The LAG: Loose-Aggressive Poker Player
You play a lot of hands and you play them hard. The pressure wins pots, and the leak is the bluff that was never going to work.
Signs you play this way
- You play more hands than most of the table, and you raise more of them than you call.
- When your opponent checks, you bet, whether or not you have it.
- With a draw, you would rather raise than call and hope.
- Twenty minutes of folding feels like a wasted night.
What it gets right
Aggression wins the pots nobody has a strong hand for. A player who checks is often telling you they’re weak, and a bet takes the pot. A raise with a draw can win right away or hit later. Played well, loose-aggressive is one of the hardest styles to sit across from.
Where it leaks chips
The leak is the bluff without a reason. A bluff needs an opponent who can fold. The player who has called you on the flop and the turn usually calls the river too, and a bluff there only costs you the bet.
A hand that shows it
You raise on the button and the big blind calls. That player has called every flop tonight and folded to almost nothing. The flop comes K-7-2 and you hold 9-8: no pair, no draw. They check, you bet, they call. The turn is a 4, and they check again.
A second bet here is the bluff without a reason. This player calls with any piece of the board, and a flop with a king on it gives them plenty of pieces. Checking behind keeps the pot small and shows you the river for free. Save the second barrel for a player who folds when the story holds up, like the one who has folded to every turn bet tonight.
Most home games have at least one player who calls almost everything. Against that player, the adjustment runs against your instinct: stop bluffing and bet your good hands for value. Knowing which spots reward a bluff and which ones don’t is Skill 10.
The skill that helps most
Skill 10: Bluffing & Semi-Bluffing
Bluffing isn't about fearlessness. It's about math and board texture. Learn when a bluff is profitable and when it's just burning money.
In the app, the Skill 10 drill deals you the spot, you pick an action, and it grades your choice with the reason before the next hand. Skill 10 is part of the subscription, which starts with a 7-day free trial.
The other player types
- The TAG (tight-aggressive)
- The Rock (tight-passive)
- The Calling Station (loose-passive)
- The Steamer (tilt-prone)
Not sure this one fits? Take the quiz and see where your answers land.