Where To Sit Relative To a TAG

[gaming_mouse]

Please discuss the different merits/drawbacks of being on the left of a TAG, versus on his right.

[mmcd]

TAGs, like dogs, come in many breeds. If he's heavier on the T than on the AG, you'd prefer to be on his right. If he's heavier on the AG than on the T, you'd prefer to be on his left in some game textures and on his right in others. If the game is generally tight, personally, I'd rather be on the right of an over agressive TAG, because you can often get them to grossly overplay their hands postflop once they have taken the lead by 3-betting you preflop. (just be careful not to open too many pots with marginal hands in steal position). If the games not all that tight (but not loose either), I'd prefer to be on his left so I can isolate his marginal LP open raises and take the flop with position and the lead. If the games loose, I'd rather sit far away from him.

If he's got his tightness and aggression more or less balanced, I'd prefer to be on his left (but not necessarily his immediate left, maybe 2 seats away) just because of the positional advantage. If he's a tenacious blind theif, it may even be best to completely across the table from him.

[Robk]

first a lot depends on the skill level of the guy, not just the tightness/aggressiveness. second it depends on the game, although i assume you mean holdem. mason has a good article in PE about this, probably PE 1 but im not sure at the moment.

[Derek in NYC]

PREFLOP. When TAG is to your right, you can avoid him when he is in the pot for a raise. You therefore have the option of avoiding playing against the TAG's better-than-average hand (or reraising when you have a monster hand). By contrast, when he's to your left, the situation is reversed. This preflop factor clearly favors being to the TAG's left.

POSTFLOP. When the TAG is to your right, you generally (depending on the location of the button) have position on the TAG in HU/SH pots. This is clearly an advantage, and again, it weighs clearly in favor of having the TAG to your right.

A more subtle situation exists in multiway pots. With the TAG to your right you should have the ability to protect your "made" hands like top pair better, because the TAG may bet many hands that you can raise. But because the TAG himself will be doing a lot of raising, your drawing hands (overcards, gutshots, bottom pair, even plain vanilla OESDs and flush draws), will be harder to play. So what types of pots are more likely? I think this factor varies depending on table conditions.

On L/P tables, you will be limping more with drawing hands like small PPs and middle suited connectors. Small PPs are pretty easy to play postflop; the suited connectors are tougher (since they often flop draws, gutshots, middle pair, etc.) Generally, I think with flops like these, it is a wash in terms of playing these marginal hands. When the TAG is to your right, he is going to raising/protecting his own hand more, thus making your draw harder to play. But if the TAG is to your left, he is going to be raising a lot of hands you'd rather limp with. That said, where the field is multiway, the TAG's late position raise may well give you the opportunity to reraise the flop for value. Bottom line: on L/P tables, I think the location of the TAG postflop is a wash.

On L/A tables, you will be playing more middle pocket pairs, and "big reraising hands" like AA-JJ, and AK. These hands tend to define themselves pretty easily on the flop, so I think they that generally, having the TAG to your right is a positive, since you can jam/protect when you're ahead, and fold when you're behind.

On T/P tables, you will loosen up your raising requirements and will openraise more, limp less, and fold to raises more. So the usual re-raising hands, middle PPs, plus the semi-big Broadway cards (e.g., KTo) are what you're going to play, and you'll bring in more pots for a raise first in. You shouldn't play too many connectors, since you wont have the odds to draw.

For the most part, I think you'll avoid the TAG in these types of games more than normal--either he will raise and you will fold, or vice versa. When you avoid each other, it doesn't matter whether he is to your right or left. It really matters only when you're in the pot together. Here, I think the most troublesome hands are the middle PPs (which will often hit ugly flops) and semi-big Broadway cards (which may get middle pair). If the TAG is behind you, you're going to get pushed off a lot of hands. For this reason, I think the biggest problem on T/P tables is having the TAG to your left, although like I said, I dont know how often this situation will come up.

I think T/A tables have all of the problems of T/P tables, times two. Now most flops are raised, and position is very helpful. So I want the TAG to my right.

THE BLINDS For the most part, TAG vs. TAG in the blinds or TAG vs. TAG in a button vs. blind setup, is pretty rare, except at the tightest of tables. When the TAG is to your right, he can attack your blind from the SB or button, whereas you can never attack his blind. By contrast, when the TAG is to your left, you can attack him. Overall, this seems to favor putting the TAG on your left.

What about when both of you are behind the button and looking to attack the blinds? I think this factor is a wash. Yes, he will open raise more from the CO and even CO-1 (thus depriving you of the steal opportunity), but you will also have the opportunity to three-bet isolation raise him, with post-flop position.

CONCLUSION For these reasons, I think it is better to have the TAG to your right in most situations.