Poker Lesson 09: Types of Poker Players

Poker players, like members of the animal community, come in a number of varieties. When Darwin sat on his island, invading the privacy of any species unfortunate enough to be in range of his binoculars, I doubt he considered the evolution of the poker player. Evolved these card players have though. Most of us are familiar with only two types, tight and loose. There are other different kinds that get lost in the mix of these two general headings.

First we have the occasional poker player. This is the guy who plays every now and then with his buddies from work. He is more likely to put a lamp shade on his head while singing old “Loverboy” tunes then know what to do in even the most basic competitive situation. Poker is recreational to this player. Big money is rarely won or lost, and victory during the game is less important then just the companionship the hobby brings. Occasional players are often mistaken for loose players. Their lack of experience often makes them look aggressive, when actually it is just ignorance.

The habitual poker player is the card version of a semi pro player. They know enough about the odds of the game to be occasionally dangerous, but many big wins are as much by accident as they are by design. This is a pro player in its larval stage, and still has much to learn about the game. Habitual players will take any game they can and part of their income is based on their poker activities. You can see them hanging around in big games, usually losing.

Poker chiselers are players with more advanced knowledge about game play and odds then the habitual player. They tend to forego proper play in favor of shortcuts though. Always looking for a way to protect their stack during a game, they will steal chips and fake out antes. Never turn your back on a poker chiseler.

The professional poker operator is someone who makes their living on the periphery of the poker world. They tend to be employees of casinos who help out with the games. If they see a game that doesn’t have much going, they will join in to jump start the table. They are paid a salary by the casino to do this, but risk their own money when playing. This is the true intermediate player who is grooming themselves for the pro circuit. Against the average casino competition the professional poker operator will win more often then they lose.

The poker professional is the person who you see on ESPN playing WSOP events. These people have their lives so tightly intertwined with the game that it would take surgery to separate the two. There yearly income is based on what they at the table and they tend to shun low limit games. The poker professional is also referred to as a poker hustler.

The poker cheat is a person who uses his prowess for evil, not good. The ultimate goal is not to win the game, but not to get caught. This player can cheat in multiple ways. For example, they may deal off the bottom of the deck, switch poker hands, not cut the deck, etc. These players are also called sharks, sharps, or hand muckers.

These are the six most common form of poker players, so which one are you?