Without a shadow of a doubt, the most difficult player to combat at the cash game tables or in tournaments is one who plays a loose-aggressive poker strategy and plays it well.
In poker, the general advice to 'be more aggressive' is often given. Regardless of the variant, players are often told that the benefits of playing aggressively are many, and that failing to be. Passive or aggressive. We should know which of these 2 strategies we are following before we invest chips in the pot. It’s often said that aggression is key to playing winning poker, but in some situations being passive is the only correct option. Passive versus Aggressive. A passive player doesn’t raise preflop that often (PFR aggressive player raises a lot (PFR 15%). Again, 15% is just the cutoff with the ultra-passive player having a PFR of 1% and the mega-aggressive player at 45%. Aggressive players often fall prey to the tar baby approach from the passive players. The biggest trap that the aggressive players fall into is playing too many hands. They see that they can just. We investigate the fascinating phenomenon of the Passive-Aggressive Poker Face, as modeled by some of the best players in the game.
A good loose-aggressive player, or LAG, at your table is a constant thorn in your side. Such players will frequently raise and three-bet preflop, fire more than their fair share of continuation bets, are not afraid to barrel on all three streets, and will pounce on any sign of weakness.
When no-limit hold’em was first becoming mainstream, there were very few people who knew how to play loose-aggressive poker, or at least were willing to do so. I vividly remember reading an older strategy book when I first discovered poker and seeing a section that said to proceed with extreme caution if you had been reraised, even if you held a hand as strong as pocket kings!
This may have been solid advice in the days of passive poker (played both loose and tight), but with so many players adopting a loose-aggressive poker strategy these days, you would be burning money by playing as advised by that particular book.
What is Loose-Aggressive Poker Strategy?
As its name suggests, a loose-aggressive poker strategy sees players loosen up their starting hand requirements (they play quite a lot of hands, often 30% or more that are dealt to them) and they play them aggressively (by coming out betting and raising).
However, not all LAGs are created equal. Bad LAGs are often reckless and will never find a fold, but LAG players who know the nuances of how to play loose-aggressive poker well almost always know where they stand in a hand and will fold to resistance. The former can be frustrating to play against, but the latter can decimate your stack and bankroll if you are not careful.
Loose-Aggressive Poker: Starting Hands
Some LAGs will play literally any two cards dealt to them and rely on their aggression or postflop skill to outmaneuver their opponents once the community cards come into play. If you are looking to start playing with a loose-aggressive poker strategy, it is advised to have some structure to your starting hand requirements.
We mentioned earlier than LAGs play a lot of hands, often 30% or more that they are dealt. Thirty-three percent of hands is a range that would include:
- 22-AA
- 54s+
- 75s++
- K8o+
- K4s+
- A2o+
- A2s+
As you can see, 33% represents a lot of hands, which is where some of the strength of a LAG style stems from — you have a difficult time knowing if such players are strong or weak preflop and whether they are betting with a pair, set, draw, or on a bluff after the flop.
How to Combat a Loose-Aggressive Poker Strategy
You have probably gathered by now that taking on those who know how to play loose-aggressive poker can lead to stressful situations at the tables, but that is not to mean that they are unbeatable. You just need to adapt your own style to combat theirs and use their LAG style against them.
First, when playing against LAG players give more consideration to your own starting hand requirements. Finding yourself out of position against LAG players is a nightmare, but even having position on them while holding a weak hand can be equally as difficult.
A hand such as may be a perfectly legitimate hand to open with from the button, but if there is a good loose-aggressive player in the big blind who has been three-betting you all session, it is probably best not to raise here as a steal because you are likely to be playing in a bloated pot with a weak hand against someone who is not going to let you see a cheap showdown.
Second, when up against a LAG consider slowplaying your strong hands both before and after the flop. Players who are starting to get out of line with how frequently they three-bet you are likely to fold to a four-bet because their reraising range is so wide. This gives you the perfect opportunity to simply call a three-bet with strong pairs such as aces, kings, or queens. While you should not make a habit of this, it is a good play to have in your arsenal when taking on someone playing a solid loose-aggressive poker strategy.
