When people first encounter poker, there is a lot of advice about how to play to win. However, there are two main premises by which the game is played. The first is called tight and aggressive, and it is commonly called TAG for its acronym. The other style is called loose and aggressive or LAG also called for its acronym. The main thing to remember is that poker is complex, so every situation can vary according to the poker situation in each individual hand.
Poker is based on the strengths and weaknesses of the player and the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing players. So in order to explore the complexities of TAG and LAG play, the strengths and weaknesses of both strategies must be outlined.
The classic approach
The classic approach is TAG, and it is a by the book strategy that has been common for decades. However, these players bluff which believe it or not is considered non-standard today as well as another non standard practices, but generally their fallback style is to play good pre-flop and post-flop aggressively. Many that ascribe to newer approaches think the conservative, disciplined TAG players always have the best possible hands when they wager. However, good TAG players use multiple strategies because they also utilize the principles of continuation betting, bluffing and range balancing.
This decreases the need to be bound by difficult decisions thereby introducing some certainty and reducing variance. Additionally, this strategy focuses heavily in using these advantages to the disadvantage of lesser skilled players. So let’s rundown the strengths of the tight and aggressive style. This style keeps decisions straightforward, and even these decisions occur in the pre-flop or the flop when pots are commonly not outrageous. So by avoiding those hands that present complex, dicey situations, TAG reduces variance greatly. However, there are some weaknesses in the tight and aggressive approach.
One being that LAG players target TAG players, so you must master this style or be taken advantage of by lesser skilled players. Additionally, some opportunities to gain some outrageous profit is exchanged in avoiding high-variance situations. Some simply choose not to play in this manner because it is considered predictable and boring, and this is not the glorified manner by which poker is portrayed today.
The LAG approach
In terms of poker, the LAG approach is considered new-school. Whatever the case, the LAG approach to poker online indonesia requires a strong understanding of pre- flop and post-flop play, and their understanding of bet-sizing and hand-reading skills must be deeply knowledgeable. The LAG approach requires taking multiple risks, and this increases variance greatly. The greatest strength of the Loose and Aggressive style is that the big hands that they play deliver large gain, and some of these pots will be taken with aggression alone. The players that are proficient at this style are known for being unpredictable, feared and leave very little profit in the game. However, variances are very high, and it requires experience to play LAG hands and win.