Poker Tips: Types of Bad Poker Players

Observing Opponents, Poker Tells
February 13 2009

Playing properly against bad players is what poker strategy is all about. Poker is so popular today that it seems like every game has new players that don’t know much about the game. But not all bad players play the same way, and it’s not enough to just peg a novice player as a bad player. You have to determine which type of bad player he is. There are three common types.

The first guy is the calling machine. This guy gets into a hand and will pretty much call any bet if he’s on a draw. He stays in the action until the river, and either suck out or fold to your river bet. Make sure you have a good hand against this player, and make bigger than average bets because of his weak drawing skills.

The second is the guy who is too aggressive and uses the all-in bet too much. He will go all-in when he gets even mediocre cards pre-flop in an attempt to get lucky and double through a few times, or he goes all-in as a way to pick up a pot that hasn’t had a lot of action. This player can be beaten by waiting until you have him dominated in a hand, and letting him bluff all-in on the river.

The third guy is the one who plays way too tight and only gets into a hand with a pocket pair or A-K and A-Q. These guys are easy to play against because you know they always have a big hand. Betting into a flop will tell you if they hit and have either the big pair or the big ace, because they’ll either fold or stick around. If they stick around you’re probably behind.

 

• More poker tips for: Observing Opponents, Poker Tells
• Complete poker tips archive

Learn more about observing poker players with Bodog!