What is tight-aggressive?

[Kevin25]

The first poker book I ever read was WLLH, which we all know preaches weak-tight play. Then I read SSH which teaches tight-aggresive but I am still confused about the exact definition. I've been struggling to apply some of the principles in SSH and I may just be overplaying the advice. Is TAG betting/raising when you have at least a slight edge? This isn't an easy answer, but if someone could point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.

[Malcom Reynolds]

Tight means that you play very few hands preflop. In looser games, this means you play about 20% of hands. In tighter games, you may only voluntarily play as low as 14-16% of hands you are dealt. You only play the best hands, and preferably play those that work well given the preflop situation (position, number of limpers, has it been raised already or not).

Aggressive means that you tend to take control of most pots. You tend to be the one leading out and betting, or raising other people. You force everyone to play on the defensive, while you attack their weak hands.

What a good tight aggressive player needs to be is selectively aggressive. You pick situations where you have an equity edge and raise for value. You find situations where you need to raise to protect your marginal hands, and improve your winning chances. You fight aggressively for large pots, and fold in small pots. You fold when you completely miss the flop and the pot is small.

That is how a tight aggressive player should play.

[Kevin25]

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What a good tight aggressive player needs to be is selectively aggressive.

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Would it be right to say that you are only aggressive (with some exceptions) when you either have best/strong hand or have favorable odds to make best/strong hand?

[detruncate]

This is one of the best discussions I've come across about the WLLH "weak/tight" label (and WLLH vs SSH stuff in general).

Welcome to the forum. The best way to develop your inner TAG is to supplement your book learning with a healthy dose of reading/posing hands and comments. Best of luck.

[Yads]

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Would it be right to say that you are only aggressive (with some exceptions) when you either have best/strong hand or have favorable odds to make best/strong hand?

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No that would be weak tight. Since you're only aggressive with your best hands.

[k000k]

[ QUOTE ]
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What a good tight aggressive player needs to be is selectively aggressive.

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Would it be right to say that you are only aggressive (with some exceptions) when you either have best/strong hand or have favorable odds to make best/strong hand?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope.. You also have to be aggressive to make the other player who DOES have the best hand fold too. Your aggression makes players nervous, especially players with vulnerable hands, even if they happen to be the best.. It makes them fold things they otherwise wouldn't fold.

How happy are you when your KQ flops a Q and everyone goes nuts betting? You aren't, and that's why it's good for you to be on the giving end of aggression.

[srt19170]

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The best way to develop your inner TAG is to supplement your book learning with a healthy dose of reading/posing hands and comments.


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I thought the best way was to play a few orbits at the crazy 2+2 table.

-- Scott

[GrunchCan]

Welcome to the forums.

There is no one thing that "is TAG," except maybe this: TAG is playing the right cards preflop, and playing them well postflop. Stats won't tell you if you are TAG, if by TAG you mean "a good player" and not just "someone who plays 20% or less of thier starting hands".

What is TAG? Playing well pre and post flop.

If that is less than satisfying, here's a nice little soundbyte that I like. TAG play is being tight in small pots, and aggressive in big pots. That's not all there is to it, but that's at least part of it.