Describe your style of play

[aislephive]

Thought this would be kind of an interesting thread, I'll start out. Also, at the beggining of your post mention your VPIP/PFR/AF (with the box checked entitled include PF numbers in the calculation), also what limits you're currently playing.

200nl on party. I'm 20/14/2.5 which basically means TAG.

In EP I really pretty straightforward, I raise all pocket pairs from any position other than the blinds. That means I'm raising 22 UTG. I also raise all of the higher suited connectors from early position like T9s-QJs. Generally if the table is loose I stay away from hands like AT and A9 from EP since they're just so hard to play OOP. In late position which is CO/Button I'll raise almost anything that can flop a legitimate hand. QT, TJ, J9, KT, Q9, A8+, Axs, etc and almost any suited connector / gapper. If a hand is suited and connected in some way I'll raise it in LP. Pretty standard stuff here I think.

From the blinds I usually won't raise hands like AJ or KQ, but I do about 20% of the time or so. Hands like AQ or 99 I raise from the blinds 90% of the time as well. My standard raise is always pot sized preflop unless I'm in the blinds in which case I make it 4.5xbb+1bb per limper.

My calling range is very wide, in position I'll call with a lot of speculative hands, especially if there are multiple callers or I'm up against a very predictable opponent. From the blinds I call raises with all of the high suited connectors / gappers especially if there is a raise and a call. Hands like KQ/AJ I won't call raises with if the pot is multiway, unless it's suited of course, in which case I'm looking more for the flush draw or flopped flush than just top pair.

My reraising range is very player dependant, no matter the player I reraise 99% with JJ+, AK. TT and AQ I do reraise with about half the time or more, definitely is dependant though. I like to reraise aggressive players in position with a wide range of hands, even dominated hands like AT and KJ/KQ. I almost never slowplay preflop, rarely will I smooth call preflop with a big pair or something.

On the flop, I play all of my hands very fast. I rarely will check/call with a set or two pair, I will almost always c/r these or lead out. I try to build the biggest pot possible as soon as I can before scare cards hit. I play all my draws very fast as well, hands like a pair/FD or a gutshot/FD I love to c/r or lead, and am prepared to play these hands for stacks a lot of the time.

Also, rarely am I afraid to go with my gut. When I really think I have the best hand I'll make a big call, and usually if I think I have the worst hand I'm capable of making a big laydown, although I'll admit the latter is much harder than the former.

In general I'm a hyper aggressive tag that switches gears a lot and adapts to the table well. I tighten up on loose tables and loosen up on tight tables, pretty standard.

Looking forward to hearing from some others ..

[Rondavu]

I don't have a style. Really. If you take notes on me at a table and play me another time based on those notes it will kick your ass most of the time. I've seen it happen. My style is the opposite of what you're doing/thinking. I try to stay as close to the image curve as possible, meaning mine and villains. My goal is to play YOU and your style, by creating a temporary style compatible with maximum value against you as an individual, and the table as a whole.

[Silly String]

I don't see how your range can be so inclusive, yet you only V$IP 20%? All pairs, suited broadways, high starting hands, suited connectors, & gapped connectors would include way more than 20% V$IP yes?

[biondino]

Silly String, I play pretty much the same hands and have a 19% VP, so I think it's jusr deceptive. Think how many Q6 and T4 type hands etc there are!


I would very much like not to have a style, but a genuinely good and observant player could probably take me to the cleaners.

Stats are 19/8/3, give or take a couple of tenths. I seldom play 6max or 5max, but when I do, I am still usually the tightest player at the table (if I come across a tighter player I basically stay out of hands they enter )

I don't re-raise a lot pre-flop (QQ+, AK), but I will re-raise a minraise (bloody fish) with any of my raising hands. I limp PPs in all positions, SCs in MP and USCs and SGs in LP. I raise SCs half the time in LP and limp half the time. I am getting better at folding AJ, KQ after a raise, but will almost always open raise with either hand (EP maybe not so much).

