TYPES OF PLAY

Your type of play refers to your personality around the poker table. It is essential for a good player to have varied and rehearsed ‘roles’ that are adopted throughout the length of a poker game. It is even more important in tournaments, given the massive inflow of new players; when it might well come down to what the other player thinks you’d do.

Whether you’re playing online or not; learn to stem tells, habits and the unconscious personality related behavior you put out to other players and the rewards will come through in your card game.

And always remember that everything can be used to learn more about your opponent including their nicknames, their gestures and comments in the chat room. This knowledge is free, it simply needs to be sifted and moved into your game… there’s money at stake!

Tight Aggressive: Tight-aggressive is the most advocated modern style of playing poker. It is valued for its cautious and methodical but decisive characteristics. Tight-aggressive playing is characterized by patience and acting on observations that squeeze opponents without exposing the player to undue risk. A tight-aggressive player has worked hard to become one, fine-tuning all facets of their game from managing ones bankroll to position play and, as a result, makes very few errors.

Tight-Passive: Brilliant pre-flop game from this playing style but the reluctance to raise or call instead of merely checking can see this player not maximizing the potential of their good hands. An easily readable playing style that will almost never bluff.

Loose Passive: These players are known as ‘calling stations’ because they call poor hands and don’t bet enough money. They usually aren’t schooled in pot odds or any form of technicality surrounding game. They usually go home early.

Loose Aggressive: The more expensive of the 2 loose player variants.  This player’s habit of aggressively raising with poor hands (read ‘any’) will see them come short in a big way. This playing style is also very easy to read; the silly bluffs and over-bets attract a lot of attention because stronger players can smell the big payday. Often this is the style that players trying to be tight-aggressive find themselves playing in.