Alternative Tight and Loose Play For Maximum Results at the Poker Table
By: Thomas Kearns
Submitted: 2012-02-21 21:43:39 | Word Count: 571
We have all seen players who will charge into the game playing every hand, even raising aggressively on the statistically worst possible hand, a 2-7 off suit. Alternatively we also know of players who sit quietly, folding each hand, until they finally raise with a high pocket pair. Having an understanding of the extremes of both loose and tight play can go a long way in developing a personal strategy of mixing it up so you do not become predictable at the table.
The key to devising this successful image at the table is the ability to signal what you want: keeping your opponents guessing by balancing your approach to the table between aggression and selective loose play. Having the right cards and being on a lucky streak at the same time is vital to all successful players, being able to outplay your adversary from a tactical standpoint while holding marginal hands can lift you from an average to a winning player in far less time.
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Poker is a mathematical game, and adjusting your table image can help skew the probability in your direction. According to David Sklansky, a leading poker player and poker theorist, the fundamental theorem of poker states that making your opponents play differently than they would if he or she could see your cards puts your hand in positive expected value territory. Therefore, mixing up slow play, bluffing and outright aggression can help improve your ability to make your opponents misread your hand.
Using Aggressive Play
Aggression can be a useful tactic at the poker table, especially when you want to extract maximum value from a good hand or want to appear strong when bluffing. Aggressive play can help you put your opponents off guard, putting you into control of the action so you can maximum the expected value of any given hand. Importantly, there are different types of aggressive play including subtle aggression where you check and raise after you opponent bets, as well as passive aggression where you let your opponent raise in early rounds and then increase the stakes on the turn and river when bet sizes double.
A careful use of aggressive play at the poker table can lead to a major difference when it comes to getting the best out of your better hands and assist in successfully bluffing when you feel you have a weak opponent. Those players who are successful at poker understand the delicate art of bluffing, as well as the necessity of careful signaling.
When to Implement Loose Play
We've all seen players who are seemingly random and reckless with their betting, playing any two cards or entering a pre-flop raise with suited connectors. Carefully done this strategy can deliver impressive results when you hit your straight or flush, or when you want to establish yourself as a loose player.
When you mix up your table image by engaging in loose play you can encourage more players to enter the pot when you are actually holding strong cards. Be prepared to loose a bit on high risk loose play early in the game as it can be a winning semi-bluff when you get a full set of callers with pocket aces later in the game. Playing loose throughout the game can signal the required table image that will help keep off guard those you are playing against while you march on, building your chip stack as you go.
