Poker Talk

“Barry, can you play tight in a Texas Holdem Poker game?” that’s what a friend ask me sometime ago. Good question. For beginners and those who don’t know yet what a tight player is, he is the one who starts the hand with a high pair like an AK. He’s easy to spot in a table. He usually only raises when he feels he has a sure thing.

To most poker players, including me, playing too tight is not really a problem. This is also true to new poker and low limit players playing Holdem or 5 card stud poker. But when it comes to high limit games, players often play tight and aggressive. One attitude of a player that’s too tight is that he does not vary in his play. This makes him easy to spot and avoid at the table. Often, it is easy to get rid of less quality hands when raised by a tight player. That is if you don’t have a very big hand.

As I’ve said, tight players are easy to spot, so this make them win less money. How? Let’s say I make a call against most of the players at the table when I have a good, but not great, hands in me. When the too tight player bets, I would throw away all my hands. I may be giving the tight player a chance to win the pot by bluffing, but I know that I am not risking much as the tight player will seldom or never bluff.

So, can you play too tight in a No Limit Holdem game? Definitely. There’s nothing wrong with playing too tight. If you don’t, those who played nothing but a pocket of aces will win the most. Now, that’s what you don’t want to happen, right? So, don’t be afraid to play tight once in a while.

Take a heed though that when you are at the table, it is best to study your opponents. Learn their skills and techniques. If you can’t take playing too tight at all times or your opponents are better than you, don’t hesitate to transfer to another table. If you see that playing too tight works for you, then it is best to take advantage of the situation and win lots of pots.

But remember, if you have been playing too tight for a while know, take time to loosen up. Don’t stay in one technique in all your plays. Most successful poker players combine tactics in their game. So, you can random your playing style and combine it with a tight play. But don’t play aggressively and tightly when you are don’t have the best play. Just simply resort to tightness rather than playing too aggressive. Other players at your table may not like this, but don’t mind them. This can work to your advantage.

So, whatever Poker Games you play, just play hard and play with your mind. If ever you decide to play too tight, take a well-calculated risk. Remember that the best hands don’t always win the pot. It all depends on how you play the game.