Tight opponent. Poker strategy at tight tables

Even a short observation of the game of poker allows you to understand that each player has a certain set of tricks and ways of playing.

And despite all their diversity, the styles of playing poker can be divided into several types:

1. by the number of inputs depending on starting hand:

• tight;
• loose.

2. in relation to bet sizes:

• aggressive;
• passive.

Knowing what styles of poker players are using will allow their opponent to prepare and develop countermeasures for the actions that are characteristic of these styles. This is the key to a successful game, without which any progress is impossible. Without delving deeply into the details, we will dwell on each of the types.

Aggressive style

Aggressive play is characterized by frequent raises and re-raises during the course of a hand. Such actions are designed primarily for passive opponents who are psychologically incapable of resisting aggression and are forced to fold their cards. A positive feature of this style of poker is the maximization of possible profits.

But! It must be understood that the incorrect use of style can result in maximum losses. When playing in an aggressive style, you should have a clear understanding of what type of opponent you are betting big against without having a ready combination. Let's say you decide to force your opponent to fold, but what if there is a maniac who plays badly, but also aggressively? He will calmly call your bet, as a result of which you will lose a large part of your stack.

Passive style

Passive play is the rare increase in poker rates even in the presence of a strong hand. Such a game has less risks due to the small pots played, but also has a minimal mathematical expectation of winning.

Tight style

A characteristic feature of the style is to enter pots only with a strong hand and a high mathematical expectation of winning. Such a player enters the pot quite rarely, losing small amounts due to blinds in poker and antes. However, winnings with strong poker hands compensate for these losses and bring significant winnings.

Tight play is considered the most profitable style, having the lowest chance of losing and maximizing winnings. It is the best strategy for playing poker against aggressive and loose opponents. Tight play against tight opponents, as a rule, does not bring high results, which forces you to play more flexibly, adjusting to your opponents.

loose style

The loose style of playing poker involves frequent entries into pots with a large range starting hands. When playing tight players, it brings small but frequent wins, ensured by the fact that they rarely enter pots. This style is also characterized by a greater number of bluffs in poker. The style is justified when playing with a weak and inexperienced opponent, but in a game with experienced opponents it is always losing.

in poker none of the listed styles exist in their pure form. Therefore, the styles of poker players are classified as follows:

• tight-aggressive;
• tight-passive;
• loose-aggressive;
• loose-passive.

Within these species, there is more ramified classification of players. Thus, the tight-aggressive group includes rock and TAG players, whose play, albeit slightly, has some differences. Loose-aggressive players are further divided into LAGs, "maniacs" and "tilt" players.

To a large extent, profitable poker is about gaining an advantage over your opponents, which is facilitated by knowing their playing styles and strategies that give these advantages.

The Tayowo Aggressive player is the most common type of poker player and many believe that this style of play is the most profitable in the long run. How to become such a player?

Keep track of your game

You cannot manage what you cannot measure. If you don't know what percentage of hands you're playing preflop, how can you change your game, such as playing tighter and playing fewer hands. The same goes for the flop.

Some guidelines say that in a tight game you should play less than 15% of your starting hands and fold about 50% of your hands on the flop. This ratio is called tight game. To track the statistics of your own game, you need to use a specialized software, for example, the PokerTracker program.

Starting hand requirements

The easiest way to force yourself to play tight is to severely limit the number of starting hands. Phil Hellmuth recommends that beginner players only play the top 10 poker hands. If you consider that there are 169 starting combinations in poker, then playing only ten of them, you will enter the game only 6% of the time. This is an overly cautious game.

The required 15% is about 25 starting hands.

John Vorhaus in his book Killer Poker advises to use the Black Jack rule when playing very tight games and only play hands that, according to the rules of this game, give you at least 20 points. Those. you must discard any hand that has at least one card less than 10.

These examples are not an axiom, but based on them you can develop your own style of playing tight poker.

Raise or fold

In order to improve your level of aggression, you must set yourself the goal of never calling a bet. If you want to continue with your hand, then you must bet or raise and never check or call.

This strategy doesn't work for every hand, but it does allow you to build the right level of aggression. Think of it as training in aggressive behavior.

