Bit of a trend update more than anything - the lower and mid stakes games feel different lately. Online especially, but even a couple of live sessions I played in the last month, heaps more players are turning up with the same sort of lines... small flop c-bets, weird check backs in spots that used to be auto-bets, then chunky river sizings out of nowhere. You can tell a lot of blokes have been studying charts instead of just winging it.
Not saying everyone suddenly turned into crushers lol. Half the time theyre copying the shape of a line without really knowing why its there. You still see people 3-bet the right hands pre and then completely butcher turn and river. But compared to even a year or two ago, the average reg at the smaller games looks way more organised. Feels like all the study tools have filtered down hard.
The bit I reckon matters is adjustment. If someone is trying to play super clean preflop and flop but gets sticky once the pot grows, Im finding theres still good money in just staying patient and value betting thinner than you used to. A lot of these solver-inspired guys hate folding bluff catchers once theyve talked themselves into the line. Live, its even more obvious - some fellas are trying to play like high rollers from YouTube in a $2/$3 game at the local, which is always good for a laugh.
Anyone else seeing the same thing in their games? Keen to hear whether youre noticing it more in cash or tourneys, and if youve changed your approach because of it. Feels like the old straightforward ABC style still prints in plenty of spots, but you definitely cant assume everyone at small stakes is a total punter anymore.