Nit. These are super tight players. They generally have very tight VPIPs (VPIP is a stat that measures how often a player voluntarily puts money into the pot preflop) and low PFRs (PFR is a stat that measures how often a player raises preflop). Nits are notorious for only getting involved in large pots with the the nuts or the effective nuts. They are usually straight forward and understand position, but don’t attack much when stealing or 3-betting.
TAG. Tight and aggressive players tend to have tight, yet slightly looser than a nit’s, VPIP and PFRs while keeping relatively small gaps between the two stats. TAGs are much more aware of position, and steal more aggressively. They will also resteal and defending their blinds more often. TAGs will bluff a little more postflop, as well as float, but still tend to maintain a “big pots with big hands” mentality.
LAG. These are effectively TAG players on steroids. They steal more, 3-bet more, use more aggression, and don’t hesitate to run bluffs in good spots. Their VPIP and PFR are going to be looser than a TAG’s, and they retain a small relative gap between them. These players can present lots of trouble, especially when they are good and solid LAGs.
A-Fish. These are bad players that have massive VPIPs. The fact that they are aggressive usually means they will have PFRs that are a bit higher, especially in relation to the P-Fish. These players will get involved in big pots much more liberally, and have varying levels of play. We have to be prepared to loosen up our hand strength standards postflop, and remember to use preflop to set ourselves up for good spots.
P-Fish. These are also bad players, but they tend to be much more passive, both preflop and postflop. They tend to have massive gaps in their VPIP and PFR, and usually have a VPIP higher than 20 and PFR less than 12. These players make many more calling mistakes than betting mistakes, and thus should be value bet constantly. However, we need to make sure we heavily reconsider our hand strength if/when they raise us. Overall, approach these players in a very straight forward way.
Unknown. These are players that we don’t have any stats or information on. Usually, we just want to treat these players as P-Fish until they fall into a category. We play the most straight forward against P-Fish, and also give them the most respect on their raises, thus why we like using that as a default player type. Always make sure we are paying attention on the tables though, to ensure that unknowns don’t remain unknown very long and we can make more informed and correct decisions for our plays.
Now this is not to say that every TAG is a good player, nor that these player types might not sometimes overlap. Let’s quickly review some basic VPIP/PFR ranges for 2010:
Nit. VPIP: (10-12) / PFR: (5-9)
TAG. VPIP: (13-15) / PFR: (10-13)
LAG. VPIP: (16-22) / PFR: (13-20) — usually with a VPIP/PFR gap no bigger than 4
A-Fish. VPIP: (24+) / PFR: (18+) — usually they have VPIP/PFR gaps bigger than 5
P-Fish. VPIP: (24+)/PFR: (16-) — usually they have VPIP/PFR massive gaps
These are just rough guidelines for the 2010 full ring games. For reference, in 2008 a 15/13 would be considered a LAG. In 2010, a 15/13 would be considered a TAG. While we can, and should, aim to use our stats to quickly classify players, it is always good to be reevaluating which stat ranges correlate to a certain player type.
The Stack To Pot Ratio
Stack to pot ratio (SPR) is a powerful way to consider when we are committed, or not, to a pot with certain hand strengths. I first saw this term used in Professional No‒Limit Hold’em: Volume 1 by Matt Flynn, Sunny Mehta, and Ed Miller. SPR means “Stack To Pot Ratio” and is effectively how many times the pot size there is left in the effective stack. There are many different ways to consider SPR, but here we will just talk about how to approach SPR preflop.
SPR as a measure of when we are committed to a pot. This is the way that SPR is conventionally used, as a metric of when the pot is made so big from preflop that we are committed to it postflop. For instance, say Jake opens with a 40bb stack to 4bb and we 3b with KK from the button (and 100bb) to 12bb. Jake calls and we see a flop. At this point there are 22.8bb (after rake) in the pot and we each have 28bb left. There is ~1.2 SPR, meaning that we are committed to the pot regardless of what happens (either in board texture or actions).
The easy way to think about SPR is that the bigger the SPR is going into the flop, the more maneuverability we have. The smaller the SPR going into the flop, the more definitive our postflop actions become. The simple way to think about it is an SPR between 0 and 2 pretty much means we stack off, and anything bigger than 7 gives us a lot of flexibility. This means that any time we are making a play preflop that creates a small SPR, we need to have a hand we want to stack off. For instance, if a player with 20bb raises to 4bb, we wouldn’t want to call with 77 because it would make a 2SPR pot...and we probably don’t want to stack off 77 against a good shortstacker. The smaller the SPR is, the more a mistake will hurt your long run win rate. So make sure that small SPR play is done with strong hands and played appropriately postflop.