The biggest enemy of an aggressive player is a "cold" call (cold call), that is, a situation in which a player calls an increased bet in front of him (bet - raise - call). In this case, your hand must be strong enough to raise, otherwise it is better to fold. An aggressive player should never cold call in his game.

One of the big advantages of playing aggressively is that weak players will be afraid to challenge you and you will win a lot of pots without a fight.

How to bluff in a tight aggressive game?

Bluffing does not have a strong effect on the style of play, but rather indicates the unpredictability of your behavior. For beginners, especially when playing at low limits, there is no reason to use a bluff, because it, in any case, will not bring significant income. In most cases, when you decide to bluff at low limits, you will get called in return.

Regardless of the level of your game, sooner or later you will run into tight players. They maintain tight control over the number of games they play and only play games in which they have strong hands. These opponents can be the most cunning, as they are very difficult to fool. So learning how to play tight players is an important skill in poker.

Playing with a tight-aggressive player

This type of player is generally considered the strongest type of poker player. These players play tight due to the fact that they only play with the condition of having good cards, and aggression is expressed in the fact that when it's their turn, these players raise the stakes, instead of answering. If you want to stay in the game, this will make you shell out, so be sure you are playing with the best cards.

Perhaps the easiest way to deal with a tight aggressive player is to fold every time that player starts betting. You know this player has a strong hand, so don't challenge him. If you come across an invincible opponent, there is nothing shameful in quitting the game.

If you want to fight this invincible player, you must know how to do it right. Loose-aggressive play is the best option, but this tactic takes skill and confidence to be successful. If you still consider yourself a beginner, then this style of play will not suit you.

Relaxed (loose) play is played with a wider range of hands, including weaker combinations. While not all of your hands will be strong at the end of every game, you will bring confusion to the table and make your opponents doubt your abilities. You will be able to take advantage of the uncertainty of your opponents and benefit from it.

The advantage of loose-aggressive players over tight-aggressive players is that the latter often overestimate the strength of their cards. They do this by mistakenly playing with the strength of their hand before the flop, forgetting that a hand that looked good at first may not be so successful after the flop.

At the same time, loose-aggressive players can take advantage of their reputation and play hands that don't always have the potential to turn most players off, resulting in a bigger pot. In the same way, playing aggressively can scare other players away and force them to fold, thereby increasing the “fold potential”, the amount in the pot, and the number of players who fight for it.

It is also necessary to remember about the position in the relaxed-aggressive game. You will have to spend more time on a risky early game than a tight-aggressive player.

Playing with a tight passive player

Now that we've removed the poker wolf, the tight aggressive player, we'll look at a less dangerous opponent, the tight passive opponent. we "ve got that A player who plays this way only plays with good hands (tight), but rarely places bets or raises them. This player is likely to answer or miss a move. This kind of modesty means that tight-passive players will removed from the pot quite early.The main advice is to play aggressively against these types of players.

Playing with a tight table

Playing with one tight-aggressive player can be quite tricky, but at least you have the opportunity to fold if this kind of player joins your table. It is much more difficult to play successfully with a whole table of tight players.

The easiest solution to this dilemma is to leave the table. If you do not want to, or for some reason cannot do this, we want to offer you some tips to help.

Tight players are usually easier to read than loose players - they only place and raise when they have a strong hand. Take advantage of this and don't be afraid to raise the pot as it will scare these players away if they have a weak hand. On the other hand, if these players raise, be careful and fold as this usually signals a very strong hand.

Tight players tend to avoid betting if most cards on the flop are low cards: they are waiting for a stronger and higher combination. Here lies your chance to remove them from the lot by placing bets. You should also take advantage of your position at the table. The later you are at a tight table, the easier it is for you to read your opponents who place bets before you, and their bets usually reflect the strength of their hands, unlike a relaxed game table where players place bets on weaker hands as well.

Poker is not easy card game, is a game between people in which cards are involved. As you progress and gain poker skills, you will come across situations where you will really understand how convincing this statement is. In this article, we will look at the main existing styles of playing poker and how to identify them.

