As you play more and more poker.com " target="_blank" rel="noopener">poker, you’ll quickly realize there are different types of players. While some might be easy to read, others will have you scratching your head trying to figure them out. This is true whether you prefer live tournaments or play poker online on sites such as GGPoker, the world’s largest poker room.
To help you out, we’ve put together this list of the four most common types you’ll encounter at the poker table and tell you how to play poker effectively against each one.
Here are the different players you’ll meet, ranked according to their tolerance for risk.
Player type 1: The Rock
The first type of player is “The Rock.” This is a tight-passive player who only plays a few select hands and is generally unaggressive in betting. That’s why they’re named after a rock—because they’re solid and not easy to budge.
Because of their aversion to risk, rocks are commonly considered weak and easy to play against. But don’t forget, even tight and generally non-risky players can exploit their opponent’s weaknesses and use them to their advantage.
You’ll know your opponent’s a rock if they call a lot and refrain from raising pre-flop. These players tend to raise only when they draw a good hand.
Rocks also rarely c-bet; if they don’t have a strong hand after the flop, they’ll usually just check and fold.
Playing against a rock:
Aggression is your best tool when playing against a rock. Since these players are so tight, they’ll often fold when you pressure them.
C-bets are an excellent way to take down pots early on against rocks. As mentioned, their passive nature prevents them from making any big moves to control the pot. You can seize this opportunity and bet when you have a good hand or even bluff. If they call and raise, you can hit back with a re-raise.
On the other hand, consider adjusting your strategy and playing more cautiously when a rock picks up momentum and shows signs of aggression. Since these players are so selective about their hands, chances are high that they’ve drawn a good hand and are ready to take you on if they start betting more.
Player type 2: Loose-Passive
This type of player is very similar to The Rock, except they play more hands. They’re still passive in betting, but their looseness means they’ll enter more pots.
You can identify a loose-passive player by the number of hands they play. If your opponent’s playing a lot of hands—even those that aren’t very strong—chances are they’re loose-passive. Another telltale sign is their betting behavior: since these players are so passive, they’ll rarely make c-bets after the flop.
Playing against a loose-passive opponent:
Unlike rocks, loose-passive players might not hesitate to counter an aggressive opponent. The best way to beat them is to play a more value-oriented game and pick your spots.
When you have a strong hand, bet and raise to get the most value out of it.
On the other hand, you can also bluff these players when you have a good read that they don’t have anything. They will often call you with weak hands, allowing you to take down the pot.
Be cautious of playing too many hands, especially marginal ones, against a loose-passive player. Since they enter so many pots, they can easily catch up to your hand if you’re not careful.
Player type 3: The TAG
The third type of player is a TAG or tight-aggressive. As the name suggests, these players are aggressive with their bets but only play a few select hands.
A TAG is someone who raises pre-flop often and c-bets frequently. They tend to be solid, consistent, and disciplined in their betting, making them difficult to play against.
You’ll know you’re up against a TAG when they enter fewer pots but raise pre-flop often. They’re also likely to make c-bets after the flop and follow up with more aggression on later streets.
Playing against a TAG:
If you’re in position and have a good enough hand, don’t hesitate to call or re-raise a TAG’s c-bets. These players are known to c-bet often, even with weak hands, so you can take advantage of this by playing back at them. They likely won’t have the goods to continue with their aggression at this point.
Player type 4: The LAG
Last but not least, we have the LAG or loose-aggressive player. These are the most fun—and also the most dangerous—opponents to play against.
LAGs are the complete opposite of risk-averse. These players are unafraid to enter pots and often make big raises and re-raises. They’re also aggressive with betting, meaning they’ll frequently c-bet and follow up on later streets.
The critical difference between a TAG and a LAG is that LAGs play a lot of hands—far more than TAGs or rocks.
You can tell you’re up against a LAG if they enter a high number of pots and make big raises pre-flop. They’re also likely to c-bet often, even on dry boards, and follow up with more aggression on later streets.
Playing against a LAG:
LAGS can be intimidating because of their unpredictability and bold moves. The best way to get ahead of these players is to use their aggression against them.
LAGs will try to get ahead of opponents they perceive as weak, so you can use this to your advantage by playing back at them.
If you have a strong hand, don’t hesitate to call or re-raise their c-bets. They’re likely to bluff often, so you can take down the pot with a well-timed call. Just be careful not to get caught up in their aggressive play, and ensure you have a good hand before getting involved.
Alternatively, you can bluff-catch them. This means calling their pre-flop raises and c-bets with a hand with a good chance of improving at a later street. If they continue betting later in the game, you can check-raise them and take down the pot.