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Types Of Poker Players
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Online poker playing style types
Online poker players can be classified into several categories based on their playing style. A vast majority of players use either the TAG poker playing style or the LAG poker playing style. This article explains how each strategy works and how to play against them. Choosing which style you should play in is a decision you must make yourself though. The best online poker players will regularly switch from the TAG style to the LAG style during a poker session. Mastering each strategy type and seamlessly flowing from one to another will confuse the other players at the table and will allow you to take advantage of the positive aspects of each strategy when the conditions at the table are right. What is a TAG Poker?
A player who is very selective and only plays a few hands, betting aggressively on the flop or a made hand on the turn or river, is a TAG or “Tight Aggressive Player”. These players are easier to contain and exploit than a LAG. Characteristics of a TAG player are:
- Will only open with premium starting hands like AK, AQ, or a pocket pair
- Rarely plays weaker or junk hands pre-flop unless they’re in the SB or BB
- Will bet aggressively at the flop, turn, or river when their hand is made
How do I play against a TAG?
They will almost always wait for a premium starting hand before making open raises. The same goes for flops, as a TAG will fold quickly if they miss the flop and you bet aggressively. To play well against a TAG try to institute the following in your game:
- Almost always bet if a TAG checks a flop to you, the number of times you will successfully bluff a weaker TAG player will outnumber the flops he will hit
- If a TAG player has made a hand on the flop, you’ll face a raise on your bet and can easily let go of the hand
- TAG’s can be devastated when you hit a set against them, their often-weak reading skills will harm them in this situation. They have a tough time playing against most LAG’s
There are other characteristics of players that fall outside of the scope of LAG’s and TAG’s but these two categories represent most of the players you’ll see online. You should take these characteristics as cues and use a mixture of both to create a confusing table image to your opponents. This can be a very effective poker strategy if you’re able to make these types of changes to your game on the fly.The player to your left has been playing more pots than anyone else on the table and they keep firing on most of the flops. So far the strategy has paid off and they’ve stacked up a mountain of chips. This type of player is often referred to as a LAG player, or “Loose Aggressive”. Characteristics of a LAG player are:
- Will open with many hands, typically plays any range from gap connectors on up to big pairs.
- Will play position very often.
- Will attack and bet out most flops.
How do I play against a LAG?
To effectively counter a LAG player you must consider the following and try to execute based on your read of the situation:
- Based on their hand range and position, re-raise only with premium hands.
- Depending on the texture of the flop, determine your response strategy (raise, re-raise). If the LAG has been coming with hands like Queen Ten and the flop brings rags, a raise to his bet is often your best move. If you’re first to act, a check raise here is very appropriate.
- Remember that LAG’s can often hit crazy two pair hands and the like. If you’re bluffing and trying to pull of a check raise and he’s come back over the top. There’s no need to be a hero or showoff here and try to get tricky. Wait for a better spot.
- Hitting a big set or a big draw on the turn can quickly break a weaker LAG player
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