LAG or TAG – Which is better?

If you were introduced to the world of poker by watching poker on TV, then you would be familiar with poker pros like Gus Hansen who shot to fame with their unpredictable and aggressive poker styles. To some they can be viewed as being live wires at the table and their aggression can allow them to accumulate big chip stacks and run deep in tournaments. However, for the novice player, watching this on television and trying to imitate their loose aggressive playing styles on the felt can be a very costly mistake.

What new players fail to realize is that all of these hyper aggressive poker players who play professionally have years of playing experience. They play very well post-flop and have the ability to get very accurate reads on other players. So instead of playing their cards, which by instinct is what inexperienced players will do, they look to exploit the weaknesses of their opponents and beat them that way. Smart loose aggressive players (LAGs) can be very difficult to play against and can make a lot of money, but executing this strategy is not something you can learn overnight. These players adopted a more conservative style of play before they migrated to being a LAG.

If you are learning the game you will unquestionably spew a lot of money if you adopt an aggressive strategy straight away. You will be involved in too many hands with non premium holdings, and won’t have the sufficient reads necessary to get your opponents to fold better hands, or you could even be completely dominated.

Instead of trying to play like the pros on TV, take my advice and learn to play tight aggressive poker aka TAG. When executed correctly, it will make you a lot of money at low limit hold’em. By raising fewer hands pre-flop you will generally hit the flop hard and can be confident you have the best hand. The TAG poker strategy requires more patience, but it’s also easier to play if you have the discipline.

Many players at mid stakes will also play a TAG style but these games will be more aggressive in nature with a higher frequency of three betting and raising post-flop.

I’ve always been of the opinion that your playing style should mimic your personality. You need to be able to enjoy the game of poker so you have fun at the table. But if the enjoyment means losing your entire bankroll, what game is their to play? If you are a natural risk taker, then incorporating aggression in your game can be a smart move, but before playing strictly a LAG game hone your skills as a TAG. If you can’t play a TAG game very well then it would be unpractical to think you can play LAG and still beat the game.

By playing tight aggressive poker, you will be able to beat the low limit games without making fancy plays. If your long term plan is to play mid or high stakes where the games are more aggressive, then first master the TAG game. It will enable you to develop a solid technical game, where you maximize the value of your winning hands and minimize your losses of your losing hands. As you gain experience playing poker, you will get better at hand reading your opponents, so the cards you are dealt become less of a factor. You can turn up your aggression, get paid off with your big hands, and make your opponents fold when you sense weakness.

Regardless of all this LAG and TAG talk, at the end of the day, you should never sit down at a table with a premeditated strategy of how you will play. You want to target the fish at the table and exploit their weaknesses. Whether that means playing a LAG or TAG style will depend on their tendencies, but what I am getting at is you should adjust your game to the specific table conditions you are playing in.

Instead of wanting to play like Gus Hansen and showing who his boss at the poker table, don’t let your ego influence your decisions and play a solid technical game based on positive expected value and the information other players are giving you.

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