Identify, adjust, ship it
February 4, 2010
One thing about poker which makes it special is that there are many different approaches to poker strategy that a player can use in order to be successful. But dependent on what type of game that is being played at a table at a certain moment some strategies are more effective than others. The key is to be adjustable and to be able to play many different strategies so that your opponents will have a harder time beating you no matter what they play.
There are many variations of poker and they all have general strategies that are applicable more in one game than another one. The most popular forms of poker are Texas Hold’em. Omaha and Seven-Card Stud. For example in Texas Hold’em bluffing and positional play are big parts of the game, in Omaha the mathematical aspect of the game is an important part as well as seeing many flops and in Seven-Card Stud a good memory and using psychology when playing the open cards on the board are important parts of the strategy.
Players have many different playing styles depending on their personality and experience of poker. There are a few more or less typical playing styles that can be found in all poker games. Those include the loose/weak player, the loose/aggressive player, the tight/weak player and the tight/aggressive player.
The loose/weak player
The loose/weak player is the typical beginner that only plays the card. He or she often calls to the river on draws and weak hands that lose most of the time. They also folds too often on the river when their draws haven’t hit. These kinds of players are among the easiest to play against as long as they don’t get on a rush and outdraw their opponents.These players are seldom successful and are the players that will lose the most.
The loose/aggressive player
The loose/aggressive player plays many hands and does always seem to be involved in hands. They see many flops but they also bluff a lot. Their biggest mistake is to bluff too much, hence the best play is to induce them into bluffing when you have a decent or even good hand. You are making them do all the work for you. Check-raising often works well against them since they are not likely to fold when raised. These players you want sitting to the left of you since they will call you down, bluff if you check and call many check-raises.
The tight/weak player
The tight/weak players are good opponents since they raise much less than they should with strong hands and they play too few hands, which creates a big leak for them in the long run. You want these kinds of players sitting on your right since they will let you in cheap into pots and they are easily bluffed. Many players create a weak/tight image by playing in games where the stakes are too high for their bankroll to handle a loss. They become afraid to lose.
The tight/aggressive player
The tight/aggressive players are good players. They play their hands strong, both bluffs and good hands. This type of player is often an experienced and winning player. If there is a tight/aggressive player at your table who bullies you around you are going to have to bully him back. Push him back by re-raises and very aggressive play, force him into playing more defensive.
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