The quality of a game of poker, as with any other game or sport, varies depending on the style of play that each player uses. In poker, knowing your opponent's playing style is crucial. This isn't to say that you have to know the player before the game. Sure, this would give you a slight advantage, but it isn't necessary. The best poker players learn how to use observation to determine the type of opponent they face. There are two main scales when it comes to playing styles. They are:
Loose - Tight
Passive - Aggressive.
Loose players put a lot of chips into the pot and play lots of hands. this is a dangerous style to play, although if played correctly and to the right degree, it can be very profitable. Tight players are the opposite, they play only the premium hands, such as high ranked pocket pairs or high suited connectors. Although this conserves your chips, if you suddenly get a good hand and pile chips into the pot, your opponents can guess that you have a good hand, and will then fold.
Passive players are very wary. You will rarely see them bet or raise, and will, for the most part, check or call. These players limp through each hand in the hope that they have a better hand. Not the cleverest of ideas. Aggressive players often bet or raise in large quantities, whether or not they have a good hand. They will try and bluff often, and are often unpredictable.
If you combine both scales, you can categorise almost all poker players into four categories:
Loose - Passive
Loose - Aggressive
Tight - Passive
Tight - Aggressive
Looking at each category individually;
Loose - Aggressive.
This is a playing style you really want to avoid. Loose Aggressive players play lots of hands, regardless of the quality of the hand, and put lots of chips into the pot without much justification. Although, since these players play in lots of hands, it can be quite hard to beat them since the range of hands they could have when betting or raising is very large. Still, this is not a profitable way to play poker, so avoid playing this way if you can. Patience is the way to profit.
Loose - Passive
This is probably the worst playing style to be. As with loose aggresssive players, Loose passive players also play lots of hands, but instead of betting or raising, you will often find them checking and calling. This is worse because at least when you are making the moves (betting, raising) there is a chance your opponent will fold. if you just call, then you are pretty much playing your opponent's game and doing their work for them. These types of players are often labelled as "fish." No one likes being called a fish, so it's best to avoid being this type of player.
Tight - Passive
Tight passive players play few hands, and tend to call or check rather than raise. These are the players that put the fewest chips into the pot. Often labelled as the "boring" players in poker, Tight passive players make very little profit out of a game of poker because they put the minimum amount of chips into the pot.This isn't a bad playing style, but you're not going to make much money.
Tight-Aggressive
This is the style of player you want to be. Tight aggressive players are the ones who win in poker. They don't play in many hands (in fact, it is said that a good player should, on average, fold 80% of their hands) but when they do play, they put the maximum amount of chips in the pot. Obviously, this isn't to say they just shove (go all in) with every good hand they have, they still have to play cleverly in order to induce a call or raise from the opposition.
It is a commonly used analogy that a game of poker is very similar to a game of chess: in the early stages of the game, you want to set up your strategy and grab a firm hand into the game, the middle phase, you start making some strategic moves, and in the final phase you go for the checkmate, for the win. Primarily, you want to survive the first three phases in order to reach the final phase, but it is no good folding every hand until there are nearly no players left. As the blinds increase, the proportion of the number of chips you have to the blinds decreases, so you have to try and increase your stack throughout the tournament. The trick is to find the balance between playing aggressively and being patient. Once you can do that, you can start dreaming of th WSOP bracelet!
See you later!
Mr Craig
x
Loose - Tight
Passive - Aggressive.
Loose players put a lot of chips into the pot and play lots of hands. this is a dangerous style to play, although if played correctly and to the right degree, it can be very profitable. Tight players are the opposite, they play only the premium hands, such as high ranked pocket pairs or high suited connectors. Although this conserves your chips, if you suddenly get a good hand and pile chips into the pot, your opponents can guess that you have a good hand, and will then fold.
Passive players are very wary. You will rarely see them bet or raise, and will, for the most part, check or call. These players limp through each hand in the hope that they have a better hand. Not the cleverest of ideas. Aggressive players often bet or raise in large quantities, whether or not they have a good hand. They will try and bluff often, and are often unpredictable.
If you combine both scales, you can categorise almost all poker players into four categories:
Loose - Passive
Loose - Aggressive
Tight - Passive
Tight - Aggressive
Looking at each category individually;
Loose - Aggressive.
This is a playing style you really want to avoid. Loose Aggressive players play lots of hands, regardless of the quality of the hand, and put lots of chips into the pot without much justification. Although, since these players play in lots of hands, it can be quite hard to beat them since the range of hands they could have when betting or raising is very large. Still, this is not a profitable way to play poker, so avoid playing this way if you can. Patience is the way to profit.
Loose - Passive
This is probably the worst playing style to be. As with loose aggresssive players, Loose passive players also play lots of hands, but instead of betting or raising, you will often find them checking and calling. This is worse because at least when you are making the moves (betting, raising) there is a chance your opponent will fold. if you just call, then you are pretty much playing your opponent's game and doing their work for them. These types of players are often labelled as "fish." No one likes being called a fish, so it's best to avoid being this type of player.
Tight - Passive
Tight passive players play few hands, and tend to call or check rather than raise. These are the players that put the fewest chips into the pot. Often labelled as the "boring" players in poker, Tight passive players make very little profit out of a game of poker because they put the minimum amount of chips into the pot.This isn't a bad playing style, but you're not going to make much money.
Tight-Aggressive
This is the style of player you want to be. Tight aggressive players are the ones who win in poker. They don't play in many hands (in fact, it is said that a good player should, on average, fold 80% of their hands) but when they do play, they put the maximum amount of chips in the pot. Obviously, this isn't to say they just shove (go all in) with every good hand they have, they still have to play cleverly in order to induce a call or raise from the opposition.
It is a commonly used analogy that a game of poker is very similar to a game of chess: in the early stages of the game, you want to set up your strategy and grab a firm hand into the game, the middle phase, you start making some strategic moves, and in the final phase you go for the checkmate, for the win. Primarily, you want to survive the first three phases in order to reach the final phase, but it is no good folding every hand until there are nearly no players left. As the blinds increase, the proportion of the number of chips you have to the blinds decreases, so you have to try and increase your stack throughout the tournament. The trick is to find the balance between playing aggressively and being patient. Once you can do that, you can start dreaming of th WSOP bracelet!
See you later!
Mr Craig
x
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