Whether you're playing online poker or a live game, watching your opponents' decisions can pick up trends, both mentally and emotionally, that will ultimately help you determine the best way to play against them.

You must have come across such a concept as LAG or TAG in poker more than once. It refers to the definition of a person's playing style at the table. But, even having figured out that LAG is a loose-aggressive player, TAG is tight-aggressive, and that there are still tight and loose-passive players, does not mean that you fully understand what this means and how this might work in your favor. In this article, we will not only help you understand who a TAG is in poker, but also how to play against it in the most effective way.

Definition of Poker Styles

Poker is a game of observation. Therefore, the first step towards determining the style of the players is to observe their general tendencies. Such a factor is a key link in achieving success in poker. Studying the tendencies of your opponents is considered a must, especially if you plan on becoming a winning player. Every action an opponent takes already means something. Why did the player x-raise or just call from that position? It should be emphasized again and again that you should always keep an eye on the game, especially when you are not in the hand (which you can be in most cases), in order to understand what your opponents are thinking and how they will act.

Poker players can be divided into two main categories, which will determine their style of playing poker. These categories are tight versus loose, and passive versus aggressive.

• A tight player usually only plays a small number of the best hands.
• A loose player plays a wide range of hands.

The name "tight" or "loose" refers to the choice of starting hands, not the way they are played. It all depends on whether the poker player will play with a narrow (tight) or wide (loose) range of hands. The tight style of playing poker is chosen, as a rule, by cautious poker players who are afraid of losing their stack. Loose play in poker is more "creative".

The passivity or aggressiveness of the players is reflected in their willingness to take risks.

• Passive players try to avoid confrontation and play with the fear of losing.
• Aggressive players raise more than they call and are not afraid to put their chips at risk.

Also, the passivity or aggressiveness of opponents depends on how you play against them.

How to determine the style of a poker player?

By observing your opponents, you will be able to classify them based on what you see.

The first thing to do is determine whether the player is tight or loose. If your opponent folds most of his hands, then classify him as tight. If he tends to play a lot of hands, then the player has chosen to play loose poker.

The next step is to determine whether he is passive or aggressive. Does he call and check more often than he raises and bets? Then classify him as a passive player. If he bets and raises a lot, then he is an aggressive player.

4 basic poker styles

Based on the above categories, there are 4 main styles of play:

• Tight-passive.
• Loose-passive.
• Tight-aggressive (TAG).
• Loose-aggressive (LAG).

Knowledge of these general characteristics will help you understand your opponent and what kind of cards he has in his hand. If a loose-aggressive player bets and raises, it does not mean that he has a strong hand, unlike a tight-passive player. He raises or re-raises rarely, but with good hands.

Consider the 4 main play styles in more detail:

Tight-passive style

The typical tight-passive player tends not to play many pots and calls preflop when he hits a hand.

If attentive opponents notice him at the table, no one will enter the game on his initiative, so a tight-passive player will not be able to make money when he has a good hand. This type of player is sometimes referred to as , and the overall playing style can also be considered "weak-passive".

They are easy to bluff. Often, they fold weak and even medium-strength combinations on a controversial board, and also rarely make bets themselves, fearing a loss.

Players who have identified weak and predictable opponents will always be on the lookout for situations in which they can be exploited, simply because tight passive players fold to aggression too often.

Loose-passive style

Loose-passive players like to limp into a lot of pots. They will call raises just to see the flop and stay in the hand whenever they hit anything, no matter how small. They rarely take risks or become aggressive, being more of an "auto-caller". Their approach to the game is simply to observe and let others take risks. Especially often such players can be found among beginners, as well as at micro limits.

Loose-passive players are very easy to spot and also easy to target. It's best not to try to bluff autocallers, but when you have a strong enough hand, you should bet for value and make the most of it.

Tight Aggressive Style (TAG)

Tight-aggressive players don't usually play many pots. They are selective and generally play the best starting hands. Unlike tight passive players, tight aggressive players will play their cards decisively. They are patient and wait for the right strike opportunity and are not afraid to bet.

Often, the best TAGs are called "sharks" because they are tight aggressive style poker games are generally effective, regardless of changes in the game or betting structure. Most observant opponents will avoid TAGs as they will assume they have the best hand and will fold under pressure.

