Styles of Poker Play

Tight

A tight player is cautious and selective in their approach to the game, they choose their starting hands carefully in order to maximise their chances of playing winning poker. Whilst the social side may still be important to them, the primary goal is to play winning poker while taking the bare minimum of risks. An astute tight player understands the pot odds involved and is'nt prepared to pay over the odds when drawing to a hand.

Loose

A loose player plays a lot of hands, they like to see more than their fair share of flops and are regularly paying to see up to the river with average starting hands. The type of person that plays this style is often not overly bothered about making profits, they are in the game for the social aspect and have a carefree attitude accordingly, they consider playing tightly is a waste of their time as they want to be involved in the action, not watching it. They are willing to pay over the odds to continue with their hand, thereby making this style of play unprofitable in the long run.

Passive

A passive player plays with timidity, rarely raising and betting if at all, opting to use a strategy based on checking and calling instead. They are happy enough to let an opponent dictate the action, they are capable of calling large bets when chasing their draws and refuse to bet the pot when they have the best hand; thereby minimising their own winning potential and maximising their opponents. Passive players may win their fair share of pots but usually at the expense of recieving poor value on their gamble and virtually never by making their opponent fold. When a passive player does raise, they usually have a very good hand and are therefore considered much easier to read.

Aggressive

An aggressive player prefers to bet, raise and reraise when involved in a hand, in order to put maximum pressure on their opponents. Their goal is to either force their opponent out of the pot, or to create an environment where their opponent is more likely to make mistakes. An aggressive player has a burning desire to win and ultimately profit from their aggressive tactics, they can be highly unpredictable and much harder opponents to read because their raises mean relatively less than other types of players' raises. An aggressive player will win more than their fair share of pots, their style allows them to win a higher percentage of uncontested pots aswell as winning with the best hand in a showdown.

Categorising Poker Opponents

While it is possible for a proficient player to change their style, you will find that the majority of online poker players are either tight or loose with the number of hands they play, and either passive or aggressive with the way they play their hands. This allows us to further characterise our opponents into 4 distanct categories:

Tight/Passive (The Rock)

Tight/Aggressive (The Pro)

Loose/Passive (The Calling Station)

Loose/Aggressive (The Maniac)

It is important to understand the characteristics of each playing style so you can recognise how your opponents are playing against you and the other opponents at the table. Once you have a clear picture of how your opponents are playing, only then can you adapt your playing style to minimise their strengths and maximise their weaknesses.

Adjusting To Tight Play

Tight players rarely put up any resistance, you should play more aggressively, expecting to see them fold in most cases. If they call your bets, you can be certain they have a good hand, you must slow down accordingly. You won't make much from a tight player due to the nature of their game, be happy to conituously win small pots against them.

Adjusting To Loose Play

Tight, disciplined play is effective against loose players. They are only too happy to turn a small pre flop pot into a big one after the flop, so keep it tight pre flop, wait until you make a decent hand and then bet it aggressively. Bluff less against this type of opponent as you are more likely to get called.

Adjusting To Passive Play

Passive players are happy for you to dictate the pace of action, so do just that at every possible opportunity to try and make them fold. Keep chipping away at them, taking down small pots, if they show any significant strength, slow down because they most likely have you beat.

Adjusting To Aggressive Play

Your options are limited against this type of player, it's best to employ solid tactics. Favour good position over bad, tighten up your starting hand selection, wait until you have a strong hand and then look for an opportunity to trap. Your opponent will do most of the betting for you, go right ahead and let them, unless you find a good enough reason to end the hand there and then, or at least put them in a tough situation when they are committed to the pot.