PokerStars online poker room has announced that they have the SCOOP – that is, they are running thei
More...
Ladbrokes Poker new bonus code MAXIMUMBONUS gets you $1000 free - see special page here
Editor's Picks
Poker Strategy Headlines
Discipline is key to long term success in poker, as is bankroll management. In this article we take
More...
More...
Top Offers
Recent Comments20 June 2008
Loose/tight play
Loose and tight in poker refer to a player's general tendency to play hands beyond the first round or to fold them quickly.
There is no commonly-accepted threshold in terms of a ratio or percentage of hands played, but a "tight" player will often choose to fold weaker starting hands or hands that are not "made" quickly (on the flop in Texas hold-em, usually by fifth street in 7 card stud), while a "loose" player will bet on more of these hands and thus play more hands to the showdown. The following concepts are applicable when playing against loose players (and their inverse in tight games):
- Bluffs and semi-bluffs are less effective because loose opponents are less likely to fold.
- Requirements for continuing with made hands may be lower because loose players may also be playing lower value hands.
- Drawing to incomplete hands, like flushes, tends to be more valuable as draws will often get favorable pot odds and a stronger hand (rather than merely one pair) is often required to win in multi-way pots.
Aggressive/passive play
Aggressive play refers to a player's tendency to open, raise and re-raise. Passive play refers to the player's tendency to check or call rather than raise. Unless passive play is being used deceptively, aggressive play is generally considered stronger than passive play because of the bluff value of bets and raises and because it offers more opportunities for your opponents to make mistakes.
The 4 main play styles
Combinations of loose/tight and aggressive/passive play form the 4 most commonly referred-to play styles: "loose passive", "loose aggressive", "tight passive", and "tight aggressive". These describe a player's willingness to play any given hand, and how aggressively they will bet on hands they do play.
Most experts advocate a "tight aggressive" style of play in general; players should wait patiently for a hand worth playing, then when they make a hand they think will win, they should bet, raise and re-raise to make as much money as possible from it. Loose play, either passive or aggressive, tends to lose money over time as the player pays money to hang on to hands, or press weak hands, with a small chance of payoff. Tight passive play also tends to lose money as the payoff from pots that the player has not "pumped up" with aggressive play does not meet the cost of discarding many hands.
To be fair, this position is contested. "Tight aggressive" play is easily detected; a player who has folded most of the previous hands but is now raising and re-raising is an obvious sign, and will lead other players to fold, reducing the size of the potential pot. This can be advantageous as a player can then semi-bluff weaker hands, but in general, strict tight aggressive play reduces winnings as it scares away potential bettors. Even players who advocate "tight aggressive" recommend looser play in certain situations, such as when the player is in a "late" position at the table, or when few players remain in a hand.
Passive play such as "limping in" can also pay off once more cards are dealt, and "slow play" of a strong drawing hand or a made hand encourages more players to stay in the pot.
A good poker player will alter his play style according to such situations in order to maximize winnings from good hands while remaining tight enough to minimize losses on weak hands.
| |||||||||||||||||||
Close
Del.icio.us
Google Bookmarks
Digg
Furl
Reddit
Ask
My Favorites
Yahoo MyWeb
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Live Bookmarks
Fark
Spurl
Mister Wong
