Poker Player Types: Who Are You?

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When you go to a party, you will always spot ‘classy,’ ‘non-classy,’ ‘easily-drunk’ type of people. It works the same whenever you play poker — you always meet a variety of personalities at the poker table. Some of them are easy to beat, while others are strong enough to defeat you instead! But here, we’re going to show you the most common poker player types you might meet during the game.

Knowing how to spot and distinguish one type from another is crucial; because this will help you improve your style of play and, depending on your opponent, to choose the best possible moves so that you can easily win that hand!

But enough talking. Let’s take a closer look at the various types of poker players, their specific characteristics, and what actions should you undertake if you want to get an advantage.

The Dummy

Also known as ‘the donkey,’ this type of player is a blessing for you at the poker table. They have intelligence and enthusiasm, but they’re also absolutely naive, and have no experience at all.

The dummy tends to bet and raise bets for absolutely no reason, which makes all his moves nonsense, meanwhile giving the opponent a chance to win against him. Donkeys are playing loose, but still passive. They may bluff when they’re already beaten, and call despite having no backup.

The biggest problem of having this type at your table is that they tilt quite easily. And worse still, they bring others with them.

How to beat them: The best option for you is to observe. They are easy to spot, and whenever you do spot one – they’re there to lose, so you can get some easy money!

The Rock (not Dwayne Johnson)

Rocks rarely bet, and they raise even more rarely. The ‘better sad than sorry’ type of person plays only ultra-premium hands and never takes risks. These poker players are chilling for hours while waiting. And they’re not even waiting for good hands: they demand only the best, playing nothing but Kings, Queens and Aces.

Are they successful players? Well, they mostly suffer from different psychological and strategic issues. The profits rocks make only come from those dummies who choose the wrong moment to bluff.

How to beat them: This kind of player is easy to spot. Whenever you see them re-raising bets, be sure they have good hands; and it’s better to fold your hand. Moreover, rocks are the best opponents to play with, as they are easy to beat – they will continuously fold, unless they have premium hands.

The Bomb

Also known as the maniacs, people of this type are playing hyper-aggressively with almost every hand they have, raising and re-raising. These type of players are the James Deans of the poker table. They are wild and untamable; however, they are not as cool as the real James Dean is!

How to beat them: Maniacs tend to bluff all the time, so the main rules you should stick to are to induce bluffs and keep calm. Furthermore, bombs put other players on tilt, so don’t respond to their provocation – don’t bluff yourself. You cannot beat a maniac by becoming one yourself.

The Elephant

This type is the most common among poker players. Whenever someone referred to as the elephant, also known as the calling station or the fish, it is never a compliment.

The calling station is loose-passive. He plays almost every hand (more than he should), and when it comes to the choice of either betting or raising, he will call. Again and again, no matter what hand he has.

At a table, these poker types want you to like them, no matter what. They are usually silent throughout the game, but at the same time, they laugh at all your jokes.

They can get lucky and win big. After all, even a stopped clock is right twice a day.

How to beat them: Don’t bluff, bet big, and be patient.

Tight Aggressive (TAGs)

This kind of person always know what they want; they wait for the best hand, and then play aggressively. This personality is way smarter than most of the players at the table. A TAG will play only 18-25% of all hands; however, this style of poker playing is the choice for the majority of winning players.

How to beat them: TAGs aren’t your target to beat; concentrate instead on the fish. If there aren’t any, try another pond!

Loose Aggressive (LAGs)

Most of the LAGs actually lose more often than TAGs. However, if you are an outstanding LAG player, you may end up winning even more than TAGs.

Usually, a LAG plays 23-30% of all hands. They tend to bet and raise, but rarely call bets. However, nowadays, there are no 100% LAGs. They’re either maniacs, or they’ve swung to being TAGs instead.

How to beat them: If you see a player who fits the LAG profile, the best way of playing would be to tighten your hands; this includes plenty of bluffs and generally avoiding any unnecessary confrontations.

The Best Strategy on the Battlefield

Being an aggressive player is crucial if you really want to triumph on the poker battlefield. That is exactly why it’s obvious to say TAG strategy is one of the most successful. Some may benefit from LAG play, taking into account the fact that players do tend to adjust their gaming style, depending on who they’re playing against.

Nevertheless, it all depends on your opponents, your ambitions, the limits you play, etc. You should always be on the lookout: make you recognize and spot the kind of opponent you’re playing against, in order to be able to adapt your play against them.

FAQ

• What is a tight poker player?

A tight poker player is a selective one who only plays strong hands, folding the weak ones.

• How do you beat a tight poker player?

One of the best ways to beat a tight poker player is to play aggressive and loose against them. With a little bit of force, via bluffing or c-betting, they will eventually surrender. However, TAGs are not the opponents for you if you’re lacking in confidence, and still unsure about your play. Instead, you should find a weaker opponent, like a fish, as it will be easier to make them lose!

• How do you become a tight aggressive poker player?

TAGs usually avoid making calls, as in this case they may look like calling stations. Plus, if a TAG doesn’t have the best hand to bet, they would rather fold than call. The TAGs are the smartest of all player types: they wait till they get the best possible hand and then raise.