When playing poker there are four general player types that you will run into. Players will be a combination of loose, tight, passive, or aggressive. There are plenty of strategies that will help you win against all combinations of players.

Loose: Plays too many hands. Many beginning players are too loose. A player who sits down at a poker table and plays every pot is going to go home broke more often than not. Loose players will typically play any 2 suited cards, any ace, and will call pre-flop raises with very questionable hands. Punish them with your good hands by raising after they have limped.

Tight: Plays very few hands. When a tight player comes into a pot, watch out. They are mostly playing the Top 10 Hands. You need a much better hand to play against a tight opponent, than a loose one. Very tight players generally won’t put much money into the pot unless they have the nuts, or close to it. Punish them by betting and semi-bluffing at them because they fold too much.

Passive: Doesn’t get full value from his hands because he doesn’t bet or raise enough. Passive players like to check and call when they have a hand instead of betting it. They rarely raise, and will generally fold when they have nothing. When a passive player does raise, watch out. Chances are they have a very good hand. Punish them by drawing at straights and flushes for free with all the free cards they give you.

Aggressive: Bets and raises frequently with draws, made hands, and rags. Aggressive players who play smart usually get the money when it comes to playing poker. Playing aggressively requires an aggressive mindset, and good hand-reading skills. When you are betting and raising all the time, you will be putting yourself in many marginal situations, so you must be able to tell when a hand (even a good one) is beat. Many players play too aggressively and don’t know when to take their foot off the gas. Punish them by letting them bet your hand for you. Check to them once and they will likely bet, check to them twice, and it is pretty much guaranteed. Wait till the last possible opportunity, and raise them. You may have trapped them for all their chips.

Obviously there are different combinations of the above attributes that make up a player’s style. Most experts say that the best way to play is a tight/aggressive game when starting out. This is probably true, but many of the best online players advocate a loose/aggressive style when it comes to NL cash games. It is a tough style to learn, but it will get the money when executed properly.

When choosing a style of play for yourself, it is important to start with something you feel comfortable with. As a beginner you should generally be playing tight while you are learning, and betting your hands aggressively. As you progress you should learn many styles because to compete at the higher limits, you will need to be able to play many different styles depending on your opponents.

Use these guidelines of player types to help you see what kind of players your opponents are when you sit down in a poker game. By putting them in these general categories to start, you will then be able to formulate a plan to relieve them of their chips in a more