Becoming a successful and winning poker player requires a specific skill set. Anyone who dreams for a career in poker must be disciplined, to have analytical mind, to be patient, to learn from mistakes and many more. However, there is one quality that not many people think about- observation.

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Let’s say you go to a new school and you don’t know anybody in the beginning. Then after some time you will start getting to know people. Some will be polite, others will be naughty. Some will be introverts, others will be extroverts. You will meet up shy and some overconfident schoolmates. The list can go on and on.

• Played in the World Series of Poker, Texas Hold ‘Em is easily the most popular.
• TAG stands for “tight aggressive”. It’s the poker style of choice for the majority of winning.
• Types of players. There are many types of players, but they can all be divided into two categories: successful and unsuccessful. Successful players look not only at what they have in their hands, but also analyze their opponents. But in general poker, all players are divided into these types.
• The BLUFFER poker player. It’s okay to bluff. It’s actually a pretty essential thing to know how to do.

It’s similar with poker- there are different playing tendencies whether it is an online table or a live poker event. Of course, playing with real people will pump more adrenaline into your blood. It will also give you more clues about the player, if you know what to look for.

Each poker player has their own style. Some poker players are difficult to beat. Others are a piece of cake. I’m going to teach you how to spot the 7 most common basic types of opponents and explain how you can beat them. CALLING STATION DONKEY. It seems like every table has that one player.

On the other hand, playing online poker will limit your choice, but still you can draw crucial conclusions about other players and their habits.

First things first, let me start by introducing the main factors that determine the different types of poker players. There are two main categories to watch for. Players are often described by tight vs. loose and passive vs. aggressive. These can be combined and from there we can sum up four main poker player types:

• Loose-Passive
• Tight-Passive
• Loose Aggressive
• Tight Aggressive

Before going over these 4 different styles, let’s first dig in in the terms that stay beyond them.

Tight vs. Loose

The main difference between these two terms is the starting hand selection. While tight opponents limit the hands they play, loose players are not afraid from seeing flops and will get involved with wide variety of hands. To learn more about the preflop poker range construction you can check out this great resource on building 6 max opening ranges.

Take into account that being tight or loose does not describe how you will play those hands. It just describes the quantity of hands the player likes to commit chips with.
For example, while a tight player will most likely fold a hand like J9s from middle position, a loose opponent will gladly either limp/call or raise with it.

When it comes to how you will play those hands either preflop or postflop then we speak about passive and aggressive players.

Passive vs. Aggressive

When categorizing an opponent as either passive or aggressive we take into consideration their risk tolerance. Passive players from one hand stay away from confrontations and prefer limping than raising. Aggressive players on the other hand, tend to play without being scared of the end result. They prefer raising that just calling and are not afraid from investing chips in the pot.
Now, once you are aware of what the different terms means we may go back to four main poker player types.

The 4 Main Types of Poker Players

1. Loose-Passive

Тhe loose-passive players are known for limping a lot. They enjoy seeing flops, but prefer a rather conservative approach. These opponents will just call raises instead of raising themselves. This applies both for pre and postflop play. They will seldom show any aggressive actions and that’s why loose passive players are also known as calling stations. The right approach against them is to play your strong hands and to minimize any bluffing attempts.

2. Tight-Passive

This playing style is characterized by a conservative approach to the game. A typical tight-passive player will rarely involve in any hands and when he does, will do it by just calling.
These opponents are often described as “rocks” and “nits”. Good players, who observe what is happening on the table carefully, will know that when facing tight passive players they must have premium holdings. They often play with the fear of losing and will rarely take any risks. When playing in tournaments and SNGs they will often blind out while waiting to be dealt a premium hand. Against such players you can opt for blind stealing with a wider range than against loose players. The “nits” will fold their blinds far too often.

3. Tight-Aggressive

The tight aggressive style or also popular as TAG is considered to be one of the most effective and winning playing styles. It’s a powerful weapon in the arsenal of most professional poker players. TAGs do not involve in many pots preflop, but when they do- they either raise or re-raise. You will seldom witness a tight aggressive player who just calls preflop. It’s similar postflop- they will far more often raise and reraise. These players are patient and will pick up their spots carefully. They are also known as “sharks” as it is difficult to play against them.

However, there are still some strategies to help you play successfully against tight-aggressive opponents.
One of the recommended ways to understand and exploit TAGs is to attack them whenever they show some weaknesses. They will most often play their made hands aggressively, so whenever you notice them check- go for a raise! Of course, every now and then they may set up some traps, but in the long run, this would show profit.

4. Loose-Aggressive

This playing style is known also as LAG. The players who incorporate it in their arsenal like to raise and re-raise a lot of holdings and often bet on the different streets postflop (flop, turn and river).

They play such a wide range of hands that it is tough to guess what they are holding. It may vary from the absolute nutz to a pure bluff.
Along with the TAG style, LAG can be also very profitable, if used correctly. There is a great number of players who use it to perfection nowadays. Opponents that tend to play loose-aggressively will bluff a lot, so you don’t always need a premium hand to stay in the hand. For example, often even a 2nd pair will be good against their range.

