Poker players may be divided into different categories of playing styles.
The most
prominent of these is undoubtedly the Tight-Aggressive Player ⚾️ – or “TAG” for short.
In
this article, we’ll examine:
Precisely what a tight-aggressive player is,
How you can
spot them.
The starting hands ⚾️ that he typically plays.
How he differs from a
loose-aggressive player (LAG)
How you can exploit him.
Defining Tight-Aggressive
Simply
put, a tight-aggressive player ⚾️ is one who tends to play very few starting hands. When
he elects to play a hand, he generally plays ⚾️ it aggressively. He does not like to call
with his strong hands – but rather bets or raises to drive ⚾️ out opponents or make them
pay a steep cost to see future cards.
This style of play differs from that of ⚾️ a “rock”
or “nit”, who tends to play an even narrower range pre-flop (especially from late
position), and who lacks ⚾️ the aggression of a typical tight-aggressive
player.
Identifying Tight-Aggressive Players
The simplest and most accurate method of
identifying a tight-aggressive player is ⚾️ to watch how many hands he plays and how
aggressively he plays them. If, after a couple of orbits, an ⚾️ opponent has played only
15-20% of hands, typically with a raise or 3-bet, you are almost surely dealing with a
⚾️ tight-aggressive player.
You can confirm this diagnosis by making sure to observe any
hands that are shown down or otherwise exposed. ⚾️ If a large percentage of them are
high-quality starting hands, you can conclude that your suspicions were correct.
You
may also ⚾️ be able to accurately identify tight-aggressive opponents even without waiting
for a full two orbits. There are other “secondary characteristics” ⚾️ that typical
tight-aggressive players display. They tend to keep their chips in even stacks of 20 –
sometimes even with ⚾️ the stripes on the side of the chips lined up.
Their physical
betting of the chips is crisp and neat. They ⚾️ are often very attentive, serious, and
earnest in their demeanour. This is not to say that loose-aggressive players or other
⚾️ types of players can’t affect this behaviour as well. It’s just that tight-aggressive
players usually behave in this way most ⚾️ of all.
Finally, be aware that the most skilled
players may change their style (known as “changing gears”) just as you ⚾️ think you have
them figured out. So be ready to alter your assessment, even after you have confirmed
it.
Tight-Aggressive Player’s ⚾️ Range
A tight-aggressive player’s range will change
depending on his position, of course. Specifically, a tight-aggressive player’s range
in early position ⚾️ may be no broader than QQ+ (QQ, KK, AA) and AK. In middle-position,
he may widen that range to include ⚾️ TT+, ATs+, KQs, QJs, and JTs. In late position, he
might broaden it further to include AT+, A2s+, KQs, KJs, ⚾️ QJ, and all 22+.
Recognise
that there are all sorts of variations in the range any particular player may have –
⚾️ including these tight-aggressive players. There are degrees of tightness and degrees of
aggressiveness. Similarly, these ranges are not necessarily static ⚾️ – as players may
become tighter or looser as their mood, game conditions, and their opponents
change.
They may have some ⚾️ calling range – but it tends to be much narrower than a
player who is not tight-aggressive. Typically, this TAG ⚾️ player is raising with his
entire range in early and middle position, and only calling in late position with his
⚾️ pairs 22-88, and his suited aces A2-A9.
Tight-aggressive players are also ready to
3-bet in many situations when their hand strength ⚾️ justifies it. So, for example, their
3-bet range would be likely to include KK, AA and maybe AK and QQ ⚾️ from early position;
JJ+ and AK from middle position, and TT, AK, and AJs+ from late position. Keep in mind
⚾️ that individual TAGs may each play a broader or narrower range than these.
It’s
important to realise that the TAG playing ⚾️ style does not exclude the possibility of
including a broader raising range, a broader 3-bet range, and even a reasonable ⚾️ number
of bluffing hands. Good tight-aggressive players may adjust their range to fit the
general conditions of their table, their ⚾️ own image, and their specific opponents – just
as any good player would.
It’s just that the range is generally tighter ⚾️ than most of
the other players at the table, and they tend to play their hands more aggressively
than the ⚾️ typical player.
Tight Aggressive (TAG) Vs Loose Aggressive (LAG)
A
loose-aggressive (LAG) player is much more likely to play a much broader ⚾️ range than the
tight-aggressive player and to play it aggressively. This strategy includes raising and
3-betting light. A tight-aggressive player ⚾️ is much more likely to have higher standards
than the LAG for raising and 3-betting.
