Poker Player Types

In poker, as in life, you will come across many different types of players around the table. Identifying these types and adjusting to them is critical if you want to become a successful poker player. In this article we will detail some of the contrasting types of players.


Tight or Loose

Tight - A tight player will play only the best hands he/she has and will play it fast since he or she doesn't get to play very often. Tight players play only a few hands and usually win the pots, however since they get identified as tight players, most players won't stay in a hand with them, and so their pots are rarely large.

Loose - A loose player plays many hands, both strong and weak. They believe that “any two cards can win”, often they sees the flop with hands that are below par. Loose players are considered to be more "gambler-like" as they are hoping that the turn and river will bring them their magic card that will help them win the pot. Loose players may know how to play the game, but can't stand not being in a hand in case their miracle card hits on the river.


Aggressive or Passive

Aggressive - An aggressive player loves to bet and raise, often pre-flop or with a “less than the nut” hand, even though that some players become aggressive when they get the best hand (correctly). He or she likes to cause the action and get the bets rolling.

Passive - A passive player prefers to “just call” rather than bet or raise. Many times a passive player will have a good hand, but simply call because they don't want to stir things up. They will be in the hand as long as they are comfortable and may drop their hand after the river card, since the hand they were looking for never materialized.


Strong or Weak

Strong - A strong player knows the game inside and out, he will make the right calls at the right times and will consistently showdown quality starting cards based on the play at the table.

Weak - A weak player only focuses on his/her own hand, has little knowledge of poker strategies and will frequently showdown cards that are of poor quality.

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