Once, we went through the different categories it is crucial to mention that nobody fits on 100% in a specific category. Poker is such a dynamic game, so a TAG player may turn into a LAG, if he becomes bored, or if he decides to try another strategy and so on.

Take football/soccer for example. Depending on the situation one team may play defensively, but they may be great on counter attack as well or switch to an attacking strategy the second half. The same way some players will intentionally try to switch between different playing styles to perplex their opponents.

However, when playing low stakes chances are your opponents will stick to a higher extent to one of the already mentioned categories.

The key is observation– don’t stop paying attention to your opponents. No matter whether you play live or online, take notes of the tendencies of the players around you.

The best strategy?

Being aggressive is a key for success in poker, as long as the aggression is selective. It’s hard to tell which style will bring you most chips. It all depends on the limits you play, on your opponents, on your ambitions and so on.

Some professional poker players have huge success sticking only to the TAG style. On the other hand, there are top poker players who benefit from LAG play. Take into account that the best players constantly adjust their style to the players at the table and the specifics of the game.

So, try for yourself the different styles and see which one will suit your personality best and help you build your poker bankroll.

Literally, it is someone usually above the age of 65 who sits at a crowded table in a bingo hall dabbing several cards in the hopes of screaming ‘full house’ at the top of their lungs and scooping the grand prize.

In poker, it means something quite different and is yet another example of the distinct language that players use to describe one another and the happenings in the game. Thankfully for you, we’ve put in the hours on DuoLingo and are now fully fluent in ‘pokerish.’

Below is your unique guide to a selection of poker jargon used to describe a wide variety of different players and styles.

Bingo Players {bing-gow plei-uh} Also known as: Noob, Newbie or Chancer.

If you’ve ever been called a bingo player at the poker table, I’m afraid it’s bad news. It is the derogatory term used to describe poker players who have absolutely no strategy, zero skill and rely on nothing more than luck and good fortune.

These type of players are the bane of the experienced pros as they are almost impossible to read and call. They are so-called bingo players because they usually come to poker fresh from playing bingo games, where the game is based on luck rather than skill.

As such they believe poker to be the same, and instead of looking for patterns or playing the cards on the table they will play by impulse. In a straight one-one-one with all the cards on the table, you can usually work out the strength of your opponent’s hand based on their actions.

With the bingo player, you have no way of knowing if they’re packing a flush or nothing better than a low pair. A few unexpected encounters with a bingo player can quickly deplete your bankroll and leave you furious.

What’s worse is that bingo players are usually the most likely to brag and boast about their skill when they win. However, when they lose, they belittle your skill levels and chalk it up to bad luck.

Make sure you know what you’re doing before you sit down at the felt, don’t be a bingo player whatever you do!

The Fish {Th-uh Fish} – Also known as: Calling Station or Trigger
If someone has a bad hand you can usually tell by their eagerness to fold and get the hell out of the hand. If you’re playing the fish you will have no way of knowing the strength of their hand before the flop.

That’s because these type of players do the same thing all the time, they call. They very rarely raise bets or go all-in, they’d rather call and remain in the hand as long as possible to see how things pan out.

The main aim of this strategy is usually to flush out inexperienced players who significantly overestimate their own skill levels. If you’re a ‘proper’ player you will hate the fish as they will profit from your measured play.

However if you can spot the fish early on you can adapt your game to blow them away and keep topping up your bankroll with their cautious bets.

The Rock {Th-uh Roh-k} – Also known as: The Nit, The Stone or Old White n’ Tight

If you think the fish is annoying then wait until you encounter the rock, quite possibly the most infuriating player to come up against at the poker table. The only thing that interests the rock is a premium hand where his or her chance of winning is above 90%.

They will be happy to sit through as many hands as possible and wager nothing more than the blinds. If an ace, king or queen comes along their interest will be piqued momentarily, but only if the flop goes their way.

Unfortunately for the rock they are perhaps the easiest player to spot at the table and you should be able to pick them out after around 5 hands. Once you have identified them and their style, you can fold whenever you see them fidgeting to raise.

Their tactic whilst limiting their losses also limits their profits as they are so easy to read that other players immediately fold when they raise.

Sharks {Sha-aark} – Also known as: The Sneak or The Pro

Different Types Of Poker Players

If you can’t identify what type of player someone is then chances are they are a shark. These are the canny operators that have buckets of experience and put it to use by trawling through poker rooms and taking money from their unsuspecting victims.

Free Texas Holdem Single Player

Turning up in an amateur room and immediately outing yourself as a classy player is just going to scare everyone off. That’s why sharks put in the hard yards masquerading as bingo players, fish and rocks.

What they want to do is keep their opponents guessing through misdirection before pouncing and taking advantage of their superior knowledge and skill. The best way to spot a shark is by the bulge in their wallet as they walk away with all your money!

Other Notable Mentions

The Coffee Houser – Someone who uses trash talk to try and influence you and break your confidence. It’s commonplace in the USA but a style that is frowned upon in the UK.

Mr. ABC Poker – A player that plays it safe and sticks to the rules, they know blind structures inside out and can nail basic elementary play. That’s pretty much the limit of their knowledge though.