in your profile. OPI defines the ORL functions as follow: “…Opponent Respect Level to allow [your] profile to adjust strategies when your opponent (Lead Bettor) shows strength on current or previous betting round.

What does it mean and how does it work?

It means that when you bet on the current street and you get raised the action gets back to you and in your raised back strat you have set it to call, accordingly your profile calls. OPI tags this action and takes it with him to the next street. On the next street ORL takes precedence and it will let your profile check to the previous street raiser. Even if you had your no action column set to bet it. And, it changes your raise into call. It will also disable the Opponent Bluffing Frequency (OBF) and the Check-Raise (CR) function. Secondly, if you are in later position then the Lead Bettor (LB) and your hand would normally triggering the Opponent Bluffing Frequency (OBF) or the Bet Again Future (BAF) it will not do so anymore. It will also disable your settings like raise with any two cards % and other similar settings which triggers an aggressive action with a non completed hand. Like hands defined to bluff or semi-bluff by making a raise. However, if on the next round the opponent does not continue his aggressive stand by betting out again the ORL tag will be deleted and your profile gets back to his normal way of playing and incorporates all special settings to apply again, if needed.

The ORL settings allow you to differentiate between certain types of players to have your specific ORL settings act accordingly to what kind of player the (LB) is.

Online poker Inspector can classify five different kinds of players. Fish, Maniac, Rock, Solid and Typical. This is where the Poker Tracker Integration is used for. For each type of player you can select the specific ORL levels. There are seven levels of sensitivity available.

You have the following options to choose from:

None -- ignores lead bettor and plays the hand according to current profile.
Very Low -- does not bet or raise into lead bettor with trash hands (no pure bluffing, semi-bluffing allowed).
Low -- does not bet or raise into lead bettor unless you have a Weak hand or better.
Medium -- does not bet or raise into lead bettor unless you have an Okay hand or better.
High -- does not bet or raise into lead bettor unless you have a Good hand or better.
Very High -- does not bet or raise into lead bettor unless you have a Strong hand or better.
Full -- does not bet or raise into lead bettor unless you have the Nuts.

It is nice that different levels can be applied with different type of players.

Your respect for a Maniac or Rock would be different if not complete opposite to each other. I would not be impressed if a Maniac raises me and kick him back where he belongs. But, when the Rock wakes up after folding for two hours you could be more inclined to get the white flag out and ask for mercy.

Let me clarify these setting more specific:

If you set ORL level to None, ORL will not be involved in your profile. Your hands will be played according to all your other profile settings. Not only your strat columns will be used but also your OBF, BAF, CR, etc. All available setting is evaluated in your profile to be used, if needed.

If you set ORL to Very Low, your profile will not bet or raise into the LB or previous street raiser with trash hands. It changes your bet strats into check and raise strats into call. It disables OBF, BAF, CR, etc. No pure bluffing but semi-bluffing will be allowed like having a four card flush draw and other similar situations. BAF will be available.

If you set ORL to Low, your profile will not bet or raise into the LB or previous street raiser unless you have a Weak hand or better. It changes your bet strats into check and raise strats into call. It disables OBF, BAF, CR, etc.

If you set ORL to Medium, your profile will not bet or raise into the LB or previous street raiser unless you have an Okay hand or better. It changes your bet strats into check and raise strats into call. It disables OBF, BAF, CR, etc.

If you set ORL to High, your profile will not bet or raise in to the LB or previous street raiser unless you have a Good hand or better. It changes your bet strats into check and raise strats into call. It disables OBF, BAF, CR, etc.

If you set ORL to Very High, your profile will not bet or raise into the LB or previous street raiser unless you have a Strong hand. It changes your bet strats into check and raise strats into call. It disables OBF, BAF, CR, etc.

If you set ORL to Full, your profile will not bet or raise into the LB or previous street raiser unless you have the Nuts. It changes your bet strats into check and raise strats into call. It disables OBF, BAF, CR, etc.

Now the most difficult part of how ORL works is to understand the difference between trash hands, weak hands, okay hands, good hands, strong hands and holding the nuts.

The strength of your hand is determined by your position, matched group and the strat actions you have defined in that particular group.

There are five positions. Blind (SB&BB), Early, Middle, Late and Dealer position.

I have tried several settings, options, simulations and live play but I was not able to see any difference ORL behaving from different positions. If this comes clear to me I will update this article accordingly. For now I assume the position does not have any effect and is not working at all (software bug?).

To continue the quest how OPI interpret the hand definitions….