I bet flops aggressively with decent draws, top pair, middle pair (unless I have reasons not to) and make cont bets pretty much every time it is appropriate to do so. I am good at letting go of marginal hands on the flop to strength or players with positional advantage. I always check the HUD stats of anyone I see a flop with. I am loathe to lay down a PP that doesn't set - I am betting it every time if there's one over on the flop and often with 2.

I play fast almost invariably, and I know I overdo it to my disadvantage - instinctively I want worse hands to fold rather than to pay me off more at showdown, which is probabl;y because, as the aggressor, it is quite easy for a villain with a strong hand to let me bet myself into trouble. I m pretty good at getting out of unpromising pots - it's hard for an opponent to lure me into betting on hands I shouldn't really be in.

However, I have recently been making too many crying calls on the river - my won at showdown stat is down from 54% (after 6 months) to 45% after a year - but that is partly because I am trying to shed my tight weak image, with partial success.

Overall, I am a fairly predictable but solid, slightly overaggressive low-stakes TAG with maybe a little too much tourney style built into my broadly successful ring game. I am also a massive BR baby.

[biondino]

Ah bugger - I didn't even notice what board this was on! My stats etc above are for full ring - please either mentally move to the right forum or ignore.

[zaaaaaak]

Nice discussion you have going on here, aislephive.

I'm a 36/12/1, such weird numbers. I'm currently playing $25 NL 6 max on Party and killing it. I just came off of a four month break from online poker and I'm working on building a bankroll.

In EP, TT+ and AQ+ are all getting raised almost 100% of the time. Depending on the table, I will sometimes raise UTG with smaller pairs, KQ/KJ, AJ/AT, even T9. In LP, I'll usually raise any ace, any mediocre king (K9/K8), suited trash (Q4s, J7s), unsuited/suited connectors, and one gappers (J9, T8). I never smoothcall PF raises with QQ/KK/AA, and sometimes do with JJ/AK.

My calling range is very wide and depends on my position to the raiser and his table image. I'll play hands like 56/78/89 in multiway pots on the button/CO, but will fold hands like AT/KJ in the SB to a raise. I'll play any two against extremely tight players if it's a heads up situation and I have position.

I'm currently three and four tabling, so I tend to play a little more passive preflop than I'm comfortable with, and my stats reflect that. I play the flop much more aggressive, check/raising a cont. bet when I don't believe my oppponent, reraising a check/raise if I think he can't call. I bet draws aggressively, raising or reraising to disguise my hand. I'll rarely call a bet with just middle/bottom pair on the flop. You'll see me raising the flop much more than I do preflop. I bet pot into the raiser with a flopped set, two pair, monster draw. I believe in slowplay = death, and the only time you'll catch me checking a monster is when there's a loose maniac goldmine at my table betting 4x the pot when it's checked to him and never letting go of a hand.

I'm capable of folding AA/KK on rag flops, AK on an A-rag-rag or K-rag-rag flop, and bottom two vs. certain players on a coordinated board. Hands like JT on a JT6 flop, I'm preferably getting all the money in on the flop as players at the stakes I play will call with a wide range from KQ/89 to just TPGK.

I play the turn and river much more TAG than my flop play. My W%SD is 57%, which I believe is right where it should be.

I trust my instincts when it comes to feeling my hand is best, and I'm not afraid to commit my stack with a marginal hand like QJ on a J26 flop if I think he's messing around. However, I will very, very rarely call an all in with just top pair. Most of my big pots won are set vs. overpair and two pair vs. TPTK.

Overall, I'm a LAG (sources: gabe) who goes with his read and drops the hammer on the flop.

[gabe]

I'm a 36/12/1
....
Overall, I'm a TAG

i dont think so

[gabe]

i am a TAG that tries to put people in tough spots

[zaaaaaak]

I'm a 36/12/1
....
Overall, I'm a TAG

i dont think so

Hmm, what does 36/12/1 constitute?

[gabe]

LAG.

a 36 vpip is relaly high

[zaaaaaak]

LAG.

a 36 vpip is relaly high

I don't know anything about stats I guess. You'd probably check/raise me for all my money and I'd fold the nuts.