One straightforward way of understanding this
⚾️ is to look at the TAG player’s range from late position. It includes many sub-premium
hands like suited Aces and ⚾️ other non-pair hands. The loose-aggressive player might play
this range from any position pre-flop – and will play it for ⚾️ a raise, or for a
3-bet.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Tight-Aggressive Play
There is nothing inherently
strong or weak about the tight-aggressive ⚾️ style of play – or any style of play for that
matter. All methods of play may be used by ⚾️ an expert to win money from the non-expert.
Weak players will lose no matter what style they adopt. In that ⚾️ respect, no one style
is clearly or definitely better than any other. Great players utilising a
tight-aggressive style can win ⚾️ a lot of money from mediocre opponents. But, so too can
loose-aggressive players win a lot of money from mediocre ⚾️ opponents.
Changing Gears
The
key is recognising the strengths and weakness of each style – changing gears (going
from one form of ⚾️ play to another) just as your opponents are figuring it out. Then,
when they start to shift their play to ⚾️ adjust for the type of player, they think you
are, you should move on to a different style. When they ⚾️ finally catch on to this
switch, you switch again – ad infinitum until you have turned them in a quivering ⚾️ mush
of self-doubt. They end up leaving your table with their spirit and finances
crushed.
The key is recognising the strengths ⚾️ and weakness of each style – changing
gears (going from one form of play to another) just as your opponents ⚾️ are figuring it
out. Then, when they start to shift their play to adjust for the type of player, they
⚾️ think you are, you should move on to a different style. When they finally catch on to
this switch, you ⚾️ switch again – ad infinitum until you have turned them in a quivering
mush of self-doubt. They end up leaving ⚾️ your table with their spirit and finances
crushed. Predictability
Tight-aggressive play tends to be more predictable than
loose-aggressive style – since ⚾️ the narrower pre-flop range restricts the likely range
as the hand develops. Since the TAG’s starting range is much more ⚾️ restricted,
perceptive opponents will be better able to put a tight-aggressive player on a very
narrow. This scenario is less ⚾️ the case with a LAG. He starts with a much broader range.
Therefore, it is often unclear whether a flop, ⚾️ turn, or river helped his
hand.
Tight-aggressive play tends to be more predictable than loose-aggressive style –
since the narrower pre-flop ⚾️ range restricts the likely range as the hand develops.
Since the TAG’s starting range is much more restricted, perceptive opponents ⚾️ will be
better able to put a tight-aggressive player on a very narrow. This scenario is less
the case with ⚾️ a LAG. He starts with a much broader range. Therefore, it is often
unclear whether a flop, turn, or river ⚾️ helped his hand. Lower Variance
One advantage of
a tight-aggressive player over a loose-aggressive player is that tight aggressive play
is ⚾️ less costly than loose-aggressive play, with lower variance. Since the TAG is
playing many fewer hands than the LAG, he ⚾️ is spending much less money on speculative
hands. With fewer hands, in a stronger range than his LAG counterparts, he ⚾️ will have
less variance. Accordingly, he can fund his play with a smaller starting
bankroll.
Aggressive Betting
Against inferior opponents, who do ⚾️ not pay much attention
to their opponents’ style, and thereby fail to shift their play accordingly, the
tight-aggressive style has ⚾️ many advantages. This type of player will win money from his
opponents when he aggressively bets his higher quality hands, ⚾️ but will not lose or
waste money by being aggressive on his lower-valued hands. He doesn’t need to play as
⚾️ wide a range because his weak opponents will not be observant enough or disciplined
enough to avoid him when he ⚾️ is selectively aggressive.
On the other hand, by being more
predictable, his observant and skillful opponents will learn to avoid him ⚾️ when he is
aggressive, diminishing his likely wins when he does win. So, though his losses will
likely be less, ⚾️ so too will his potential wins.
Overall, whether the TAG does better
than the LAG will be a function of how ⚾️ good an overall player he is and how bad his
opposition is. There is nothing inherent in the style of ⚾️ play that dictates whether the
TAG will win or lose more in the long run than the LAG.
Techniques for Exploiting
⚾️ Tight-Aggressive Players
Once you have identified a tight-aggressive player, you will
be able to attempt to exploit him. Your ability to ⚾️ do so will depend, at least in part,
on how good he is – and how capable he is to ⚾️ adjust his play once he notices your
attempts to exploit him.
But assuming he is no better than average, here are ⚾️ some
techniques that are likely to work:
Aggression = Strength
First, recognise that his
aggression generally indicates true strength. So, when he ⚾️ bets or raises, refuse to
give him action unless you have a hand that is either already strong or has ⚾️ good
drawing potential. If he is extremely tight, you may do best by not playing against him
at all.
