Poker is a game of patience, concentration, and craft. Not only do you need to be aware of the cards in your hand, but you also need a read on the personalities of your rivals at the poker table. Whether you play live or online poker, understanding the psyche of other players at your table allows you to predict, with a fair degree of accuracy, the type of hand they may have. Some players are more reserved and will only get to the river (the final betting round) if they’re confident in their hand. 

Others play risky, often bluffing to try and intimidate opponents. Then there are those who manipulate their poker table image in order to deceive their opponents. These are players who project poker hand weakness or strength according to the strategy of the moment. This enables them to frighten nits into folding or lure maniacs into overbetting, for example. Read on for tips on how to incorporate these valuable poker adjustment strategies into your arsenal.

The Importance of Table Image in Poker

What makes a player’s poker table image so important? Basically, your table image is how your opponents perceive you as a player, and it’s typically based on your style of play. The type of player you are determines the strategies they will use against you. If you’re aware of your table image, you should be able to predict your opponents’ plays – somewhat. And if you can project an image to influence how opponents perceive you, you can influence them to your benefit. It’s a great way to avoid being too predictable at the poker table.

The Different Types of Poker Players

Working your poker table image is impossible without fully understanding the different ways that people play the game. Here are the four most common poker playing styles:

Loose-aggressive

In a Texas Hold’em poker game, a loose-aggressive poker player is known to play many hands and will often bet and raise when it is their turn. However, they rarely call when other players raise. This style of play is popular amongst professionals and comes with a ‘high-risk, high reward’ outcome. Choosing to play loose-aggressive exposes you to higher-risk plays, yet it’s an effective way to get under an opponent’s skin by pressuring them into making mistakes while maintaining good poker etiquette.

Loose-passive

A personality often mirrored by beginners, a loose-passive poker player plays a lot of starting hands and will go the distance in a round if they have any kind of made hand. They find it hard to fold anything, from a bottom pair to a flush. These players are prone to making mistakes because they are involved in most rounds. When it comes to players you would want to face in live poker tournaments, these are the ones.

Tight-aggressive

A tight-aggressive player tends to be more tactical and aggressive when joining a round. They play a few hands and frequently bet or raise. However, they rarely make calls within the game. This is a great style of play for those breaking away from beginner tables to intermediate ones. When it comes to comparing loose-aggressive vs tight-aggressive poker players, typically, tight-aggressive players are the trickiest to play against, as the constant raising and betting can intimidate opponents – even those with strong hands.

Tight-passive

Probably the easiest player to predict because their nature is to rarely bluff during a poker game and only bet when holding a strong hand. This means that if you’re going head-to-head against a tight-passive player during a round, it may be best to fold as it’s almost guaranteed they will have a stronger hand. As well as only playing a few hands, they rarely raise or bet – often happy to fold and wait for strong cards.

Which Poker Personality is Best?

Different styles suit different players, but when it comes to success at the poker table, experts agree that aggression is key. Passive players are easily dominated and squeezed for their cash. At present, the most successful poker players on the live circuit tend to be those with a loose aggressive style. These are stars like Phil Ivey, Dario Mineiri, Om Dwan, Vanessa Selbst, and Lex Veldhuis. They are the most dangerous players because they are the most unpredictable and have no fear of taking risks. That said, there’s nothing wrong with a tight aggressive strategy. It’s closer to ABC poker than most LAGs would feel comfortable with, but it has the advantage of minimizing risk while punishing loose play.

What Is Your Poker Table Image?

To find out what image you project at the poker table, it’s important to practice and monitor how you play each round when dealt either a strong or weak hand. Answer questions such as: Do you bet and raise a lot? When dealt a weak hand, do you still bet and raise? Do you play every round? Do you fold a lot? Do you ever raise pre-flop?

By going over these questions and reading over the four different personalities, you’ll be able to put yourself in one of these categories. Identifying your poker personality is a great place to start, and if you’re unhappy with the category you fall under, you can change your style of play to mirror your preferred personality. The same process applies to identifying opponents’ personalities, allowing you to categorize them more easily and strongly predict their hands.

Adjusting Your Image to Gain an Edge

The ability to adjust your table image is a powerful weapon at the poker table. If you are able to present as loose passive, for example, you may lull opponents into a sense of false confidence and punish them accordingly. On the other hand, if you present as tight-aggressive, you may surprise opponents by breaking out your inner LAG. This will destroy their concept of their patterns and leave them flat-footed against your plays. Of course, switching styles effectively demands exceptional skill, so be sure to get your ABC poker totally sorted out before playing with your table image.

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