Neutrino
Neutrino
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Joined: Feb 20, 2014
April 18th, 2014 at 4:17:08 PM permalink
I've read through many discussions and articles regarding poker and something about the Tight vs Loose, or NIT vs LAG if you prefer, bothers me.

Nobody seems to even notice or mention it, it's just a common consensus.

Seems like everybody just naturally assumes if you're Tight preflop, you're tight postflop, vice versa. If you're loose preflop, you're loose postflop, vice versa. No questions asked, consensus assumption, everyone just goes with it.

I'm not a professional at poker but I am good at math. I believe the best default way to play is tight preflop and loose postflop. Regardless if i'm right or wrong, I don't see the logic in why preflop and postflop tightness/looseness has to be consistent. I never bluff preflop (never raise with junk), but I absolutely will bluff post flop, why do people think I must be consistent in this?

I did say that is the best "default" way to play, because once I get enough information on my opponents I will change my play style to maximize my efficiency with them, but that's a different topic.

In extreme cases of the "common consensus" on Tight vs Loose, I've once read in an article that a mania (LAG) will likely call your all-in preflop because he's just aggressive like that, and I was just like "No fucking way."
Stoney
Stoney
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Joined: Sep 22, 2012
April 18th, 2014 at 4:48:04 PM permalink
loose v tight is not the same as aggressive v passive. loose means you play a wide variety of hands. you can lead out and bet them, suggesting you have a stronger hand, or you can just call, hoping to catch your opponent off guard.

playing tight and changing your passive/aggressive tactics is fine, but you are still playing with a smaller range of hands. that's what it means to be tight. you can't change that in the middle of the hand. but, you can use it to your advantage by raising preflop with a lesser hand after you have been pegged as a tight player.
Boney526
Boney526
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Joined: Sep 25, 2011
April 18th, 2014 at 4:51:03 PM permalink
There's a difference between the terms tight and NIT, and same with LAG and Loose.

Generally speaking, people use 4 blanket terms to describe play styles in poker. There are countless other statistics and stuff that are in between these, or more specific than these.

TAG (Tight Aggressive)
LAG (Loose Aggressive)
NIT/Tight Passive
Loose Passive

Tight/Loose, in these regards, relates mostly to how much their VPIP/PFR tendencies are, and passive or aggressive relates mainly to VPIP/PFR/3-Bet/C-Bet stats. I mean there's way more, but glancing at those stats is the quickest way to put a player in a stereotypical play style at quick glance.

In general, TAGs and LAGs can be winning players, while passive players usually lose. There are also terms like maniac, etc.

Anyway, I don't think people make the assumption that if you're tight preflop, you're also passive postflop. Although, on average, I'd bet tighter players preflop tend to be more passive postflop, it's not really a safe assumption to make and it won't hold up a lot of the time if that assumption is used.
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