How to Balance Aggression and Defense at the Poker Table
What makes a poker player aggressive? Generally speaking, certain moves, such as opens and raises, are considered aggressive plays, while calls and checks are considered passive. Aggressive players often make more money with weak hands through skillful bluffing. The general consensus among poker players is that the best online poker tournament strategy is an aggressive one – whether tight or loose-aggressive in a poker game.
There are several ways you can tell whether a player is aggressive or not. One way you can identify an aggressive player is during preflop, especially in No Limit Hold’em poker. The aggressive player is often the one who open-raises and places a three-bet. It is easy for novice punters to tell that only a fairly small percentage of starting hands are strong enough to raise or re-raise. So, usually, if a player raises more often preflop, it’s a sign of aggressive play.
When the game reaches the flop betting round, an aggressive player will likely pull a range of other tricks. One of them is to place a continuation bet that keeps the initiative with the raiser before the flop in a poker game. A check-raise can also happen on the turn. This can be a sign of aggressive play, depending on the situation, such as when the dealt card could draw. The scare can occur on the river, causing any bet or raise to appear aggressive.
The most aggressive players are known as maniacs, because they will play almost any hand and bet into pots most would steer clear of. Those who know how to exploit aggressive poker players can make good money off of maniacs. For example, a strong-handed player can lure a super-aggressive opponent into a pot by playing defensively, only to spring the trap on the river. This shows the importance of balancing aggressive and defensive play.
Adjusting Your Strategy Against Highly Aggressive Opponents
Before you sit down at the poker table with an aggressive player, there are many factors to consider. This is especially true if you are a player who wants to improve your defensive playing style to counteract more aggressive styles.
Here are some of the ways in which you can develop a strategy against aggressive poker players.
Slow play Against Aggressive Players
Between loose-aggressive poker players and aggressive players, slow playing in poker is a good thing. As aggressive players play too many hands and will bet too much, you want them to think that you have a strong hand. However, it is also important to remember that aggressive players are often excellent hand readers. For instance, if an aggressive opponent sees you call twice on a straight or flush, it tells them that you likely do not have a strong hand (like a perfect pair, for instance) – because if that had been the case, you would have raised earlier.
Slowplay and Four-bet Before the Flop
As you now know, aggressive players will bet with a wide range. To beat this, you will need to slow play preflop and introduce preflop four-bet bluffing. Slowplay a hand such as king–king or ace–ace before the flop and the opponent will be less likely to have a strong hand, given the wide range. It becomes very profitable to slowplay your strong hand. Moreover, it works to your advantage to have opponents folding whatever hand they three-bet with if you four-bet as a bluff.
Bluff Raise
To defeat an aggressive player, you can look for spots when your range will be seen as strong, even though it may be weak. Then, add some bluffs. For instance, you can bluff by raising with much weaker hands on spots when there are only strong hands or draws. This will allow you to combat your opponents’ aggression in spots when your range is relatively strong.
More so, bluff raising also gives you some equity and could make your play much more profitable. However, it is advisable to sometimes follow up with multiple barrels if your raise gets called on the flop.
Pretend That You Have a Weak Hand with Passive Play
When you play online poker against an aggressive poker player and have the nuts, it can be a good idea to let the aggressive player dig themselves into a hole. Either bet small or check to trick the aggressive player into thinking you are playing conservatively because you have a weak hand. If you are lucky, you may be able to fool them into going all in, allowing you to match their bet and take them to the cleaners.
When to Switch from Defensive to Aggressive Play
Aggression is a beneficial strategy that all new players should acquire as part of the poker basics. That is why beginner poker guides will often tell you to “bet if they check” on the flop, just to get you ready. At most preflops, players are not dealt paired cards. Usually, pocket pairs will appear after a number of hands, meaning that making a pair even on the flop is worse. If your opponent has checked on the flop and has yet to make a pair or better, it’s advisable to be aggressive rather than passive. At this stage, you’re more likely to win if you bet.
On the other hand, a defensive strategy means taking passive rather than aggressive action. This usually means checking instead of betting and calling instead of raising. This strategy protects your money rather than boosting the overall size of the pot. Defensive strategies are mainly popular in online poker tournaments and are often referred to as “pot control” because the aim is to protect stacks.
Ultimately, the most important reason to make a defensive to aggressive poker switch is to maximize your profits. That doesn’t mean chasing cards like a maniac, but it does mean overcoming the common mistake new players have to play too defensively, even when they have a strong hand.
If you’re still trying to discover your own style and unsure how to spot a poker bluff, best play with some combination of aggressive and defensive styles. Choose your bet depending on your hand, the bet size, the stage of the game and your opponent’s style of playing. One of the most important poker tournament tips to remember is that no strategy is flawless or risk-free.
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