How aggressive is aggressive?

[Godfather80]

This is something that has been bothering me for a while now. I know that Sklansky recommends a high level of aggression in Limit hold 'em, but how does that compare to the aggression needed to play No Limit at the highest level?

From a NL perspective, I think you must be able to change gears into an "any two will do" and show others that you can do this in order to truly get value out of your big hands. Which is not to say that you play this way often.

So my question for very experienced NL players is: how aggressive is aggressive when comparing Limit to No Limit?

Godfather

[amoeba]

it really depends on the limit size we are talking about for NL.

[TakeMeToTheRiver]

Depends on the players that you are playing against. Many small stakes players are oblivious and won't realize how tight you are playing and will just play their cards. If the players are more observant, I think that you have to mix up your starting hands -- don't play true garbage hands, but play low suited connectors (and other hands with potential) when you have position and it won't cost you too much... if you are going to truly mix it up, sometimes you have to raise with these hands as well.

Playing "any two cards" does not make you aggressive -- it makes you loose.

Aggressive means betting and raising rather than calling. When you are the first one entering the pot you should be raising -- not limping -- the majority of the time. When you face a bet after the flop, you need to be raising more often than you are calling.