[ake]

weak tight nit

[johnny_fish]

24/13/2.6

I raise PP/AJ+/JTs+ in EP/LP. Reraise JJ+/AK, sometimes squeeze with TT/AQ. From the blinds I only raise 99+/AQ+, sometimes pick up the limpers money with some other hands. LP I'm raising 65s+/A9o+/Axs/KT+/QT+/64s+/Q9s/J8s.

I'm cutting down on c-betting lately. I check for instance AJ in position on a KJx board, QQ/Kxx, KT/Kxxr etc. I try to only bet the flop if I think there's a second-best hand to pay me off, if there are obvious draws, or if I can make a better hand fold (22/Axx). I will also bet of course when I flop a decent draw.

My calling range is pretty tight I guess, AJ/AQ goes in the muck if PFR is tight; KQ is always a fold. I like calling with SC's/PP if the PFR is predictable, loose and/or has a deep stack. Multiway SGs become playable, but unsuited connectors still go in the muck.



Turn & river is where the real money is.. I check alot behind to control the pot or induce a bluff. I almost never slowplay made hands.

[dalecooper]

PokerTracker had me pegged as a LAgg back when I used it regularly, which lately I have not. But my style's about the same from then to now. Not too exceptional, I don't think. I raise KQ+, 99+ from any position except the blinds. I tend to play tight/passively in the blinds, folding a lot of hands from the small and raising only rarely. I don't even raise AK every time from the blinds - I've gotten so used to playing position poker against the 25 and 50 NL fishes that being OOP without a pair makes me uncomfortable. This might be a leak but if so it's not costing me much. And the deception occasionally makes me a mint, when I have someone's KQ or KJ outkicked. I'm more likely to raise from the blinds with lots of limpers than with few; I like my post-flop skills but not enough to outplay six people with just high cards to start.

I change gears a lot from table to table. On a tighter table I'll raise in position with a very wide range, most anything playable - suited connectors, gappers, any pair, any two high cards, most aces, etc. The usual shit. On a loose table I limp a lot more of these hands, especially when there's already limpers involved, and then I try to outflop and outplay people that can't let go of top pair or two pair. It's a slower game as far as making money, but I can usually stack someone within an hour which easily makes up for all those wasted blinds and small pots.

Against maniacs I like to push their buttons and take them down with reads. I'll push AK or AQ over their raises any time, and JJ+ as well. I'll bet hard into them if I flop something good and hope for a pissing match raise. These guys, although they introduce some pretty wild variance, are really my favorite targets, and as such I seek them out & try to get into pots with them often. They're the easiest players to get a lot of money in when you have them dominated, although sometimes it takes a bit of patience... cards don't always cooperate.

If there's no resident maniac, I like to be that maniac, with control. I bully short stacks as much as possible and try to get them to put all their chips in fast, any time I have TPGK or better. I love pushing over a TAgg's c-bet with combo draws, and showing the hand if they fold. If they call and I hit, I can only hope they'll rebuy and tilt some more chips away. At times I've even pushed over a c-bet with a flush draw and overs, which is probably not great poker and maybe I ought to stop doing that. But at 25 NL against the nits, it's fun. Fun fun fun.

My style's had to change a lot over the last year because I went through so many styles and stakes. A year ago I was playing 100 NL 6-max. Shortly after that I was playing mainly SnGs and some cash game Omaha and stud. Then I switched to MTTs for a while. Now I'm back to short-handed no limit games. My bankroll isn't where it used to be, either, so I'm reeducating myself on 25 and 50 NL before I get back up to where I was before. Shouldn't take too long, I'm thinking - I've tripled my roll in the last month. I feel like I'm a handful of good sessions away from moving to 50 NL only, and then probably not far off from trying out 100 again.

[r8ed]

I play the opposite of Rondavu.

Actually I'm still running some experiments. I've played LAGG/LP/TAGG/TP and in between over the past couple month. Lately I'm playing similar to johnny_fish...well what he describes at least. This seems to work well on most party tables. I do try to adjust accordingly.

[dsaxton]

I'm a camper.

[Rondavu]

I'm a camper.

I love it when you guys make a large bet. I'm either destacking you or I'm folding.

[dsaxton]

I'm a camper.