He will ⚾️ be in so few hands, that you needn’t worry about your ability to make
money off the other players at ⚾️ your table. Just resolve to fold your hand on the rare
occasion when he bets – and wait for the ⚾️ next hand, which he is unlikely to enter
because he doesn’t have Aces or Kings.
Speculate Against the Sticky TAGs
Against other
⚾️ tight-aggressive players, who have at least a reasonably broad range – especially from
late position – you can use a ⚾️ few “moves” against them to extract some profit. Realise
that tight-aggressive players tend to continue to push their hands aggressively ⚾️ through
the flop and turn – even when others may improve.
Accordingly, with their rare AA, KK,
or QQ from early ⚾️ position, they will continue to bet it unimproved, in increasing
amounts each bet – wanting to extract maximum profit from ⚾️ the narrow range they
play.
They aren’t liable to return fire as a loose-aggressive player – since they play
so few ⚾️ hands. They tend to be quite “sticky” when they have one of their few playable
hands – not wanting to ⚾️ give. Against these tight-aggressive players, you can call their
pre-flop raises with many speculative hands. If you miss, you’ll fold ⚾️ to their bet on
the flop. But if you hit, you’ll let them bet themselves into penury against your two
⚾️ pair, sets, and flushes.
Position becomes extremely important, as you want to see his
betting action before you enter a hand ⚾️ against them. Their betting will be a window
into the real strength of their hand, given their ABC-style of tight-aggressive ⚾️ play.
You can play against them as if they are playing with their cards exposed.
Example of
Exploiting a Typical TAG
Here’s ⚾️ an example of how that exploitive play against a
typical tight-aggressive player may work. (Bear in mind that I am ⚾️ not recommending this
against a solid player – but rather against an average, mediocre or worse
tight-aggressive player.)
Pre-flop you are ⚾️ in the cutoff seat in aR$1/2 game with
aR$500 effective stack against the eventual Villain who is a typical, tight-aggressive
⚾️ player.
UTG folds
UTG+1 callsR$2
UTG+2 folds
UTG+3 folds
Villain is in the lo-jack
position. He raises toR$15.
Everyone folds to you. You have Qh Th.
If ⚾️ he were an
extremely tight TAG, you might just fold – figuring that you needn’t bother fighting it
out with ⚾️ him. Folding is undoubtedly a reasonable and safe option against a
particularly tight TAG. You’d remember the mantra “don’t feed ⚾️ the nit” and just wait
for another hand.
But, assuming he’s not quite as tight as all that, you can call ⚾️ here
– even though you know that you are far behind. You can call becauseR$15 is only 3% of
your ⚾️ stack – giving you enormous implied odds if you hit your hand of two pair, trips,
a flush, or a ⚾️ straight.
As a typical tight-aggressive player, he’s likely to keep
betting, in ever-increasing amounts. So, you call his bet on the ⚾️ flop, and then either
raise him on the turn or wait for him to donk off his chips to you ⚾️ on the river.
Using
the Bluff, Selectively
The other move that may work against some of the better
tight-aggressive players is to ⚾️ selectively raise them on the flop as a bluff – to get
them to release their hand, fearing that they ⚾️ are now second best.
Being selective,
some good tight-aggressive players are still mindful of the possibility that the flop
may occasionally ⚾️ give their opponent a very strong hand – surpassing their likely
premium pair.
If, for example, they raise pre-flop, and you ⚾️ call, and then an Ace
flops. They bet, and you uncharacteristically raise, they may figure that since this so
seldom ⚾️ happens to them, they are better off not chancing that you hit Aces-Up or,
worse, a set. They are then ⚾️ likely to fold, congratulating themselves at their
excellent laydown (they may even show it to you).
Sometimes they will call your ⚾️ raise
on the flop, hoping for a perfect turn, and you have to fire another bet on the turn
for ⚾️ them to fold. Again, used very selectively, this is often an effective move against
the reasonably good (but not great) ⚾️ tight-aggressive opponent.
Comparing
Tight-Aggressive Player (TAG) to Loose-Aggressive Player (LAG)
In Conclusion
Poker
games are populated by all sorts of players with many ⚾️ different playing styles. You
will want to be able to identify just what type of player you’re up against, so ⚾️ you can
apply the correct tactics to exploit them.
Fortunately, tight-aggressive players are
relatively easy to spot. If they are very ⚾️ skilled, you should avoid them altogether. If
not, you can make money off them by applying some of the tactics ⚾️ we’ve explored in this
article.
