Becoming more agressive

[square444]

Alright, I'm sure agression has been brought up here, but I have serious trouble with it.

At the table at which I normally play ($25 buy-in either $5 max bet/raise or occasionally NL) I am known as an extremely tight player. I fold almost everything. If there's any doubt in my mind that I have someone beat, I end up folding. I usually make some money this way but it doesn't make up for my losses when they occur. It gets to the point where I only play if I have the nut or something close to it. And everyone knows this about me, so I can't ever make a position bet or raise because they know I don't do that and I get called. If I start playing agressive I lose.

Perhaps I'm having trouble distinguishing between 'loose' and 'agressive'. What's the difference?

Could someone please give a few tips on how to become more agressive without becoming more stupid?
Thanks a million in advance,
Peter

[tpir90036]

1) try posting this in the "general theory" section... you will get much more action on it there.

2) nothing wrong with being tight with your preflop game. just remember that there are more bad hands after the flop than good ones. just beacuse you don't have the nuts doesn't mean that someone else does. if people are showing weakness and you don't have that many opponents in a hand, fire out some chips. if you think someone is betting without much of a hand, or if you have something decent or a good draw, fire out a raise. pick your spots, use your tight image to make people lay down for you. after a while it will just become part of your game.