If you have read any poker strategy books, you have probably heard that tight players are the real winners. But, the truth is, players that play the same way all the time are predictable and easy to beat – you don’t want to be one of those players. Knowing the right time to loosen up is key if you want to be a successful poker player.
The right time to loosen up is when other players are starting to play tight, or when they are starting to loosen up as well. This may sound confusing, but its not. When players start to play really tight, like when the bubble in a tournament comes along, you want to steal some blinds and see as many flops as possible. But, when the other players at the table also start to loosen up, you want to do the same so you can get in on some of the action. If you tighten up when they loosen up, you are going to miss out on a lot of opportunities to make some good money.
In the end, it really takes experience to know when to loosen up or tighten up at the poker table. Every situation is unique and there is no way you will learn everything by just reading a piece of text. The best piece of advice? Just start playing more, and be mindful of the way the others at the table are playing and adjust your playing style accordingly. That way, you can’t lose!
Every so often, you will run into a super loose poker player when you sit down at a table. These players are a lot more common at smaller stakes games, but sometimes you will be forced to play against them at medium and high stakes tables as well. These players require a special strategy, because if you just employ your normal poker strategy, they will end up will all your chips.
You want to try your best to get into a hand where they are the aggressor but you have a better hand. This is easier said than done, but really all you have to do is wait for a good hand and then play it passively. Ideally, you will want to get them into a situation where they are the initial raiser, and then you make a smooth call before the flop. Then, you can just play it from there.
For example, if you were dealt a good hand like a pair of kings or queens and the loose player raises before the flop, the ideal play would be to just make the call. Then, when they put in the continuation bet after the flop, you can make the decision on whether or not to make a raise or to fold.
More often than not, you will be playing relatively few hands against these players, because they often end up with all your chips or go bust in a hurry. As long as you know how to play them correctly, you should have no trouble beating them.
A very high percentage of the poker players you will run into will be tight players. These players only play the best hands pre flop and never really take any risks. If you don’t play these players with the right strategy, you will end up at a stalemate with them, not being able to make any progress or earn any chips.
The ideal strategy for these players is to play a contrarian style. If they are playing super tight, you may want to consider playing loose so you can steal some of their blinds. It is important to note, though, that you should never play reckless, as you will end up losing all your chips in a hurry.
Most of the time, when a tight player comes into a hand, they put in a raise and play their hand aggressively. When they do this, it is a pretty poor time to try and make a move on them. You want to play into weakness, not strength. Sometimes, these players will try and trick you by slow playing a monster hand, but if you pay attention to them and watch their playing patterns, you should have no trouble picking out things like this.
It is essential that you learn how to play against tight players. Almost every skilled player you will run into plays a tight style, and if you don’t beat these players, you will have trouble making progress and earning chips. Learn to beat these players consistently and you will be a winner.
Playing the correct opponents is almost as important as playing the correct starting hands. There are some types of opponents you want to focus your attention on, and some opponents you want to avoid altogether. Today, we will be focusing on the former. If you run into any of the following types of opponents at the poker table, it is usually a good idea to avoid them…
Sharks
It is obviously a good idea to try and stay away from the sharks. Look for players with big chip stacks who seem to know what they are doing. They are not that difficult to spot, especially when you are playing with smaller stakes.
New Players
New players should also be avoided because they are generally unpredictable and can lead to huge bankroll swings for you. When you use your poker strategy, you generally expect your opponents to act in predictable ways, but new players don’t do this.
Loose Players
Loose players require a special type of strategy to be successful against. Until you master playing against loose players, it is a good idea just to stay away from them. You may think you are trapping them with a big hand, but more often than not, they are the ones that end up with all your chips.
As long as you know what type of players to play against, it’s not that difficult to be successful playing online poker. Avoid the above players and watch your poker profits soar.
Reading the table is an essential skill you will have to master if you wish to be the best poker player you can be. Amateur players sit down at a table and play the same style every time, but skilled and professional players adapt their play to how the table is playing.
The main thing you will want to look for is whether the table is playing loose or tight. When you look at the stats in the lobby of the poker room you are playing at, you can usually see the percentage of hands that reach the flop. The higher the percentage of hands that reach the flop, the looser the table is generally playing, and vice versa.
Then, when you actually sit down at the table, you can watch a few rotations and actually watch what specific players are doing. One of the easiest ways to spot an amateur player is when they sit down at a table and post their blind immediately. It is a poor idea to not watch at least one rotation before you start playing.
Once you have read the table, you will be able to adjust your playing style to how the other players are playing. It’s not that difficult to do if you know a little about playing both tight and loose players. Just don’t be one of those players who plays everyone the same then complains when they don’t win any money. Each type of opponent required a different strategy to be successful.
