My name is Justin, and I’ve been playing online poker professionally for three years. I’ve learned more about poker in these years than most people do in a lifetime. Here are the four main styles that online poker players fit into.
- Loose aggressive
- Tight aggressive
- Loose passive
- Tight passive
Loose aggressive– This is also known as a LAG player. A LAG player usually plays many different starting hands, and likes to bet and raise more often than call. Many LAG players like to see lots of flops. They will play hands like 5-7 offsuit and 4-6 suited when in position, but when they are out of position they will usually tighten up a bit. Many LAG players tighten up on the turn and river, and only hang around with the best hands.
Tight aggressive– This is also known as a TAG player. TAG poker players usually play premium hands only in full ring games and tournaments. Most TAG players raise pre-flop according to the strength of their hand. This can be good and bad for the player, as they will usually gain some respect, but some TAG players can be very predictable. The TAG player uses position to his advantage at all times. You won’t catch many TAG players playing marginal hands out of position. After the flop, TAG players tend to come out betting strong. Many TAG players tighten up on the turn and river, and only hang around with the best hands.
Loose passive– This is also known as a LP player. LP players are usually involved in a lot of hands, and will call more bets than most players. Many poker players also refer to LP players as calling stations. A loose passive style is used by many people in home games, and when playing for fun. This is usually due to players just wanting to be involved in as many hands as possible. These players tend to play lots of hands, but they don’t usually stick around many hands through the river. Many players with this style will see lots of flops, and wind up taking down lots of small pots. For these players, tight aggressive is their saving grace. The tight passive style, or ” LP player,” requires a lot of patience. As the name suggests, this style prefers avoiding difficult decisions. They will call in position, but will not chase cards or bet strong when out of position. Many poker players use this style to help them see lots of flops and take down lots of small pots. For this type of player, maximizing wins is the name of the game. Don’t push your normal ethical boundaries when playing looser passive, unless of course you want to. Most players who use this strategy will find themselves in a lot of trouble with a tight aggressive tilt. The loose passive style of play is fairly new to the online poker scene. It will be difficult for you to get a hand of rope with this style of play. Tight aggressive is one of the most ethical poker styles, and is by far the most successful. However, a loose passive strategy, combined with tight aggressive, is the best poker strategy for your average loose-aggressive player.
Now that you know the different pokerbo strategies, you’ll want to practice these strategies in your online poker play. The more you practice, the more you will be able to arbitrage your poker wins and losses, and you’ll be able to choose when you want to play a hand based on the right situation. Playing with an understanding of the different poker strategies will allow you to play your hands appropriately, and win more hands.