Loose-aggressive style (LAS)

A loose-aggressive player will raise or re-raise with a wide variety of hands preflop and will bet most flops. They are extremely difficult to read because they play a fairly wide range of hands. In no-limit hold'em, there are some very experienced players who use the loose-aggressive style of poker very effectively. They use chips as weapons and constantly put pressure on their opponents. They will bluff at high percentages and are difficult to play against. However, at the very end of the loose-aggressive category is a maniac who seems to be raising for no reason. The maniac's tendency to overplay his hands means you are more likely to show profit in the long run against this type of player.

A question that is often asked by players online is how to determine the opponent's poker playing style, ? To do this is quite simple. In order to roughly determine the style of a player, it will be enough for you to know his main indicators, such as VPIP (how often he enters the game), PRF (preflop raise percentage) and AF (aggression factor) - they are usually present in all standard HUDs .

For example, those who choose a tight-aggressive style of play use the chart of starting hands quite narrowly and play, as a rule, premium hands. This means that they rarely enter the hand, but at the same time, the hands they play - they play aggressively. Therefore, their VPIP is low, but the PFR is very high.

Our simple table will help you roughly determine your opponent's style of play in online poker:

If you have enough hands played with your opponent, you can already draw certain conclusions about him.

Veiled or direct?

Once you have previously assigned the players to one category or another, you are ready for the next step - determining the degree of their cunning, or vice versa, its absence.

It's not always easy, as poker players often drift between cunning and being completely direct. However, this is a very important step, since once you place them in a category, you can begin to interpret their actions with greater accuracy.

For example, let's say a tight-aggressive player raises preflop from early position. If he's a "straightforward" tight-aggressive player, then you might consider giving him a strong hand like a premium pair. If you have calculated that he is very tricky, then he can also bluff or semi-bluff by raising with two strong cards or an ace.

The main key is observation. You really need to watch the players and pay attention to their tendencies, as well as understand what type of players your opponents are and what decisions they tend to make. This will help you play much more profitably.

The Importance of Aggression

Remember that this applies especially to Hold'em. If you don't want to be aggressive then don't play, or at least don't expect to win. Poker is full of conflicts, this game is not for the weak. This is why an aggressive poker style is essential to success.

This is the core of the game that we deal with every time we sit down to play. We are trying to "beat" other players and get money. As Jack Straus once said: "I would even ruin my own grandmother if she played poker with me."

There are obvious times when it's good to cheat and just call preflop with a premium hand or check-call a strong hand postflop. Even aggressive players do this sometimes, but the big difference is that they mix up their play as opposed to tight passive players who only call when they should probably raise for fear of losing. As the well-known proverb says: "He who does not take risks does not drink champagne."

The main disadvantage of the passive style is that it offers only one way to win the pot - when you have the best hand. Aggressive strategy Playing poker gives you two ways to win - when you have the best hand and when you force your opponent to fold the best hand, thereby forcing him to give up the pot.

For example, by playing aggressive preflop poker, depending on what cards are on the flop, you can continue your aggression through betting and often win the hand even if you don't hit the board.

What is the best poker style?

We have already discussed the importance of aggression and why it is almost always considered the best solution. A good solid strategy for playing tight and aggressive is usually rewarded with profits. There are experienced players who have successfully adapted the loose-aggressive style into the game. However, for most players, the tight-aggressive approach is usually the most profitable. This style is undoubtedly the best way for beginners as it teaches good habits such as patience and discipline. The tight-aggressive approach also works well as a "default position" and, oftentimes, players gain a strong skill base from playing this style.

In the end, you should choose the style that is not only the most profitable for you, but also the most suitable for you. A lot of how you play at the poker table is determined by who you are off the table. Some people may play in a manner that they don't normally play, but most will return to the usual type. That's why best advice, which can be given to you - to determine what works in your case, as well as gain experience.

It is important to note that the best players adjust their style to suit their opponents and circumstances. If you are playing at a table full of tight players then you should loosen up, and if you are playing with aggressors then playing tight is the most effective strategy.

