| Types of Poker Players |
|
Loose, Passive This player is commonly referred to as a “fish”. These players rarely raise, but often call, which also gives them the name “calling stations”. They tend to overpay for their hands and over time they lose as they overpay for pots. They generally play the game as if it’s a limit game and let others dictate the action. How to play them: These players require that you bet and bet strong. You often won’t be able to bluff this player, because more often than not they will call. If they call, you need to make sure you are over pricing the pot. Generally pot sized bets are best. If the pot is large enough it’s often a good idea to move all in to protect the pot. Occasionally they will hit, reload and play them the same way. They rarely raise, so it is sometimes hard to tell if they have a monster or a draw. Be more bold with stronger hands and cautious with your lower hands. If you are on a draw hand, you can typically name your price without risk of a re-raise. Use this to your advantage if you want to build the pot into your flush draw. They also will call an over bet on the river with marginal hands. Make sure you get paid off with your better hands. Loose, Aggressive This player is one of the easiest to pick off. They are often referred to as a “maniac”. They are very loose with their hand selection and enter into almost any pot. Once in the pot they throw chips around on almost any hand. They are often difficult to read merely by betting, because they could literally be holding any two cards. How to play them: These players require your patience as you need to play premium hands against them. They will be sure to pay you off when you do, most of the time you want to let them bet as they are usually eager to do so and typically over bet most pots. Wait for a big hand and demolish their chip stack. Like the Loose, Passive player, they will tend to call an over bet on the river with marginal hands. Note: There are a few pros that give the impression they are loose, aggressive like Gus Hanson, but but play is more controlled than that. This type of mixed play is more planned than it appears. Tight, Passive These players generally can play a game for quite a while at one sitting. They play very few hands and when they do, they rarely raise. You will notice their chip stack dwindle over time as they let others dictate the action and only wait for the monsters. How to play them: These are the players you can shake off many decent hands. You don’t need to go all in, test bets of 25% to 50% of the pot will see where they stand. If you hit a good hand you may need to string them along with smaller bets to keep them interested. You want to bet the flop in heads up situations with this player. If this player raises you, watch out, they’ve got a monster. Tight, Aggressive This is generally the best type of player on the table. They have probably read and learned from Doyle Brunson’s “Super System”. They typically only play premium hands and they know how to bet them. They also aren’t afraid to raise or re-raise when they think their opponent is weak. How to play them: Solid poker is the best way to beat this player. You will want to maintain good pot odds on your calls and don’t be afraid to push back a little if they get in the habit of raising and re-raising. You also, may want to pick up the “Super System” to learn more about this strategy. I will typically employ a mix between loose aggressive and tight aggressive. I am typically fairly loose before the flop and then act accordingly to my position, opponent, and board. It is always a good idea to mix up your play. You may want to shift gears mid game to keep your opponents guessing. On single table tournaments there is typically at least 1 maniac on the table. I usually play very tight passive until that player is removed from the game (usually by me). I then like to play a little more aggressive to control the table. |