How to Adjust to Different Types of Poker Players

Quickly identifying particular player types, recognizing their tendencies, and being able to adjust accordingly will be hugely beneficial in developing an edge in any given game. Let’s discuss a few of these player types and explore some ways to exploit them.

The Calling Station

The first, and particularly prevalent player type in live games, is the ‘calling station.’ Calling stations will generally put in too many chips with speculative holdings. They like to see lots of flops, call lots of draws, and call down with marginal hands on rivers. This player type is common, so figuring out ways to exploit this style will be extremely profitable.

As poker is such a fluid game, it is entirely possible that players can become calling stations temporarily, often as a result of tilt. In an attempt to get unstuck, players may call more liberally pre-flop and be more willing to put chips in the pot post-flop and gamble with weaker hands.

Against this player type, it is important to have value and also to bet thinner for value. Widening your value range and reducing your bluffing range is the key exploit when playing against a calling station. Perhaps this means that you value bet a hand that you would not choose to bet in other circumstances versus a different opponent.

Perhaps it also means that you choose not to bluff a hand that you might otherwise bluff in other circumstances versus a different opponent. It is arguably one of the easiest player types to recognize, as they will be in a lot of pots and will find reasons to put chips in the pot. It is also effective to build pots and 3bet these players a little wider for value, as they will continue with a lot of worse hands and call down post-flop.

The Loose Aggressive Player

The next player type to consider is the ‘loose aggressive.’ A loose aggressive player will be looking to win lots of pots. They will contest small pots and usually open and 3bet wider than most. This can be a difficult style to play against. They will regularly put other players in tough spots, and it is important to pay attention to everything they are doing. Identifying the spots in which they are too loose or getting too out of line and responding by playing a solid style that allows them to make mistakes is very effective.

Inducing with good hands can be a great exploit versus a loose aggressive player, especially if they seem to lack discipline or attack every spot in which their opponent shows weakness. Giving them rope and checking in spots where you think they have too many bluffs is also a great way to allow them to make mistakes and put a lot of chips in the pot with weak hands.

The Nit

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the ‘nit.’ This is a very tight player who usually puts chips in the pot with very strong hands and will likely be quite passive post-flop. They will generally open and 3bet too tight. It will be in your best interest to play lots of small pots against this player type, as they will not fight for pots in the same way that the aforementioned loose aggressive player will. Widening your opening range from late position when a player like this is in the big blind is a good exploit, as they will not defend or fight back at a high enough frequency. Winning lots of these small pots adds up to a lot of value over time.

Another exploit versus this player type is to make tight folds when they do fight back or take an aggressive line. For instance, it is probably wise to overfold when they check-raise or wager a very large bet on the river. This requires discipline but is necessary in order to make the most money possible.

The Wild Man

In contrast, let’s talk about the ‘wild man.’ The wild man will take the loose aggressive style to the next level and take every opportunity to put a lot of chips in the pot, both pre and post-flop. It can sometimes be difficult mentally and emotionally to play against this style of player because often when they run well, it can feel like they are running you over. They look to play big pots, take the most aggressive lines, and regularly put you to the test for all of your chips.

It is crucial not to be intimidated by them. As discussed with the loose aggressive player, inducing a wild man or checking strong hands to them will be even more profitable because they will always go for it and generally just be so out of line. They can actually be one of the easier player types to play against, as you will just win so much with your value hands by playing a solid style and also giving them a lot of rope. Reducing your raise-folding range and 3bet-folding range are good pre-flop exploits to employ versus a wild man. Favouring value and reducing your bluffing frequency will be effective post-flop.

Facing Strong Players

When facing very strong players, it is important to play a solid style of poker. These players can adapt to different styles and make the correct adjustments in-game, making them very difficult to play against. The main upside of playing against the strongest players is that it is an opportunity to observe and learn from them. It is not uncommon for a good player to get into an ego battle with a very good player and go out of their way to beat them in pots. This does not usually end well and is not recommended. Playing a solid strategy and always being dialled in is the way forward against the strongest players.

Conclusion: Exploiting Player Types for Success

Given there are so many styles with which players can approach the game, the ability to categorize them in some way can be helpful in quickly determining what kind of strategy you will employ and what kind of adjustments you will make. The more players you play with, the easier it will become to identify commonalities and utilize the necessary exploits, leading to a higher win rate!