Always watch the game and the actions of your opponents, and adapt your playing style if necessary. This is exactly what good poker players do.

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If you have already read our articles or heard discussions between poker players, then you may have come across several combinations of words that describe someone's game at the poker table.

Typical playing styles:

• Tight Aggressive (TAG)
• Loose Aggressive (LAG)
• Tight-Passive
• Loose Passive

But what do the words Tight, Loose, Aggressive, Passive mean in Texas Hold'em? And what is the best play style?

Explaining Poker Styles

First word - tight and loose. The first word in each playing style describes how many hands the player perceives to be played. And depending on that amount, his style of play is either "tight" or "loose."

A tight player plays very few hands, namely premium hands that have a good chance of winning. The loose player plays a wide range of hands and enters many pots with both good and bad hands. The more hands a player plays, the looser he is.

Second word - aggressive and passive. The second part of the game style describes how often the player bets in each betting round. And depending on this, the player is either aggressive or vice versa passive. Aggressive player often bets and raises, actively acts, making strong bets. A passive player is more likely to check and call and rarely bets or raises.

As you can see, if we put the two pieces together, we have 4 different styles of play that describe how many hands our opponent plays and how he does it, whether he checks or bets. This kind of information can be very useful when it comes to game strategy, as bluffing against a Loose-Passive player who plays a lot of hands and calls often is not likely to be as profitable as bluffing against a Tight-Aggressive player who only plays the best hands and will only bet or raise with a very strong hand.

Playstyle table

This is a small table that shows how you should normally describe a player by combining different styles:

Which of these 4 styles is the best?

To play well, you must be able to play aggressively. Therefore, as you might expect, the best play style should be Tight-Aggressive or Loose-Aggressive.

Playing aggressively is always better than playing passively, there is no doubt about it. Many winning players will say that the Tight-Aggressive style is the best, as you always enter the pot with a great hand and play it strong to maximize profits. This is very correct and is often the style that developing players tend to use correctly.

Despite this, it is possible to play the Loose-Aggressive style as profitable or even better than the Tight-Aggressive style, but it is quite difficult to master. The loose-aggressive style can be profitable, but it's dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.

Playing Loose-Aggressive means you'll see a lot of flops and often put money into the pot when you're unsure about the strength of your hand, so it's not something you would recommend to a novice player. However, the reward can be high, as your opponents will often pay you off when you have a monster hand because they won't believe it because you've been playing very loose before.

Passive poker will never be profitable. The passive style of play is often unprofitable, which is why players who want to become winners are advised to bet and raise more often than just call or check. The reason that the passive style of play will often be unprofitable is that you are taking away one of the options for winning the hand.

You can win the hand either by having the best hand or by driving your opponent out of the pot. By playing passively, you leave yourself with only one opportunity to win, and that is with the best hand, and this can be done by any player. Therefore, for most beginner players, it is recommended to learn how to play Thai-Aggressive style, as it is profitable and safe. If you've gained experience playing solid, profitable poker, there's no reason why you shouldn't try Loose-Aggressive to see if it suits you.

Experienced players love the Loose Aggressive style because it allows them to play a lot of hands and get into a lot of pots, it saves them from the boredom of waiting for a premium hand. However, it is still safer to stick with the tried-and-true Tight-Aggressive style at first, rather than the completely unfamiliar Loose-Aggressive style.

conclusions

In general, your playstyle should be exactly the one that brings highest profit. If you feel that playing the Tight-Aggressive style is better for you than anyone else, then there is no reason to consider changing your game.

Similarly, if you treat poker as fun and like to play passively rather than aggressively, then that's great and you should feel comfortable playing that style. However, you should be aware that if you want to increase your profits, then an aggressive play style is much better than a passive one.

If I had to arrange playing styles in order of profitability, then I would do it like this:

1. Tight-Aggressive
2. Loose-Aggressive
3. Tight-Passive
4. Loose Passive

The first two positions are quite replaceable, as sometimes the loose-aggressive style is more profitable. However, the TAG style is best for beginners, as LAG can be a very dangerous style if you don't know what you're doing.

Read our article on poker to know exactly how to most profitably switch from tight-aggressive to loose-aggressive and vice versa.