Mix Things Up So You Don’t Cramp Your Style

	Submited by: Poker Pro Labs, Inc.
	Date added: November 2, 2006
	Rating: None

   If you’ve caught any poker on TV the past few years, whether it’s the World Series of Poker on ESPN of the Travel Channel’s World Poker Tour, there’s no doubt you’ve heard the phrase “loose” and “tight.”

Dan Harrington, who won the WSOP in 1995 would be characterized as a tight player, whereas 2003 runner-up Sam Farha was considered loose. These terms refer to the playing style of a particular player. And learning how to identify an opponent’s style is an  important component in any good poker player’s game plan.

Because poker is such a psychological game, where reading an opponent is critical, keeping your own style a mystery will work to your advantage. As 2000 WSOP champ Chris Ferguson remarked: “I've heard it all.  ‘You're too tight.’ You're too loose. You're tight aggressive. You're too passive.’ … I've heard all the others, which makes me believe I must be doing something right. Loose, tight, aggressive. My style is that I'm all of the above, depending upon the circumstances.”

And that’s the key. Depending on the circumstances, you have to be able to change your style on a dime. To outplay your opponents you must adapt your style of play during each game, each hand and when going against a particular opponent. Here’s a summary of the two main styles of play in poker:

Tight players

A tight player is someone who plays a limited amount of hands. They don’t take a lot of chances, and strike when the hands lean in their favor. A table with tight players won’t be as profitable as a loose table. This style of player will bide his or her time, waiting for a good starting hand.

Within the style of tight players there are two subsets of  players. Tight-passive and tight-aggressive. The tight-passive player pinches every penny and believes only in sure things when it comes to odds. These players are often referred to as “rocks.” Playing this ultra-conservative style will keep you from going broke, but won’t give you the opportunity to win many big pots.

The tight-aggressive player is a different animal. They, of course, play more hands than the tight-passives, but choose hands according to strength and position. They will raise strong and bluff on occasion, but what separates tight-aggressive the most from tight-passive is their selectiveness. Most experts agree that this is the style a beginning player should aspire to.  

Loose players

It’s easy to spot the loose players. They are the ones who play the most hands, regardless of the quality of their starting cards. Loose players are typically rookies who think they can win with any hole cards. They often will bet to see the flop and are sometimes referred to as “river rats” when hanging around, hoping to get lucky on the final card. And like the tight players, there are two distinctive loose players: the loose-aggressive and loose-passive.

The loose-aggressive player is the fierce, untamed spirit at the table. They constantly push the envelope and can set the tone with bold bets, raises and aggression. They are reckless gamblers who tend to fall by the wayside when confronted with the sharper, more experienced players. It’s hard to imagine, but this player comes in the loose-passive form, too.

It seems like an oxymoron, but the loose-passive player does exist. And most experts will tell you that this is the absolute worst way to play the game. While they maintain the “play every hand” mantra, the loose-passive player sticks with hands too long. But instead of betting aggressively to chase opponents away, they end up just calling bets. That’s how they received the nickname, “calling stations.