I love it when you guys make a large bet. I'm either destacking you or I'm folding.

My post was sarcastic.

[Cocco_Bill]

weak tight

[badandy519]

26/17/2.3 4-6 handed

about 80% at 25nl and 20% at 50nl

[aislephive]

I don't see how your range can be so inclusive, yet you only V$IP 20%? All pairs, suited broadways, high starting hands, suited connectors, & gapped connectors would include way more than 20% V$IP yes?

Not exactly, I tend to pitch all of the ugly hands like T8o, K9o, J7o, etc. And I almost never play ace rag, if I get dealt ace rag in late position I don't even bother playing if it isn't suited. A lot of times I'll even dump A8-A9o in LP when there are limpers to me. I just don't like to mess around with weak offsuit hands, especially trouble hands like weak aces. If I played these hands as liberally as some other people do I would be more like 25/18. I'm pretty much just a sucker for pretty hands, what can I say.

[bdawg56kg]

Over my last 25k hands I've been running at 11/3.5. I like to mix it up between TAG and LAG so I'm not predictable.

[johnnyBuz]

Over my last 25k hands I've been running at 11/3.5. I like to mix it up between TAG and LAG so I'm not predictable.

until you become predictably unpredictable, making you predictable.

[aislephive]

Over my last 25k hands I've been running at 11/3.5. I like to mix it up between TAG and LAG so I'm not predictable.

Hmmm? 11/3.5? Is 11 your VPIP? I'm confused. I think if you're VPIP is 11 that isn't really TAG as much as it is nittish, but maybe I got your stats wrong.

[johnnyBuz]

what exactly is "nittish" and a "nit?"

[bdawg56kg]

what exactly is "nittish" and a "nit?"

Having 11 vpip and 3.5 pfr.

[Lukie]

tight and agressive

I don't think you'll ever hear a description of myself that doesn't include both of those words.

[bdawg56kg]

Over my last 25k hands I've been running at 11/3.5. I like to mix it up between TAG and LAG so I'm not predictable.

Hmmm? 11/3.5? Is 11 your VPIP? I'm confused. I think if you're VPIP is 11 that isn't really TAG as much as it is nittish, but maybe I got your stats wrong.

Ais, I was joking. I meant for the two sentences to contradict each other. How can you be 11/3.5 and be unpredictable? LOL. Yeah, anyway I am around 20/13, and play a tag game similar to yours.

[Lukie]

my 2/4 NL 6-max stats look something like 16/11. And sometimes when I'm playing I'll notice on some tables I have an infinite agression factor. Seriously.

[aislephive]

Over my last 25k hands I've been running at 11/3.5. I like to mix it up between TAG and LAG so I'm not predictable.

Hmmm? 11/3.5? Is 11 your VPIP? I'm confused. I think if you're VPIP is 11 that isn't really TAG as much as it is nittish, but maybe I got your stats wrong.

Ais, I was joking. I meant for the two sentences to contradict each other. How can you be 11/3.5 and be unpredictable? LOL. Yeah, anyway I am around 20/13, and play a tag game similar to yours.

Hehe, I kind of thought you were joking (because it simply has to be one) but wasn't totally sure. I have definitely seen a few 11/5s or 10/8s on PP 200nl, so it's definitely possible. Judging from your posts you definitely seem like a very good player (probably why we both have almost identical stats ) and nowhere near a set farmer.

[jo]

Hmm, well it seems like I'm one of the LAGGier players then. I'm 23/12 with post-flop aggression of 3 (3.3/3.2/1.7).

I've only recently switched from limit and I'm still making adjustments. I seem to be more aggressive in NL partly because I like to take the lead more, rather than rope-a-dope. I don't think I'm getting as much value out of the river as I should be doing. I tend to check my TPGK too much only to see TPWK.

[gabe]

my 2/4 NL 6-max stats look something like 16/11. And sometimes when I'm playing I'll notice on some tables I have an infinite agression factor. Seriously.

thats not surprising. mediocre players play tight so they are easy raising or folding postflop. learn to play more hands nit (and win more money)

[Muxy]

14/7

[SmackinYaUp]

my 2/4 NL 6-max stats look something like 16/11. And sometimes when I'm playing I'll notice on some tables I have an infinite agression factor. Seriously.

thats not surprising. mediocre players play tight so they are easy raising or folding postflop. learn to play more hands nit (and win more money)

More details please gabe.