Furthermore, you can extend this slowplaying to postflop, too. LAGs will often make a continuation-bet and at least another bet on the turn (barreling), yet put the brakes on when they face strong resistance. Instead of check-raising or raising a hand as strong as a set, let your loose-aggressive opponents have a little more rope with which to hang themselves.
Also think about using an opponent’s loose-aggressive range of starting hands against them by bluffing them. A couple of paragraphs ago we advocated slowplaying big hands preflop, yet you can also four-bet bluff a habitual three-bettor — especially if you have a tighter image — because they will give you credit for a strong hand and they are more likely to be holding something less than stellar.
Likewise, the occasional check-raise bluff on later streets can work wonders if your loose-aggressive opponent has shown to be capable of giving up on a hand when facing aggression.
Conclusion
Like all moves in poker, do not overuse any of the tips mentioned above. If you do, you will become much easier to read, and someone will eventually call your bluff. Once players with a solid loose-aggressive poker strategy figure out what you are trying to do against them, they will target you and make your time at the tables most uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, learn how to play a LAG style yourself and you can be the one making things less comfortable for others at the tables.
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Does your poker game have a perceivably passive or aggressive personality?
We’ve been talking recently about identifiable player types; labels that make others easier to read and exploit. Yesterday’s segment, entitled Get a Grip on Poker, deals with the difference between loose and tight play, and the hand range equated to each.
Today, we’re going to talk about another pair of polar opposites—passivity and aggression. The way a player reacts to different situations, in terms of betting, determines their level of passive/aggressive behavior—or what I like to call, their poker personality.
In everyday life, having personality is a good thing. We generally consider a person with a palpable personality to be more interesting, whereas someone with a vague, undefinable personality appears strange, off-putting, or perhaps boring. In the poker world, lack of personality may not gain you any friendships, but it can do wonders for your bankroll.
Poker Personality – Passive vs. Aggressive
While loose and tight behavior profiles what hand range a player may be willing to move forward with, passivity and aggression define how a player bets when dealt a hand within their approved range.
Passive Aggressive Poker Strategy Rules
Passive Poker Player: This player is not going to bet more than he has to. Check, limp and call are his primary weapons, rarely pulling a raise out of his bag pre- or post-flop. It’s not that this player is afraid to pull the trigger. It’s that they’re trying to gain value, keeping the pot low so as not to scare off potential followers.
The passive player rarely bluffs. If this player has a loose hand range, they may continue to call other passive players with junk, not because they’re bluffing, but because they think they can catch a lucky break on the turn or river. When a tight player makes passive bets, beware. They don’t believe they can be beaten, and are looking solely for added value.
Aggressive Poker Player: This player knows what he wants, and isn’t afraid to take risks to get it. They will make larger bets and raises, scaling from 2x BB up to 2x pot size. Overbets are their greatest weapon, enforcing their superiority with a ferocity that scares all but the bravest players—holding the greatest hands—away from the pot.
An aggressive player may or may not bluff, depending on his grip. A loose-aggressive player never really bluffs. Or, you could say they always bluff. They move on with far too many bad hands. This is the worst type of poker player, because they will get called by smarter players eventually. When that happens, their luck won’t keep them afloat for long.
Passive Aggressive Poker Strategy Examples
A tight-aggressive poker player, on the other hand, is considered the classic model of a successful pro. This player will only move forward with a premium hand, and isn’t going to let any limpers get a cheap ride to the river, where a lucky draw could win them the pot. When this player becomes active, you better have the goods if you intend to call. They might be bluffing—they do on rare occasion—but without the goods, it’s not worth the risk to find out.
How’s Your Poker Personality?
Think about what you’ve just read. Now, think about yourself as a poker player. What kind of personality column do you fall into? Are you passive or aggressive? Are you playing too many hands, or just enough? Would you consider yourself loose-passive, loose-aggressive, tight-passive, or tight-aggressive?
If you were able to easily identify yourself as one of these poker player types, consider how easy it will be for other players to label you the same? Yes, a tight-aggressive stance is considered the best way to play, but not 100% of the time. Being unreadable is more important than being mathematically maniacal.
Consider mixing things up a bit more. There’s a lot of quality in a good tight-passive approach. Mingle that with the right amount of tight-aggressive play, and just a smidgen of loose-handed bluffing, and you’ll be the enigmatic mystery-meat of the table.
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