Player Types - Part 2

In my last post (here) I wrote that we can sort the players we face at a poker table into seven basic categories. These categories are based on two distinct preflop traits of the player: VPIP and PFR. One way to visualize this is to create a two-axis graph with VPIP along the horizontal X-axis, and PFR up the vertical Y-axis. Every player we face at the tables can be located somewhere on this chart. The more hands the player voluntarily gets involved with before the flop, the farther to the right they are on the chart. Similarly, the more aggressive they are before the flop, the higher they get placed in the vertical direction:

For example, a player who only plays premium, high-quality hands, but does so in a relatively passive (read: non-raising) fashion, is said to be a Nit or a Rock. This person would be found in the lower left of the chart. When a player like this actually does raise, you need to look out; he or she probably has a very, very big hand:

In contrast, so-called Break-Even or Recreational players typically understand that they need to play more hands than a Nit, but they sometimes go too far. They also know that they're supposed to raise, but they haven't quite mastered the skill of applying aggression hard enough and/or selectively enough in their game to win consistently. This type of player is usually someone who has read a book or two on poker, and is trying to play properly, but isn't quite there yet:

Then there are those players who take the idea of playing more hands way too far, but also remain relatively passive. These players are called P-Fish (for "Passive") or Calling Stations. Players like this usually can't be bluffed very effectively, so the way to beat them is to take them to value town with your good hands, and quit when you miss:

If someone plays a lot of hands like a P-Fish, but does so in an aggressive manner, we would call him or her an A-Fish (Aggressive Fish). At the extreme upper right hand corner of this group would be the so-called Maniacs. Like P-Fish, bluffing doesn't work very well with these types of players. Betting for value is usually a good option against them, but just as frequently you an let them bet for you; i.e., you can play more passively against them with your big hands, letting them bet and raise, and you just call down. At some point in the hand, when they feel pot committed, you can start raising, too:

In the upper left hand corner of the VPIP vs. PFR chart are the players that are Level-1 and beginning Level-2 winners. This is what is usually taught to new students of the game as the basic formula for winning. TAG (Tight-AGressive) or Reg (for "Regulars") are the standard terms used for these players. They play a selective group of hands, and when they do so they play them very aggressively. This is the most common way to play winning poker, especially at the low limits. It can be a bit ABC and, therefore, exploitable. These players are also bluffable:

To the right of the TAGs on the chart are the so-called LAG (Loose-AGressive) players. Most professional players and solid Level-2 players adopt this style of play, as it's more profitable (and less exploitable) than plain ABC TAG play. On the other hand, it's much harder to play this style, and you have to be really good at reading your opponents' hand ranges. The variance can also be more extreme on your bankroll via a LAG approach:

Here are all six basic types shown together:

But wait a minute. Didn't I write that there were seven types of players based on VPIP and PFR? Yep, I sure did. The seventh player is the true master of the game. This is the villain who actively changes his style of play to counter the way his opponents are playing. I call this type of player the Gear Change Specialist, or GCS, as they can effortlessly shift gears, moving their starting hand requirements between tight and loose, and their aggression between aggressive and passive to suit the current table dynamics. If they find themselves at a table of Nits? No problem, they adapt by playing somewhere between LAG and Maniac. Their opponents are Recreational players? Again, no problem, they adopt a basic TAG style. They're surrounded by Maniacs? Again, no problem; they simply tighten up their range and play more passively.

When players first start out, they almost always play a Nit or P-Fish style, with an emphasis on the latter. As they get better, they transition to Rec style, and eventually, TAG. Then they begin playing LAG, but frequently go back and forth between TAG and LAG as their bankroll gets beat-up and they learned the winning LAG style. And finally, at the higher stakes, winning players either stagnate at TAG or LAG style, or they truly advance their game by morphing into the GCS style. IMHO, this is where you should strive to play... and if and when you do master Gear Change Specialist style, you can exploit and attack the other six styles with ease.

All-in for now...
-Bug

Player Types - Part 1

Poker is a game of incomplete information. We have limited facts upon which to base our reads. People are actively and constantly trying to deceive us. We don’t always know why someone is betting, checking, or calling. Are they bluffing, or do they have the goods? Do they want us to bet, or are they afraid if we do? Everyone wants you to believe the opposite of what they’re actually doing. In other words, poker may be a game of incomplete information, but this is just another way of saying that it is ultimately a game of deception.

