Different Poker Playing Styles

Every player has his own individual style of playing poker and many of them have an individual quirk that sets them apart from others, creating their unique identity. However, in general there are a few styles of playing poker under which most of the poker players can be classified. It is a great advantage if you are able to make out your opponent’s style of play.

Then you can soundly predict what is going to happen in the game and implement an effective strategy to win it.  

Under the general description of different styles of playing poker, there are two broad categories namely loose and tight. Loose players are those who play a lot of hands and almost always pay to see the flop. They always chase flushes and straights even if they have bad hands. Tight players are exactly the opposite. They wait for the right position, right hand and right situation to make a move. They play fewer starting hands. It is usually less profitable to play on a tight table as less players pay or chase.  

There are also conservative players who do not bet if they do not have a strong hand. On the other hand aggressive players bet more frequently and their chip stack keeps fluctuating. There are also a few sub-categories like loose-passive players, loose-aggressive players, tight-passive players, and tight aggressive players. Each of these types has been given an animal personality by famous poker player Phil Hellmuth to make the concept of each easy to understand. Accordingly, there are five types of poker players namely Elephant, Eagle, Mouse, Lion and Jackal.  

An extremely conservative player is named a “Mouse” as he only plays absolute best hands. This type of player is also called a “rock”. Tight-passive players, they win small amounts of money. They are also easily predictable so you can watch out for a raise from them. Their pot size is usually small and investment money is relatively high.  

Exactly opposite are jackals, also known as maniacs. Loose-aggressive players, they bet on anything. They often call with gut shot straight draws and also bluff very often. You can see their chip stacks changing way too often. In the long run these players are sure to lose money. What matters more to them is the action taking place on the poker table. You should sit to the left of such players to let them act before your turn.  

Loose passive players are known as elephants or calling stations. They themselves call you to the river, so you need not worry about bluffing. They are not likely to lose their chips fast instead they’ll let it go bit by bit. They get lucky occasionally and hence are also likely to draw a big hand. You can always bet on them as they give you chips even for mediocre hands. Sitting position in a table with all elephants does not really matter, as you do not get any useful information from their betting pattern. What one does, all follow suit.  

Tight aggressive players are also known as lions or sharks. These players understand the odds, both pot odds and implied odds. They have a good understanding of the positions and know exactly when to take a risk or throw away a good hand that is beaten in a draw. They have starting hand requirements and are excellent players overall. It’s not wise to challenge them if you have flimsy cards.

Eagles are masters of the game and have all the qualities of the lion in larger proportions.

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