For a poker player, there is nothing sweeter than winning the hand. Even loosing can be great entertainment as poker is a game that can have players and spectators on the edges of their seats. Some will throw caution to the wind and make raises like there’s no tomorrow. Others will play their cards close to their chest – literally. These two styles are the loose and tight play styles.
Loose FullTiltPoker.net players tend to be the more adventurous. They do not fold regardless of the relative strength of their hole cards. This play style is effective at countering those who use bluffs, as these players are unlikely to fold no matter what the circumstances.
In contrast, tight players will not waste their time with a weak hand and will often fold before taking a chance on such a hand.
Observing the number of hands a player plays will allow you to gauge whether a player has a loose or tight play style. Those who play nearly every hand and tend to lose with an almost regular consistency are termed as players with a “loose” play style. Those that are more selective about the hands they play and fold regularly are termed players with a “tight” play style.
The tight play style is arguably not a strategy at any kind of tournament, competition or even in more casual, less serious games. The risks of the “tight” style of play is that it is very easy to slip and wind up being nothing more than a predictable unimaginative player, known colloquially as a “PUP” or simply a “rock.” It is not a compliment.
Experienced, professional players that download fulltiltpoker can adapt and play both styles equally well to match or counter their opponent’s style. By playing diverse hands, the tight player is kept o his toes by loose style players who can be random and incredibly unpredictable. The tight player will not vary his style much and becomes predictable, allowing other players to guess their hand and bluff or fold accordingly.
The loose player can also be incredibly predatory, changing their styles, raising and calling to outplay a player with a stronger hand/ Looser players who can adapt can exploit weaker (possibly tight) opponents who are adverse to risk taking. This allows the loose player to gain the advantage early and maintain the pressure, forcing the tight player in to showdowns they can ill afford later in the game.
However, knowing how to have a loose style of play is not enough. Sun Tzu, put it best when he said that you must “know your enemy, and know yourself.” Before you can apply your tactics and play to your strengths, you must first study your opponent; learn about their style of play. Know you opponents and then take the necessary steps to counter their play style using a loose or tight play style or even a blend of the two to keep them on their toes as they face you across the card table balance.