I lost chunks of my database this weekend, but I got about 17k hands from 200NL back and saw that my VPIP is 17.5%, PFR 13%, and AF 3.26.

I used to be a big lag so these stats are really disgusting looking to me... Although I did run at 7.74 ptbb/100 during that 17k.

When I'm playing though, I really don't feel like such a nit. I pound on the blinds, I bet and raise almost all my draws, I raise all PP's preflop, SC's randomly get raised/folded from EP and almost always raised from LP unless there are a lot of people in already, and I float all the time.

My style is this: I avoid the good multi-tablers and I use the hell out of my buddy list.

[Lukie]

my 2/4 NL 6-max stats look something like 16/11. And sometimes when I'm playing I'll notice on some tables I have an infinite agression factor. Seriously.

thats not surprising. mediocre players play tight so they are easy raising or folding postflop. learn to play more hands nit (and win more money)

or just move to the site you play on, that would probably be easier

[r8ed]

Lukie - do you play on party? If so - can you rate the skill level between Stars and Party at 200NL 6max and 400NL 6max? I'm just wondering if you noticed if one was weaker than the other. Thanks.

[gabe]

my 2/4 NL 6-max stats look something like 16/11. And sometimes when I'm playing I'll notice on some tables I have an infinite agression factor. Seriously.

thats not surprising. mediocre players play tight so they are easy raising or folding postflop. learn to play more hands nit (and win more money)

More details please gabe.

I lost chunks of my database this weekend, but I got about 17k hands from 200NL back and saw that my VPIP is 17.5%, PFR 13%, and AF 3.26.

I used to be a big lag so these stats are really disgusting looking to me... Although I did run at 7.74 ptbb/100 during that 17k.

When I'm playing though, I really don't feel like such a nit. I pound on the blinds, I bet and raise almost all my draws, I raise all PP's preflop, SC's randomly get raised/folded from EP and almost always raised from LP unless there are a lot of people in already, and I float all the time.

My style is this: I avoid the good multi-tablers and I use the hell out of my buddy list.

i was just taking a shot at lukie by calling him mediocre. but tighter players should have higher aggression...think about if you only played AA and KK. postflop, you would probably be really aggro. this is an extreme example though.

[SmackinYaUp]

Yea, that makes sense.

So whats your vpip?

[gabe]

22/16 over 60k hands

[Werddown]

This is just in general.. I will loosen or tighten up based on the action I'm getting with my raises and how passive they play after the flop

open raise from EP - AA-22, AK-AQ, AKs-A10s, KQs.. If I'm UTG+1 and UTG limps I might just call with A10s... The only other hands I can think of that I might limp from EP would be AJ or KQ off. If there is alot of raising going on at the table preflop though, I tend to just fold them. I like limping them against a more passive table though because they often make top pair with the best kicker and hold up as long as nobody is being too aggressive.

open raise from LP - AA-22, AK-A8, AKs-A2s, KQs-K9s, KQ-K10, QJs-Q8s, QJ-Q10, J10, and any suited connector 56+ (sometimes even lower if theyre really tight in the blinds or really passive post flop)... I like to maintain a very loose image from LP preflop to the point that they think I'm just trying to take down their blinds with absolutely anything. I dont like raising with hands that dont have at least a decent chance to make the best hand by the river if it goes to showdown, though, or possibly make some type of nut hand.

If there are already limpers before it gets to me in LP, I will usually fold A9 off and below, as well as K10 and Q10. I will usually just limp in with my smaller Axs and suited connectors... I also limp K9s and K8s.. I still raise the larger ones though like A8s+ and K10s+, also 910s+ for value. I also like to limp J10 off vs limpers because it can make the most nut straights.

raise from the blinds - AA-99, AK-AQ, AKs-AJs, KQs.. I tend to just check or call from the blinds with 88 and below and lower suited cards than KQs.. unless I'm in the BB and it is folded around to the SB who just completes.. Then I treat it like LP with 1 limper and raise any pocket pair, and some of the larger suited connectors as well. They love to complete and then call your 3x raise with all kinds of stuff, and when I flop my set or strong draw and they flop something like a weird two pair or a weaker draw, or even a weak top pair, they like to overplay them trying to push me out or call me down with a hopeless draw... Their mistakes become exponentially larger when its a raised pot, too.