Trash hands, you are holding a trash hand when you have it matched with a particular group that does not give you a made hand or a draw (Busted hand, No pair, No draw, No over cards). Furthermore, all your strat setting in that group have to be set to check and fold.

Weak hand, you are holding a Weak hand when you have it matched with a particular group that does give you a made hand or a draw. Furthermore, all your strat settings in that group have to be set to check and fold.

Okay hand, you are holding a Okay hand when you have it matched with a particular group that does give you a made hand or a draw. Furthermore, all your strat settings in that group have to be set to check and call.

Good hand, you are holding a Good hand when you have it matched with a particular group that does give you a made hand or a draw. Furthermore, all your strat settings in that group have to be set to bet and raise.

Strong hand, you are holding a Good hand when you have it matched with a particular group that does give you a made hand or a draw. Furthermore, all your strat settings in that group have to be set to bet, raise and re-raise.

The Nuts hand, you are holding a nut hand when you have it matched with a particular group that does give you a hand which is ranked as number 1 of all possible hands. You are holding the best hand and it can not be beaten by someone else. Furthermore, all your strat settings in that group have to be set to Bet, Raise and re-raise.

Now we understand how ORL works several questions remain.

What to do with it? How to use it? Or to use it at all?

What we can do with it is having your profile deviate from your normal way of playing and incorporating some kind of memory how someone played against you on the previous street. Remember ORL is tagging the action the LB made on the previous street and takes it with him to the next street. For instance you flop a inside straight draw on the turn and have your No action strat set to bet it out if you are having less then 2 players remaining, B2-, Check. Who knows, you use the profile at a very tight table and give it a shot with a semi-bluff. Also, you have your Callers strat set to fold. It is not worthwhile chasing an inside straight. You are first to act thus you bet out and now the middle position player known to be a Rock is raising you. Normally when this did not happened and on the turn your hand have not improved and still fals in the matched group of having a inside straight draw you strat setting on the turn and, for instance, has the same betting out scenario as on the turn. But when you played yourself it could be you want to check and graciously fold on the turn since your think by his action that you are chasing against a made hand.

This is where ORL can prevent your from doing this. You can set ORL to be active when the Rock is raising you and you have a hand which is lower then a good hand.

Should you use it? Afterall, it seems to be a powerful function to use with your profile.

When I am creating profiles I am not using ORL since I think that it is back firing my overall winning game plan against my opponents. As you can see ORL is a function in your profile which downgrades your aggressive way of playing. It makes your profile into a passive way of playing. Remember, it changes your bet in to check and your raise into call. This is the characteristics of a meek calling station way of playing poker. This is not the way to play winning poker. Winning poker is about good starting hands, position and last but not least aggression. Even if you are against a Rock, make sure he is the one to think of folding, calling or raising. You get the image not to be pushed around. Imagine you bet out with your straight draw and he raises with his AK over cards (Rocks do that these days). The turn did not make your hand better neither did it hit his AK. Normally you are the arrogant aggressive player and bet out again. The Rock now regrets his action and thinks “I should not have did this. He is too tough. I should have saved myself the bet by not raising and fold my AK. Next time I don’t do this anymore against him. He is not a meek player to pull such a trick.”

Of course when the Rock does have more then AK you are betting out against a better hand and you need to hit your four outer. But when you have used ORL in your profile you are actions are changed into check (and fold when he bets out again) on the turn and have lost the opportunity to have him fold and forfeit the pot to you. Also you mis your second change for you to hit your hand and have him think you are a maniac and push him slowly towards the tilt arena (some Rocks only need to loose once with AA to get short circuited). The Rock will get confused between he should not have done it in the first place to the other end of the spectrum of next time I going to call him down with A high since you continued betting with your inside straight draw and got lucky way of playing. This translates in even getting more money from Rocks. Something other players will envy you on how you are able to do this.

Also, if you used ORL in the above mentioned scenario during your play, other players can determine if you do have a hand or not by raising you.

Have your profile play an aggressive way of playing and try to avoid as much as possible a passive way of playing. When the proper odds present it self you should call of course. But even then it is worth considering to raise for implied value, deception or both. ORL is a passive inducing function! Not the best way to play winning poker.

If you are in the process of creating your profile ORL is also a very confusing function to implement. Since it is very hard to understand the decision your profile suddenly makes.

As great as ORL might look to us, another extra devious function, to use in your profile.

I would not recommend it to have it implement it into your profile. In a well thought out and properly designed profile (an tight aggressive one) there will be no place for the passive ORL function.

Brainmaker
www.pokerbrains.net


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