The SPR gets really odd when we talk about the 3-6 range. This is also the range of SPR we talk about in 3-bet pots. Say at 100bb Kyle opens to 3bb and we 3-bet AK to 10bb, and just Kyle calls. At this point there are 20bb in the pot (we’ll just ignore blinds and rake to simplify it) and 90bb back in stacks. This is a 4.5 SPR pot, which is right in the awkward zone of SPR. The reason why this zone is awkward is because we don’t have to stack off given the depth of SPR, but it is a small enough SPR that making a mistake can be really harmful. As much as this book aims to dispel a lot of the ambiguity of our decisions, there is no clear-cut “do this” or “do that” in this zone of SPR. But we can say this:
0-2 SPR. We are comfortable stacking off, and usually do.
3-6 SPR. The odd zone where we have some flexibility, but whether we stack off or not is very opponent and board dependent.
7+ SPR. We have lots of maneuverability and really only stack off if we have very nuttish hands. We can make bigger pots with bigger hands, but due to having flexibility, we should use reads on our opponents and textures to create pot sizes that are ideal.
One final note regarding favorable SPR creation. There are times when an odd stack size raises and our 3-bet size would drastically change SPR for better or worse. Take a spot where Paul opens for 3bb with a 44bb stack size. If we 3-bet up to 9bb and he calls it puts 18bb in the middle and 35bb back, making a 1.9 SPR pot. If we 3-bet up to 11bb and he calls it puts 22bb in the middle and 33bb back, making a 1.5 SPR pot. If we 3-bet up to 13bb and he calls it puts 26bb in the middle and 31bb back, making a 1.2 SPR pot. While these may not look like massive differences in SPR or 3-bet size, it makes a big difference with hard hands like JJ or AK, where flops can come really badly.
If we think that our 3-bet size won’t change the hands he continues with, then creating the smaller and easier SPR with certain hands is acceptable (assuming it also wouldn’t create bad action from the opponents left to act). There is actually a pretty big difference between a 1.9 SPR pot and 1.2 SPR pot with a hand like AK. In the 1.2 SPR pot we can be shoving most flops that we miss, where with 1.9 SPR a flop shove could be -EV1 due to fold equity (FE), expected equity when called, etc. Just make sure we are considering the SPRs that we are creating and choose sizes and plans that work best in the given situation.
1 This is talked about in more detail in chapter 14
The Preflop Mindset
There are a hundred different ways to play poker, beat poker, and improve in poker. While I may think one way, and you may think another, and your friend may think yet another. Still, there are some very basic and core fundamentals that are needed to be a good or possibly great player. So while I may propose some things in this section, and probably all sections of the book, that you may disagree with, what matters is just that you understand the fundamentals behind the plays and ideas. Poker is a game where a multitude of lines may be correct, but only one is optimal. We get to optimal lines based on information.
Even if you and I were playing in the same game, we might think differently of the same player and thus use different parameters to create lines against them. However, the logic that created the line is what we care about because information gathering is a personal thing that is much harder to teach (although we will try to cover it as much as possible).
Finally, let’s talk about some things we might want to keep in mind:
Play straight forward for the most part
Many players jump in and start by playing too many hands, bluffing too much, and being too aggressive. Until you have a skill set that allows you to play a very LAG game, focus on playing TAG, or even nit if need be, until you are used to making good decisions on a regular basis.
Start on fewer tables
While playing more tables can be great for our hourly, we want to focus on good decision making first. We make better decisions when we have more time to think through the information, so make sure we give ourselves time. Once we are comfortable and making good decisions becomes second nature, then we can consider adding more tables. When we feel our bankroll is hefty enough, and that we are one of the best players on our tables, slowly adding tables into our sessions can be a great idea.
Preflop is the core of our full ring strategy
We need to understand that preflop strategy is all about setting ourselves up for profitable postflop play. Because of this, we need to spend the most amount of time tuning our preflop game off the bat. This is why the preflop section of this book is so thick.
Focus on big value
Especially if we are playing smaller limits (under 100NL online and under 500NL live), we should be focusing on big value. Because people at smaller limits tend to make a lot more calling mistakes than those at higher limits, we should look to bluff rarely and value bet often. This is why focusing on selecting good ranges and good situations preflop will help create spots where we can be value betting postflop often.
Play smaller at first
When we are learning, trying new concepts, and amassing new skills, it is best to play at smaller stakes. For one, mistakes won’t (hopefully!) cause monetary pain. But also, it allows us to gain some traction with regards to confidence. Once we feel confident, and our bankroll allows for it, moving up in stakes might be a good idea. However, if we are at all shaky on our skills and confidence, playing lower is usually best.
2. Preflop Hand Selection
Often times the hardest thing for a player is choosing a range of hands to play. The range of hands we play can severely alter our success at the tables. Most players, especially new ones, tend to want a hand chart of sorts. And they tend to get very angry with me when I explain that given the dynamic status of poker, there can be no perfect static hand range to always play, or always avoid. However, this chapter aims to give a basic chart of hands, while also arming you with the tools to add and delete from that range as the situation calls for it. Poker is dynamic, and every decision from our sizing to our actions will reflect this.
The Power Of Position
This section is in every single poker book ever written. Yet many people still don’t fully understand it. Any decision we ever make is easiest when we have the most amount of information possible. Being in position allows us to take advantage of having the most amount of information available.
