How To Beat Any Type Of Poker Player

Of course, everyone plays poker in their own unique way, but broadly speaking everyone can be categorized as one of the four main playing styles. They key to dominating the online poker table is to identify the playing styles of the other players, and then modify your style of play to make the most of your opponents’ weaknesses.

The four playing styles are made up of two attributes: whether the player is tight or loose, and whether they are aggressive or passive. Here's a quick overview of each of the styles, with tips on how you should be playing against them to make the maximum amount of money.

Loose Aggressive (LA)

These players are constantly raising the pot both before and after the flop. This is one of the weakest strategies in online poker, and will only work against very new players. LA players typically only win very small pots. Any experienced player is glad to let a LA player win a few small pots, as they are just waiting to take them to the cleaners once they get a good hand. A few large pots will break these players, so take your time before picking them off. Let them steal your blinds if you have junk, but as soon as you have a strong hand you can play back and re-raise them.

Loose Passive (LP)

This is another weak strategy as it relies far too much on luck in order to have a profitable session. These players like to limp into pots and call bets, hardly ever taking the initiative to raise/re-raise. They play far too many hands and are often totally unaware of the power of position. LP players are the archetypal fish who will keep calling bets in the hope that they hit a draw. Use position and isolate them. Allow them to chase their draws and you will continually take their chips.

Tight Aggressive (TA)

This is a style which can be really successful online. TA players generally only play good hands, and will usually bet after the flop in order to take the pot down. If you are a passive player, it is very hard to beat a TA player; indeed the main weakness to this style is that it is vulnerable to a loose player. Against a loose player, even a rainbow flop could spell danger. So, be wary about entering pots with TA players as they will usually have a very good starting hand. If you feel you can bluff them off the hand you could make a profit, otherwise you should proceed with caution.

Tight Passive (TP)

This is another great strategy and can be very profitable simply because there are so many bad players in online poker rooms. These players only enter the pot when they have a premium hand and aren't scared to fold if they feel that their opponent may have hit a drawing hand. They generally will not bluff, so if you find that they are betting then get out of there quick because they will have a monster! Their weakness is that they play far too few hands and they are very predictable, allowing you to steal excessively. You can make a lot of money from these players by playing a lot of hands with implied odds as they do not adjust well to increased aggression from their opponents.

Remember, if the other people at the poker table can categorise your style of play, then they can figure out strategies to beat you, so make sure you mix up your style of play to keep them guessing!