Without a shadow of a doubt, the most difficult player to combat at the cash game tables or in tournaments is one who plays a loose-aggressive poker strategy and plays it well.

A good loose-aggressive player, or LAG, at your table is a constant thorn in your side. Such players will frequently raise and three-bet preflop, fire more than their fair share of continuation bets, are not afraid to barrel on all three streets, and will pounce on any sign of weakness.

Advanced poker tournament strategy, with tips on playing aggressive. Unlike cash games, where a constant Tight-Aggressive strategy is drilled over and over again, tournament play often requires that you get a little creative with your play outside of the simply 'tight' zone. Especially no limit hold'em. Play with the Fish.

When no-limit hold’em was first becoming mainstream, there were very few people who knew how to play loose-aggressive poker, or at least were willing to do so. I vividly remember reading an older strategy book when I first discovered poker and seeing a section that said to proceed with extreme caution if you had been reraised, even if you held a hand as strong as pocket kings!

This may have been solid advice in the days of passive poker (played both loose and tight), but with so many players adopting a loose-aggressive poker strategy these days, you would be burning money by playing as advised by that particular book.

What is Loose-Aggressive Poker Strategy?

Texas Holdem Strategy Guide

As its name suggests, a loose-aggressive poker strategy sees players loosen up their starting hand requirements (they play quite a lot of hands, often 30% or more that are dealt to them) and they play them aggressively (by coming out betting and raising).

However, not all LAGs are created equal. Bad LAGs are often reckless and will never find a fold, but LAG players who know the nuances of how to play loose-aggressive poker well almost always know where they stand in a hand and will fold to resistance. The former can be frustrating to play against, but the latter can decimate your stack and bankroll if you are not careful.

Loose-Aggressive Poker: Starting Hands

Some LAGs will play literally any two cards dealt to them and rely on their aggression or postflop skill to outmaneuver their opponents once the community cards come into play. If you are looking to start playing with a loose-aggressive poker strategy, it is advised to have some structure to your starting hand requirements.

Tight Aggressive Strategy Texas Holdem Association

We mentioned earlier than LAGs play a lot of hands, often 30% or more that they are dealt. Thirty-three percent of hands is a range that would include:

Tight Aggressive Strategy Texas Holdem Rules

• 22-AA
• 54s+
• 75s++
• K8o+
• K4s+
• A2o+
• A2s+

As you can see, 33% represents a lot of hands, which is where some of the strength of a LAG style stems from — you have a difficult time knowing if such players are strong or weak preflop and whether they are betting with a pair, set, draw, or on a bluff after the flop.

How to Combat a Loose-Aggressive Poker Strategy

You have probably gathered by now that taking on those who know how to play loose-aggressive poker can lead to stressful situations at the tables, but that is not to mean that they are unbeatable. You just need to adapt your own style to combat theirs and use their LAG style against them.

First, when playing against LAG players give more consideration to your own starting hand requirements. Finding yourself out of position against LAG players is a nightmare, but even having position on them while holding a weak hand can be equally as difficult.

A hand such as may be a perfectly legitimate hand to open with from the button, but if there is a good loose-aggressive player in the big blind who has been three-betting you all session, it is probably best not to raise here as a steal because you are likely to be playing in a bloated pot with a weak hand against someone who is not going to let you see a cheap showdown.

Second, when up against a LAG consider slowplaying your strong hands both before and after the flop. Players who are starting to get out of line with how frequently they three-bet you are likely to fold to a four-bet because their reraising range is so wide. This gives you the perfect opportunity to simply call a three-bet with strong pairs such as aces, kings, or queens. While you should not make a habit of this, it is a good play to have in your arsenal when taking on someone playing a solid loose-aggressive poker strategy.

Furthermore, you can extend this slowplaying to postflop, too. LAGs will often make a continuation-bet and at least another bet on the turn (barreling), yet put the brakes on when they face strong resistance. Instead of check-raising or raising a hand as strong as a set, let your loose-aggressive opponents have a little more rope with which to hang themselves.

Also think about using an opponent’s loose-aggressive range of starting hands against them by bluffing them. A couple of paragraphs ago we advocated slowplaying big hands preflop, yet you can also four-bet bluff a habitual three-bettor — especially if you have a tighter image — because they will give you credit for a strong hand and they are more likely to be holding something less than stellar.

Likewise, the occasional check-raise bluff on later streets can work wonders if your loose-aggressive opponent has shown to be capable of giving up on a hand when facing aggression.

Conclusion

Like all moves in poker, do not overuse any of the tips mentioned above. If you do, you will become much easier to read, and someone will eventually call your bluff. Once players with a solid loose-aggressive poker strategy figure out what you are trying to do against them, they will target you and make your time at the tables most uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, learn how to play a LAG style yourself and you can be the one making things less comfortable for others at the tables.

