™
You could be playing in the 2007 World Series Of Poker™ in
The 10 Types of Poker Player

There are 10 types of poker player in the world. Which one are you?

1. Rank amateur

• This player knows so little that they're barely speaking the same language as you in poker terms.
• In the words of David ‘the Devilfish’ Ulliott: ‘if they don't know what they're doing how can you?’
• Proceed with care and beware of playing big pots when you don't have a big hand.
• Over time, you're sure to figure out a way to beat them, but meanwhile you might get a nasty surprise on any given hand!

• An extension of the loose-aggressive player, this player looks for those who are weak, and often cares little about whether the outcome for themselves is triumph or disaster.
• The bully can be a top player if they channel the aggression and employ good judgement (as having control of the whole table is a great way of accumulating chips), or a mediocre one if they try to settle personal scores from previous hands, or demonstrate they're likely to ‘blow off’ a big stack.
• Decide which type they are and act accordingly.

• Many reputedly ‘great’ players who have earned their reputations through dazzling displays of talent are also prone to being temperamental for whatever reason.
• For example, try to guess who ‘not only has a B game, but also a C, D, E, F, G and so on game’, and who ‘when he's playing badly really stinks, making awful, borderline, amateurish decisions’.
• We wouldn't want to embarrass them here, but the moral of the story is to know when a player is performing below par and look for the right way to take advantage of it.

• Rather than just playing below par, this player is visibly off the rails, whether it's down to alcohol, a bad beat or fear of the high stakes.
• The point is that they're temporarily incapable of making good decisions, so when you have a hand, give them as many as possible to contend with and hope it pays off.

• Those who clearly play ‘by the book’ are more prevalent in limit games, where imagination is less valuable than solid maths.
• In these situations, this type of player is likely to be highly predictable in starting hands and the way they repeat certain patterns. Respect the seemingly obvious plays they make, and look for ways to exploit them by thinking and playing outside the box.

• Often split between the no-limit and limit camps, this player type clearly values one approach over another.
• The instinct player believes they can make almost psychic assessments of their opponents cards and future actions.
• The maths player believes everything can be solved though complex analysis.
• If you know a player clearly relies on one of these approaches, then do your best to exploit their blind side.

• It's often been said that as poker players grow old, they slow down a bit in terms of wildness and aggression, so bear the age of your opponent in mind when deciding whether to bluff or trap.
• For example, the young Scandinavian players are now famous for a hyper-aggressive relentless style, and knowing this could save you a few early bets.

• The ‘action player’ is different from the bully or the loose-aggressive player in that they're really just there for the thrill of the action. This player will likely give you the money in the end if you're patient.

• This type of player considers the money they lose as payment for entertainment or lessons, and should be treated with respect and made to feel part of the game so they continue to take part.
• That's often the hard part for socially inept poker professionals, whereas figuring out ways to win against them is relatively easy, as they often don't put up much of a fight.

• This is the ultimate opponent, with no definable characteristics nor patterns other than constant change and adaptation to circumstances, and a deep and rounded knowledge of the game.
• Ask a top player a poker question and they'll more often than not say: ‘It depends’.
• While this can be frustrating, it's all too true.
• The reason for this is that poker is a game of situations and players.
• If you know an opponent might be playing any number of styles at a given point, how can you come up with a strategy to defeat them?
• The chameleon is the type of player you should be aspiring to be, but avoid them in a hand unless you have good reason not to.

---

Tight / Loose

• The tight player plays less starting hands, opting to wait for prime hand cards like pocket pairs. On an unlucky day he could be waiting for hours, but if so he will still not loose much.
• The loose player is less selective and sees opportunities instead of obstacles. This is a much riskier approach demanding a bigger understanding of the game to succeed. But he is guaranteed to always be in on the action.

• The passive player is careful and cautious. Even if he has a good hand he will take it easy, aware of the costs if the hand is beaten anyway. Thus he is difficult to trap.
• The aggressive player, off course, acts the opposite. If he thinks he's got a winning hand, he'll go for it. This adds a beneficial bluff factor to his game.

• Einstein plays by the numbers. He usually has a book, or an odds chart, readily in hand. His goal is to play his hands according to the odds calculations and guidelines set forth in mentioned books.
• The chameleon player is more concerned about his fellow players. He tries to play his game based on how they play theirs. Shifting and adjusting all the time.

• The pro player tries to play his game thinking like a pro - evaluating his every decision.
• The casual player has got a slightly more relaxed attitude towards the game. Although the pro approach, naturally, is a pretty good one, it can be tough thinking it's the WSOP finale, when everyone else plays for fun. The Pro may find himself facing a lot of unexpected cards - take some weird losses and tilt.

• The loud mouth talks and talks and then talks some more. He is attempting to throw his opponents off balance by constantly commenting hands, arguing moves and debating last Sunday's football game.
• The hibernator is - silent. He plays, loses and wins without a single word.

• By far the tightest player of any table.
• The rock barely plays any hands at all.
• Aces and kings he loves, though. And when he gets them, he knows exactly how to play them.
• He is a good reader of the game who risks very few unexpected, big losses.
• He knows when his aces have been cracked.

• This complete nut job is the biggest fish of all!
• Either he doesn't have a clue how to play, or he just doesn't care.
• And gladly informs everyone that he thinks "Poker is just like Scrabble".
• He bets every hand and raises even more, while constantly asking questions like "I have a four card flush, is that any good? Oh."

• The weekend regular who plays mainly for fun, hoping to edge out a little profit by the end of the night. He has picked up some skills during all his sessions, and can, on a lucky night, be a real force.
• Not to be underestimated, but never to be overestimated either.

• The guy to avoid at all times.
• He understands the cards, he knows how to play them and does so mercilessly.
• He hasn't read the books though.
• He wrote them. But he will lay them aside when necessary.
• Don't try and bluff this guy.
• Don't try to outplay him.
• Actually don't play him at all. Become him.

• Next stop Suckerville.
• Newcomers to the game of poker often find themselves acting like calling stations, staying in pots as long as there is a chance, albeit remote, of winning it. They don't care about their odds or their outs.
• If there's a chance, well, then there's a chance.
• "Might as well" and "I paid you this far so..." are typical calling station expressions.

• This guy takes his poker dead seriously.
• He has, however, yet to build a stack big enough for the large games and most profitable tournaments.
• So he has to be careful not to bust.
• He practices a lot and plays strictly by the book.
• He is still inexperienced, though, and due to his rather rigid game, he risks facing some very severe bad beats.
• Something that can send him into tilt fidgets.

• This is the dodgy fellow that makes all the other players tilt.
• He pretends and plays like he is a mad hatter, but he's got your game read like an open book with thirty feet letters in it.
• He lures people in with his seemingly idiotic raises and bluffs and just when people are about to stack the pot, the pretender reveals some absolute crap starting hand he knew would win all along.
• While HE then stacks the pot the other player has to settle for a good steam.

• This guy will abuse his opponents, his cards, his seat and when that is not enough, the software, the poker room and the rest of the world, too.
• If he wins he will gloat a ton. If he loses he will either just shrug it off or kill you.
• Then he'll buy in again for the maximum allowed limit.
• The Terror is often filthy rich and lets you know it.

• The perfect covert strategy for players deemed to be underestimated.
• Happily plays along making stupid comments and sometimes intentionally making bad calls.
• All the while figuring the others out and making sure to win the really big pots - off course, without seeming to know it.
• Keeps a very low profile, in fear of the act being revealed.