As such, we should be focusing on playing more hands in late position than middle position. More hands from middle position than early position. And more hands from early position than from the blinds, where being out of position for the entirety of the hand is almost a foregone conclusion. In an ideal world we could just have the button every single hand. Our winrate should be the highest from the button, and gets smaller as we move further and further right. Because of this, and coupled with our positional-advantage, we want to play as many hands as possible from late position.
The power of position is not only important when talking about raising hands, but also when 3-betting, flat calling, and over limping. If we get position, we effectively are able to sit in the cockpit. We control action, even when we do not have the lead in the hand. If we do have the lead in a hand, and position, we effectively control everything. We control if we take a free card. We dictate the size of the pot. We decide how we want to play our hand. Make sure to fight for that button whenever possible within reason, and watch your winrate rise.
The Basic Open-Raise Range
Because so many people have issues choosing a range of hands to play, a quick basic chart might be helpful. Mind you, this chart is simply a guide. Due to the dynamic nature of poker, a static chart wouldn’t be very profitable, if at all.
EP (first 3 spots at a full table). 77+/AQ+
MP1. 22+/AQ+/KQ
MP2/HJ. 22+/AJ+/KJ+/QJ
CO. 22+/Any 2 Broadway Cards/54s+/J9s-A9s
BUT. 22+/Any 2 Broadway Cards/54s+/J9s-A9s
SB. 22+/Any 2 Broadway Cards/Any 2 Suited Cards
This is just a for open-raising, aka, when it folds around to us and we are the first person to raise. The small blind range is so wide, because we only have one person to get through to pick up the pot. But again, it is dynamic. If it folds around to us in the SB with 72o and the BB is a super tight, no 3-bet type player, then we should raise and try to take it away. But if it folds to us in the CO with 76s, which is on the open-raise chart, and the button and BB are aggressive 3-betters, a raise would be less valuable.
We can also take our own skill and comfort level into consideration when selecting which hands to play. And whenever we are unsure, we should error on the side of tighter. For instance, say you feel very uncomfortable playing top pair hands out of position postflop. Then raising with AQ from EP won’t be great because you will be forced to play the rest of the hand usually out of position postflop. Or say you don’t feel comfortable playing very RIO type hands. Then there is no need for you to raise QJ from the HJ. Just because a raise preflop is outright +EV, doesn’t mean it will be +EV if you will leak postflop. Make sure to select hands that you are not only comfortable playing preflop and postflop, but that you choose situations that are favorable for you. If a table, or a player, won’t let you play a certain range of hands, then either change tables or adjust your preflop range.
The Steal
Stealing is a very basic way to improve our winrate, and utilize our positional advantage to the fullest. Stealing is very beneficial because we give ourselves the chance of picking up the blinds preflop, and also being in position in the event that we are called. If we can focus on picking good spots to put free money in our pockets, we can effectively freeroll bigger pots later down the line.
The big question to ask ourselves is “who are we stealing against?” Let’s take this spot where we have T6s on the BUT. It folds to us and it is our option. If we look to our left, we might consider stealing if the players are tight and fold a lot. So if we have a 13/10 and a 11/6 in the blinds, there is a good chance we can steal here. We also want to check some other things:
Their 3-bet stats
If they have a high 3-bet% (high being more than 6%, and low being 2% or less), then stealing might be less ideal as we will get 3b often. While a 3-bet% isn’t always the best indicator of their positional 3-betting tendencies, it can give us a clue when dealing with smaller sample sizes.
Their Resteal
A high resteal (high being 15% or higher, low being 5% or less) indicates that a player is aware that we are stealing, and thus they are 3-betting us with the intention of bluffing us off our weaker range. If we have a big sample size on someone, then this resteal number can give us a great deal of information. We can also couple this with their FoldvSteal and CallvSteal stats. If we see a player has an 80% FoldvSteal, 15% CallvSteal, and 5% Resteal, then we know, on average, the steal will work outright 80% of the time.
Their AttemptToSteal (ATS)
If they have a fairly low ATS (low being 20% or less, high being 40% or more), then it usually implies that they are less positionally aw
are, and that they will not fight for the pot. A player with a low ATS will generally fold versus a steal more often than a positionally aware player who understands our steal range is wide and generally weak. A low ATS and low Resteal are usually great indicators that we are dealing with a person who wants to fold when we steal.
Their FoldvFlopCB
If we see that a player might call a little extra preflop, but plays very fit or fold postflop, then stealing and continuation betting will actually prove to be very profitable. However, if a player will call our steal a lot and will not fold to the CB much, that is reason to consider avoiding the steal situation entirely with a weak hand. For reference, a high FoldvFlopCB would be 70% or higher, and a low FoldvFlopCB would be less than 40%.
Our image
The more aggressive we have been on a table, especially from steal positions, the more players will understand our range is wide and weak. Always make sure to take our image into consideration when making any play, especially when a loose image might stand to get us 3-bet more often.
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