How to Play Against Certain Poker Players:

All poker players either have a stable poker attitude or can change it from time to time. Professional players have their playing styles too, but the attitudes we will talk about are more common for amateur, and especially novice players. These players can be divided into loose, tight, passive and aggressive groups.

Loose Opponents:
Loose players are those who do not follow any rational scheme, but bet and raise to their heart's content. As far as none of us likes to surrender, loose players will seldom fold and will stay in the game even with completely hopeless hands. Poker has a significant influence of luck factor, and loose players often win, but in the long run, they will lose to tight rational players.

Tight Opponents:
Tight players are those who will not bet anything unless they have a good reason for this. Normally, tight players have a clear scheme according to which they bet, raise or fold. Theoretically, tight play is the most rational one, but on practice, being very tight is equal to revealing your cards to other players, because after several hands, everybody will know be able to understand the structure the tight player follows and will know what hand he holds according to his betting attitude.

Loose Opponents:
Aggressive and passive players can be loose or tight at the same time. Aggressive players are those who often raise and re-raise, while passive are those who commonly check or call.

Loose-Aggressive Opponents:
The most dangerous (first of all for himself) type of poker players is a loose aggressive player. Such players are called maniacs. These players can wager incredible sums of money not having anything in their hand. Playing against a maniac can be quite expensive, but normally is very profitable, unless he is a very lucky maniac. To win money from loose-aggressive players, you simply need to be moderately tight and fold a number of weak hands, but once you get a strong one, you should re-raise the maniac and draw a lot of money from him.

Loose-Passive Opponents:
Loose passive players will not raise as often as maniacs, but will call almost every bet. These players are called calling machines. Playing with a loose-passive player you will not get much action, but can count on another bet in the pot.

Tight-Passive Opponents:
Tight passive players are called stones. Such players fold all the time until they have a really strong hand. So, if a stone starts to bet, everybody else should fold. A stone will not let other players win money from him, but will not win much either. A game at a tight passive table is extremely slow and very predictable.

Tight-Aggressive Opponents:
Tight aggressive players are called good players. Sticking to a strategy, but bluffing and risking from time to time is the most appropriate attitude at an amateur table. Besides, if you can evaluate your opponents and adjust the level of tightness and aggressiveness to them, you will most probably profit in the long run.