I usually call raises with any pocket pair or with AJs, and re-raise 10's+, AKs, AQs, and AK. The exception to this is if they are a short buy, then I might consider folding a smaller PP, because they wont be able to pay me off if I hit my set, or at least not enough to make it worth calling the raise.

Against a raise and a re-raise I stick to AA-QQ and AKs, sometimes folding QQ or AKs if I really think I'm dominated..

This all changes however if I have a really fishy read on someone.. My range to call/re-raise bets becomes alot wider. A10 off is a monster to some of the players that I encounter. It's circumstantial though... I try to avoid playing against big raises with the hands that have the most potential to be dominated, even if I dont respect the raiser.

I dont really know what my VP$IP and pfr % is because I havent been keeping stats for that long, and I keep changing my style of play. I think I've found one that works for me at 6-max though, so I'm going to stick with it and examine what type of stats I'm getting in PT after a decent amount of hands

[jackvance]

22/16 over 60k hands

and what is your postflop aggression factor gabe?

[jo]

open raise from EP - AA-22

Wow, is this standard? I'd probably open raise down to 88, but I'm limping the rest. How do you play 22, when someone floats or reraises?

[Werddown]

open raise from EP - AA-22

Wow, is this standard? I'd probably open raise down to 88, but I'm limping the rest. How do you play 22, when someone floats or reraises?

Re-raise doesnt bother me, because it builds the pot, and all I'm looking to do with my raise is either a) flop my set in a big pot b) buy the button and have position on the blinds after the flop c) steal the blinds

If it was a re-raise from a shorstack I might fold though if I didnt think I could extract enough money if I hit it hard

It also keeps my image loose, and I dont really mind folding to resistance after the flop when its less than 10bbs.. I'll also take down the pot after the flop if I get called alot of times with the c-bet.

If you're UTG+1 in a 6-handed game theres only 2 people that will have position on you after the flop, and if both of them fold, you now have the advantage. UTG in a 5 handed or 4 handed game is pretty much the same thing.


Standard? I don't know.. Some people do it, others dont. Depends on your style of play.

[Murd0c]

My stats are currently 25/15/4.5 . I generally try to keep my VP$IP lower than the table average while keeping my PFR higher than the table average (unless the average stats are extremely tight or loose). I could say more but then I'd be giving all my secrets away, or cardrunners anyway :P .

In other news after a 6 buyin downswing due to mostly variance I'm now on a 9 buyin upswing due to mostly good play play. So go me .

[gabe]

i usually play 22/16 ish and the other day i played 2500 hands at 5/10 at 17/12 and ran really well. i'm still trying to decide if it was just the tables causing me to play this way or whether i just made a conscious decision to tighten up.

[SmackinYaUp]

i usually play 22/16 ish and the other day i played 2500 hands at 5/10 at 17/12 and ran really well. i'm still trying to decide if it was just the tables causing me to play this way or whether i just made a conscious decision to tighten up.

it seems like low vpip is seriously underestimated these days

im not talkin about rocks or set miners though

[gabe]

the players at 5/10 all think they are tricky because they reraising with trash preflop, so i play tighter. i think in looser, less aggressive games, tightening costs money.

[Miffed22001]

adaptive player

I can sit and play a 18/9 game or loosen up and play 1 25/17 type game. All depends on table dynamics
My biggest assets i guess are the fact i dont mind pl;aying big pots with not a lot, i dont mind bluffing hard and i play my hands hard and fast. No slowplay.
One session i can be awfully nittish, next ill turn up and ply 100 or so hands likea loony

[Renton]

Shorthanded: 21/13 tag/slag

Full ring: 16/10 tag