Every opponent that you face in poker will be different. And this is the same for any sport! It’s likely that each opponent will have their own style, tactics, weaknesses and strengths (just like you). However, we have identified the four typical types of poker players for you. Undoubtedly, a huge part of becoming a professional (or successful) poker player is knowing your opponents. Some will be more difficult to identify but working them out earlier on in the game can be hugely beneficial. This article will give you tips on how to identify which type of player you’re up against. Here are the four main types… 

Tight & Aggressive

A tight poker player is well-known for playing fewer hands compared to the average poker player. Also, when these type of players do decide to play a hand they do so aggressively (don’t worry that doesn’t mean any physical violence). In poker, this term describes a player who tends to bet or raise more often than they check or call. These players may have their cards close to their chest but there are ways to use their strategies to your advantage. Usually, the aggressive tight players are very strong-minded poker players. Therefore, you must refuse action against them if they bet and raise, unless you have a very strong hand of course. Make sure you apply pressure, master the art of bluffing and barreling to try and make them flop.

Passive Aggressive

Passive-Aggressive players are always extremely experienced and definitely know what they’re doing. They are not as open about being aggressive as the tight-aggressive players and keep their cards even closer to their chests. You will struggle to identify them at first and they will usually be the first to figure out what type of players they are up against. These players have mastered the art of bluffing and will use it regularly so watch out (not quite as much as an outright aggressive player though). They usually won’t bring much aggression to the game and prefer to keep things simple to avoid any mistakes as they stack their coins up.   

River Rat

The river rat poker players are generally considered the worse and weakest type of player. They usually don’t have many great skills, tactics or experience and just have a history of getting lucky. And this can be annoying to the more experienced poker players! They’ve earnt this name because they usually pick up great cards on the river to win the pot. And they usually use these cards to win the plot. They have a huge chance of being successful in the game if other players haven’t identified them and can’t use their expericence agaisnt them. 

Rocks

The river rat poker players are generally considered the worse and weakest type of player. They usually don’t have many great skills, tactics or experience and just have a history of getting lucky. And this gets very annoying for the more experienced and tactful poker players! They’ve earned this name because they usually pick up great cards on the river to win the pot. And then use these cards to win the plot! They have a huge chance of being successful in the game if other players haven’t identified them and don’t realise that they have limited skills. Some people just get lucky eh? 

The ”Perfect” Player

Is there a perfect type of poker player? maybe yes maybe no, but one thing is for sure – there are definitely things you can do to become close. If you want to improve your skills check out our Top Strategies For Playing Poker and Top Tips for Playing Poker pages.