There are, of course, more than four styles of play. The number is probably somewhere close to the actual number of people who play poker, give or take a few. The reason for the vast number of styles is synonymous with the reason poker is such a subtle game: variables. Each person who plays is going to play differently than their neighbor at the table, whether by a very subtle or a very wide margin or somewhere in between.
However, there are four extreme styles of play that can be used as examples and benchmarks. Once you learn these styles and can use them as a point of reference when calculating how your opponents will act, you will move that much closer to being great at poker.
Using The Psychology of Poker by Alan Schoonmaker as a reference, the four basic styles of play are as follows, running the range from the timid player who never sees any action to the manic player who seems to be playing on speed.
The Tight- Passive Player
The Tight-Passive player is often called a “Rock,” probably due to the fact he seems to be doing very little in the game. He plays “tight,” which means he is not in very many hands, and “passive,” which refers to how he bets.
The Tight- Aggressive Player
The Tight- Aggressive player is like the Rock in that he stays out of a lot of the hands, but when it comes time to act, he acts with aggression, pushing limits and going for maximum wins on those hands he does play.
The Loose-Passive Player
The Loose-Passive player is “loose” because he is in a lot of hands. This kind of player is often called a “Calling Station” because he will call any bet, but is passive because he won’t raise or bet on his own. Check, call, fold is a typical pattern with this type of player.
The Loose- Aggressive Player
The Loose- Aggressive player is called a “Maniac” because that is how more conservative players perceive him. The Maniac is in every pot and pushing, pushing, pushing with raise after raise. This style of play brings lots of excitement to a game, but also lots of chaos.
In the next four articles we will be taking a look at each style of play and discussing how you can determine which style you use, and what the pros and cons are for you.
