Type of Players

What type of poker player are you? What type of poker player is your opponent? If you can’t answer those two questions, you’re missing a key component of your game. Poker players are generally classified by two attributes - tight or loose, and aggressive or passive. These combine to create the four main player types:

• Tight-Aggressive
• Tight-Passive
• Loose-Aggressive
• Loose-Passive

Most successful poker players fall into the Tight-Aggressive category. That is not to say that all successful players are Tight-Aggressive, because that is definitely not true. A Tight- Aggressive player will usually only see a flop with a solid hand. That is what makes them tight. When they do latch onto a good hand, they will bet very aggressively. Because they are tight, they do not bluff very often, and when they do bet, they should be taken very seriously.

A Tight-Passive player is sometimes labeled as a scared player. These players tend to only play very good hands, and they will only raise when they have a strong hand. Since they are not risk takers, these players are better suited for limit games than no-limit games. If a Tight-Passive player makes or calls a raise you’ll usually want to get out of their way unless you’re holding a big hand.

A Loose-Aggressive player is sometimes referred to as a maniac because they will play almost any hand and bet and raise even when they have nothing. These players are outrageous bluffers, which makes it difficult to gauge when they are actually holding a strong hand and when they are making a bluff with nothing. Playing against Loose-Aggressive players can be extremely frustrating and it can take extreme patience to take all of their chips.

A Loose-Passive player is also referred to as a “calling station” in poker slang. These players will call almost any bet with any cards, but they seldom raise or fold after seeing the flop. These players are almost impossible to bluff because it is so difficult to get them to fold.

Now that you know the types of poker players try to classify yourself and your poker buddies into those categories. The most successful poker players don’t fit into one category precisely, because they are able to mix up their play and fit into different categories during cash games or tournaments. The more you are able to successfully mix up your style of play the harder it will be for your opponents to get a read on you.