When we sit down to play the game of poker, the one and only thing on our mind is to win the game. Even though you may consider yourself as an expert in poker, tight poker players can be quite difficult to play with. Here are some master poker tips along with a complete step by step guide to beat tight poker players.
What is a tight poker player?
The simplest way to put it is, a tight poker player doesn’t play many hands. He/she is careful in his/her approach and he’ll always play a limited set of opening hole cards. You’ll rarely find him/her check or call. He raises with strong starting hands, and hence to maximize his/her chances of winning make small bets to get more cash in the pot.
Step by Step Approach to Beat an Aggressive Player
Play strong hands
The first step is to engage a tight aggressive player only when you have a strong hand, like a top pair or a top kicker. Don’t even think of fooling this type of player because he/she is alert enough and knows his game very well.
Never get nervous of the raises
It is quite common to feel nervous with the aggressive bets and raises of a tight poker player as he/she often makes other players fold their winning hands. So, before you take any action, check if you have a strong hand or a medium strength hand as this will give you confidence to play against the aggressive tight player.
Observe the All-In moves
An aggressive player will mostly push all-in with hands close to the nuts. The smart thing to do when playing with professional poker players that have the aggressive style is to call the all-in move when you have the nut hand. Don’t try it otherwise.
Make aggressive tight player fold on the turn
You would rarely find tight aggressive players play, drawing hands. So, if you have a hand that you want to fold, then it’s a good idea to bet or raise on the turn, rather than the flop. The turn doesn’t really help their hands. Moreover, such players fold a top pair to a big bet on the turn, especially when the board shows that a straight or flush draw has been hit.
Open your value range
While playing against tight players, you should not wait for the nuts to play against them. These players can easily come to know that you have a big hand. The best approach is to open up your value range against these aggressive poker players. Don’t forget that hands such as Ace-Jack offsuit, King-Queen, King-Jack, middle pocket pairs are considered inferior to play against a tight aggressive poker player.
The final trap
The aggressive betting style of such players at times put them in a trap. If you have hit a big hand on the flop, then let them do the betting for you. You can slow play for a while in order to trap the aggressive tight player.
Thus, always remember that they are expert poker players and if possible, avoid bluffing with them. It is not about playing hooky with them, but increasing your chances of winning when playing poker in India.