To cut through all this duplicity and start putting players on hand ranges, we have to start by sorting our opponents into different categories. The problem, however, is that there are all manner and variety of players that we encounter at the tables. There are reckless cowboys, timid calling stations, clueless amateurs, and skilled young professionals. Ages range from the very young to the very old. Skill levels also vary, as do the amount of table time a player has under their belt. Some players are aggressive, while others are passive. Some play straightforward ABC poker, while others think FPS and bluffing should be part of every hand. Some players fold nearly every hand that they are dealt, while others almost never fold before the flop.

It seems that there are as many different types and tendencies of players as there are people. Yet if we could somehow sort all these different players into a few basic categories, we’d have a leg up on the process of putting these players on hands. Professionals do this initial “sorting” based on a number of factors, but chief among these are the actions they observe their opponents make at the table. A good pro can figure out what category a player fits into in just a couple laps of the table. They then continuously refine and adjust these initial reads from that point onward. In other words, they pigeonhole their opponents, which allows them to start to understand the types of hands these opponents are likely to play in various situations. As the game progresses, the professional is able to make more and more accurate reads based on this information.

So if we want to learn how to do this "sorting" of players, how do we get started? What are the basic categories of players we'll face? In my humble opinion, there are seven basic subsets into which we can slot our opponents. And these seven categories are based primarily on two actions* that are very easy for us to observe and take note of at the tables: 1) how many hands they play; and 2) how aggressive they are with these hands.

These two numbers are of course "Voluntarily Puts Money Into the Pot" (VPIP) and "PreFlop Raise Percentage" (PFR). In the next blog post (here) I'll tell you what the seven categories are, and I'll explain how these two numbers factor in. Then we can start assigning hand ranges to each player type, and then start formulating ways to counter and attack them.

Understanding who we're playing against--and what their strengths, weaknesses, traits, and tendencies are--is one of the first steps in learning how to beat them.

All-in for now...
-Bug
*There are obviously other important factors we’ll add to these two as we learn how to make reads (e.g., tricky vs. straightforward, positionally-aware vs. not, playing with "scared money" vs. not, etc.) but we’ll start with these two very basic factors at first: VPIP and PFR.

Action Begets Action

Got a question from a reader the other day about why he never seems to get paid off with aces or kings. Part of what he wrote was: "I get aces. I raise like I'm supposed to. Everyone folds. It's like they know I have aces."

After exchanging a few follow-up emails with said reader, I think I know the answer to his problem:

They do know he has Aces.

Huh? How is this possible? Simple. He's playing like a nit. His stats are 7/4. He's simply playing too tight, too passively, and too predictable. Yes, he's got the whole gap concept thing down. Yes, he's playing a highly positionally-aware game. Yes he's folding a lot....

...but he's also playing like an open book. At the stakes he's at, everyone else has a HUD running. Hell, even if they don't have tracking software, it's pretty obvious to them that he's entering hardly any pots. So when he does get involved in a hand and raises, everyone else runs for the hills. Because he probably has Aces or Kings.

In other words, the problem he has is one of image. Everyone at the table sees this player as a rock. And when a rock raises, especially from EP, we have to assume he has a real hand. So everyone else folds like they should.

If I were coaching this player, I'd suggest working on opening up his game. Or at least take advantage of his image by stealing more. Three bet in position more. Resteal more. Balance your range. Mix it up.

We all know that the books teach TAg play, which is fine for building a solid foundation to your game. But the problem is that more and more players these days have their own foundations well constructed. They're also on at least Level-2 thought. They're putting their opponents on a range and they're reacting accordingly. The range of a raising nit is easy to establish, and the correct reaction is just as easy to implement: fold.

The Guru used to preach that Action Begets Action. As you progress up in stakes, you need to begin to transition from TAg to semi-LAg play. You need to balance your ranges. You need to deceive. You need to get involved in more small pots, so that when you do pick up a hand you will get action. You want your opponents to start doubting you a little, so that they will pay you off with your Aces...

One of the keys to making the transition from break-even player to winning player is mastering the art of deception. Poker is all about getting the other guy to do the wrong thing at the wrong time. Sklansky summed this up so perfectly in his Fundamental Theorem of Poker. Deception is all about leading your opponent to think you're playing one type of poker, when you're actually playing the opposite.

Beating a Level-2 thinking poker player requires you to be at Level-3. Said another way: poker is kind of like like jiu-jitsu. You have to use your opponent's perception of you to your own advantage. If they think you're a rock, steal more. If they think you're loose, get 'em to pay you off when you have the nuts. Get one step ahead of the opp, and then stay there....

...and maybe they won't put you on Aces next time.

What's Your Table Image?

All-in for now...
-Bug