Texas Hold'em Playing Styles

As we said before, poker is an incredible game and can be quite rewarding, but it can also be frustrating. There's no way around it, you're going to have great days and you're going to have rough days. If you think riding the highs and lows sounds like a thrill, think again. Adrenaline junkies looking for constant action are going to be disappointed -- poker, as you'll learn, is a game of patience and forbearance.

Most beginners' texts (including this one) recommend a tight-aggressive style of play. "Tight" meaning the majority of the time you fold and actually play relatively few hands (the antonym of "tight" is "loose," meaning you play lots and lots of hands). "Aggressive" meaning that you lead the pot, either by betting or raising. The basic philosophy behind tight-aggressive play is that whenever you're dealt a statistically advantageous hand, you maximize the pot. Simple.

The surest way to lose money playing poker is to play loose-passive. If you find yourself playing a lot of pots and simply calling other players' bets, you will also find yourself losing money. Loose-passive players are often referred to as "calling stations," and seasoned players love to line their wallets with loose-passives' money.

Then there are the loose-aggressive players, a.k.a. "maniacs," who raise every pot. Tight-passive players, who play few hands and can't take any heat, are simply "weak" or "tight-weak." A player who plays very, very, very few hands is known as a "rock."

(If you want to be a maniac, please do it with play money.)

Now that you know the type of player you want to be, let's get down to game strategy, starting with your pre-flop strategy.