Know Your Opponents
Players fall into patterns. Spot the pattern, exploit the weakness. Click each type to learn more.
🎯 TAG
Tight-Aggressive — The Solid Player
🔥 LAG
Loose-Aggressive — The Maniac Lite
🐟 Fish
Loose-Passive — The Calling Station
🐢 Nit
Tight-Passive — The Rock
🎯 TAG — Tight-Aggressive
How to Spot Them
- Folds most hands preflop — but when they play, they raise
- Rarely just calls — they raise or fold
- Makes logical bet sizes
- Doesn't show down garbage hands
What They're Thinking
TAGs understand position, hand selection, and bet sizing. They wait for good spots and then apply pressure. This is how most winning players play.
HOW TO BEAT THEM
Respect their raises — when a TAG puts in money, they usually have it. Steal their blinds — they fold too much preflop. Don't bluff them too much — they call with strong hands.
🔥 LAG — Loose-Aggressive
How to Spot Them
- Plays lots of hands — and raises most of them
- 3-bets (re-raises) frequently
- Puts constant pressure on opponents
- Hard to read because their range is so wide
What They're Thinking
Good LAGs know that most hands miss the flop, so they can win pots with aggression alone. Bad LAGs (maniacs) just love action. The difference is huge.
HOW TO BEAT THEM
Tighten up your calling range — let them bluff into your strong hands. Trap them — check with monsters and let them bet for you. Don't try to out-aggro them — that's their game.
🐟 Fish — Loose-Passive (Calling Station)
How to Spot Them
- Calls, calls, calls — rarely raises
- Plays way too many hands preflop
- Chases draws to the river (even bad ones)
- Shows down weak hands often
What They're Thinking
"Maybe I'll hit something." Fish play poker like a slot machine — they want to see cards and get lucky. They don't think about pot odds or hand strength.
HOW TO BEAT THEM
Value bet relentlessly — bet your good hands for value on every street. They'll call. DON'T bluff them — they don't fold. Be patient — you'll make money slowly but surely.
🐢 Nit — Tight-Passive (The Rock)
How to Spot Them
- Folds almost everything
- Only plays premium hands (AA, KK, QQ, AK)
- When they bet big, they have a monster
- Never bluffs — ever
What They're Thinking
"I'll wait for Aces." Nits are scared of losing money. They only play when they're sure they have the best hand. Predictable and exploitable.
HOW TO BEAT THEM
Steal their blinds constantly — they'll fold almost every time. Fold to their big bets — they always have it. Don't pay them off — if a nit raises big, run away.
THE TWO DIMENSIONS
Tight vs Loose = How many hands they play. Tight players fold a lot. Loose players play a lot.
Passive vs Aggressive = How they play those hands. Passive players call. Aggressive players bet and raise.
Winning poker is usually tight-aggressive (TAG) or loose-aggressive (LAG). Passive players lose long-term.
Be careful: Players can change styles! Someone might play TAG when winning and become a LAG maniac when losing (tilting). Always adjust.
THE GOLDEN RULE
Play the opposite of your opponent.
Against tight players → steal more, bluff more
Against loose players → value bet more, bluff less
Against passive players → bet for value, don't try to trap
Against aggressive players → trap more, let them hang themselves