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There are so many aspects to Texas Hold ‘Em strategy that it can sometimes make chess seem like a kid’s game. Yet, of all the complex poker strategies to master, the differences between cash game play and tournament play may be at the top of the list. Strategies for the two formats vary so widely, it’s almost as if they’re completely different games. As such, succeeding at both will require that you use contrasting tactics, styles and mindsets.

The Difference Between Cash Games and Tournaments

One of the most successful Hold ‘em players in recent years, Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, CardPlayer Magazine’s 2006 Player of the Year, and winner of more than $14 million in tournament earnings in his career, is a perfect example of how different the two formats can be.

He earned his nickname, “The Grinder,” from years of playing in cash games. With his rent money on the table, Mizrachi was known as a relatively tight player, grinding out a living. But in tournaments, he was one of the wildest players at the table, gaining a reputation for non-stop raising.

He described the two strategies by saying, in effect, that at a cash game you had to consider every decision carefully not just from a poker standpoint but from a practical one as well. However, in a tournament, the goal is to collect all of the chips in play, meaning you have to be involved in more pots, making more bets and gambling more often. And since you’ve already put your entry fee down, there isn’t the worry of having to reach back into your pocket to continue playing. You’re either in or you’re out.

Tournament Strategy

As with any other type of poker strategy, there are many nuances to tournament play. But for the sake of simplicity, there are two primary schools of thought for Hold ‘em tournament strategy.

The first is the one used by Mizrachi. The goal in any poker tournament is to end up with all of the chips, so aggressively pursuing them from the outset makes sense. However, that often leads to wild swings in chip stacks, a harrowing experience for even the most seasoned professionals. It’s also a very hard strategy to employ, one that requires a great deal of experience, knowledge, intuition and guts, and it can often lead to an early exit from the tournament.

The second of these strategies is the more traditional, stay-alive-as-long-as-possible method, then hope things break right for you at the end. The most famous practitioner of that strategy may be “Action” Dan Harrington, who won the main event at the World Series of Poker in 1995, and reached the final table back-to-back years in 2003 and 2004.

In this traditional strategy, the tournament turns into a minefield. You have to look at each and every decision as if it is for your tournament life, and avoid every pitfall. In order to employ it successfully, you have to play far fewer starting hands – usually only premium ones like pocket pairs and two face cards – and almost always err on the side of caution. This is also the recommended style of play for tournament novices and inexperienced players.

Cash Game Strategy

Many veteran players feel so strongly about cash games being a superior test of skill that they won’t even play in tournaments. With money more tangibly on the line, and the ability to reach into your pocket and reload at any time (unless, of course, your bankroll runs out), cash games present myriad strategies, decisions, styles and bets for player to choose from. While some of the strategies are similar to those previously discussed for tournament play, the way they are employed is often completely different.

The are four main categories of cash game strategy: Tight, tight-aggressive, aggressive and maniacal.

Tight Play

This style is the one most beginners use, and rightfully so. It requires playing only premium starting hands, rarely raising – allowing the cards to almost play themselves – and waiting for only the most optimum opportunities to put your money in the pot.

The benefits of this strategy are that you are less likely to lose money and will rarely experience large downswings in fortune. On the downside, because you are giving less action you will get less action. That means it will be very difficult to win a lot of money.

Tight-Aggressive Play

This would be the cash game equivalent of the Harrington tournament strategy. You will still only play premium starting hands for the most part. Though, the list will expand beyond that of a tight player’s to include hands like Jack-ten suited.

Tight Aggressive Strategy Texas Holdem Tournament

The main difference between tight and tight-aggressive is that once you enter a pot you will be much more willing to bet and raise. The idea is that by playing few hands, but playing them more powerfully, will allow you to take control of a table without putting yourself at too much risk. It also puts you in a better position to bluff when the mood strikes.

Aggressive Play

This is where you play far more starting hands and put in far more bets, whether you have good cards or not. The line of thought behind this strategy is that by keeping your opponents off balance they won’t be able to read your hand, and will be less likely to put you to tough decisions since the pressure will regularly be on them. It’s sort of ‘the best defense is a good offense’ tactic.

Learn Texas Holdem Strategy

Also, by putting a lot of money in the pot, there will be more to win, meaning bigger profits. On the other hand, it’s much easier to lose when playing this way.

Maniacal

How To Play Texas Holdem Strategy

We’ve all seen them – the maniac who can’t help but throw money into nearly every pot. Sometimes his chips are stacked to the ceiling, other times he can’t stay in the game more than a half-hour. Aggressive play, especially if it’s tempered by experience, can be a highly effective strategy. Maniacal play is more likely a desperate call for help by the player who uses it.

Online Texas Holdem Strategy

Ultimately, you want to become proficient at most of these strategies, and be able to continually vary your playing style depending on your opponents. That’s why it’s highly recommended that you find somewhere to work on these different tactics, like an online game where you can see a large number of hands per hour, until you come up with the strategy that works for you.