If you have read much poker literature or overheard any poker-related conversations, you may have come across different terms to describe the styles of play that opponents may posses. Terms that are frequently used are passive, aggressive, loose and tight, and often these will be combined to greater define specific styles of play. At first if you are fairly new to the game, these terms will mean very little to you, I know that I remember not having the faintest clue about what these meant when I first heard them. However, they are all fairly easy to understand and make perfect sense when you think about them.
The first terms used to describe a player is either tight or loose. A tight player will typically wait for strong starting hands and only play them, whilst folding the majority of hands that they receive. A loose player on the other hand will play a wide variety of hands and see numerous flops. So essentially a tight player will play very few hands, whereas a loose player will play many hands.
The second terms used to describe the styles of play are aggressive and passive. An aggressive player will make many bets and raises whilst they are in a hand, whereas a passive player is more inclined to check and call bets from his or her opponents. The first term is then usually combined with one of the second terms to more accurately define a particular player’s style. So for example, a tight-aggressive player will not play many hands, but when they do, they will bet and raise with them and play them aggressively.
Understanding your opponent’s style of play is important in that it allows you to make more profitable decisions when you are involved in a hand against them. If you know that you are playing against a loose-aggressive player, you may be more inclined to call their bets and raises with slightly weaker holdings than you would from a tight-aggressive player, because the loose-aggressive player will be less likely to have such a strong hand.
The most profitable style of play is either one that incorporates aggression, as aggressiveness is key to become a successful poker player. You may find that the most common style of play amongst experienced players is the tight aggressive style, although the loose-aggressive style can also prove to be very profitable. However, playing loose-aggressive poker requires a little more skill and the ability to read your opponents well, as it is easy to find yourself in some sticky situations if you are unsure of how to play loose-aggressive poker profitably.
