Some Name Calling in Poker

A benefit to tracking other players is the ability to categorize them into play styles so that at a quick glance you can get a sense of how that player has performed in the past, and so inform your decisions on the current hand.

Calling Station Play Style: Loose-Passive/Passive

Watch For: Chasing crazy gut-shot straights, causing you to tilt when they lay on an atrocious bad beat; being unbluffable. Losing pots regularly.

If this sounds like you: Stop playing so many hands. Don't chase. It's okay to fold. But remember to be aggressive when you have the nuts.

Fish Play Style: Passive/Passive

Watch For: Find these players and sit at their table. You'll have to work hard to lose to them. They won't call as randomly and weakly as a Calling Station, but they're susceptible to being bluffed and having their blinds stolen.

If this sounds like you: You need to become more aggressive pre-flop with your good hands, and follow through with the post-flop betting when you have a good hand.

Tight Play Style: Tight-Passive/Passive

Watch For: When an uber-tight player enters the betting, it probably means he or she has at least a very good hand, if not the outright nuts. On the other hand, tight players' reluctance to dump chips into a pot makes them ripe for bluffing and blind-stealing, and you can bully them with aggressive moves (ideally, when you're in position).

If this sounds like you: If you cultivate an exceptionally tight table presence, make sure you capitalize on it by making tight table presence, make sure you capitalize on it by making a few bluffs of your own. Overall, become more aggressive: when you have a good hand, raise instead of simply calling. And don't let your blinds be stolen, you won't be playing enough hands to boosts your stack, so you'll slowly be blinded to defeat.

Aggressive Fish Play Style: Aggressive/Passive

Watch For: Pushing out weaker players pre-flop, but checking and folding to bets post-flop, indicating that the AF hasn't hit his hand. A Shark will eat the post flop play.

If this sounds like you: Over-aggressive pre-flop play means you probably don't get good value for the good hands you have. Coupled with passive post-flop play, it leads to a weak, losing style. Bet or raise your good hands post-flop, and try a bluff or two.

Sleeper Play Style: Tight-Passive/Aggressive

Watch For: Actually being in a hand. This player flies under the radar folding most hands pre-flop, and limps in with strong hands. Post-flop, after hitting a hand, this player will come out firing, and is therefore quite predictable. This play style can be effective at weak tables where the post-flop activity can scare tighter and weaker players.

If this sounds like you: Your blinds get stolen by aggressive players too often. Expand the number/variety of hands that you play and raise with pre-flop, and you'll upset the pattern you're setting in your post-flop play.

Get to know these players and decide according to their style of play.