Developing a table image is the art of deception, which will help confuse your opponents about the type of player that you are. You may want to give the appearance of being loose or tight, but then mix it up and change gears. This is important in higher-limit games, but all of this is lost on the majority of opponents at the lower-limits. Author Lou Krieger suggests adopting a style that is close to your natural personality.

If you are somewhat conservative, you may find it difficult to sustain an act where you try to come across as a maniac. If you play in the same cardroom and play against some of the same players, it will be easier to adopt an image closer to your real personality. If you establish a tight image it is easy to occasionally play a little looser and deceive other players who are used to your style. I have also found that you can appear loose even when you are playing a tight game. Many loose players are happy go lucky and will talk and chat with fellow players. You can do this and still keep one eye on the game. Your outward appearance will make you seem loose, while you covertly study your opponents and pay attention to the game.

Many players wear a baseball cap or sunglasses to hide their eyes so they will not give off any tells that can be picked up by other players. This is a good idea, especially in tournaments, and it is quite normal to do one or the other. However, some players think that doing both will give them the sinister impression that will strike fear in other players. When a player sits down at a $2/$4 or $3/$6 Hold'em game dressed like the "Unabomber" complete with hat, sunglasses, and hood, it has the opposite effect than the one he is trying to convey. It's best to pick one or the other.

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The only way you will be able to determine the types of players you are up against is by studying them during the game. You should spend your time observing the other players when you are not involved in the hand. Many players will sit in a game for hours and, if you asked them any specifics about their opponents, they would not be able to give you an answer. I make it a point to watch one or two players per hand. Any player who raises gets my attention. If he is in the hand until the end, I want to know exactly what hand he raised with. This will help me determine if he is a solid aggressive player, or a loose maniac trying to get some action. It won't be too hard to determine who is playing tight and who is playing loose. Although I mentioned two examples of age when I talked about younger males playing loose and older people playing tight you can't rely on such generalities to judge other players.

During my third session of Hold'em, I met a women named Lois who is a regular at the casino where I do a lot of my playing. I sat next to her at the table and noticed she was using a key chain from Las Vegas as a weight to protect her cards. We struck up a friendly conversation about different casinos in Las Vegas and then talked about the game of Hold'em. We have played at the same table many times since. Lois is an older woman who reminded me a lot of my grandmother. She always has a bag of candy with her, which she generously shares with other players, and is one of the friendliest persons I have yet to meet in the casino. She is also one of the sharpest low-limit players; she consistently wins when she plays. Anyone looking at her probably would not think that she would be a force to reckon with at the tables.

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As you can probably figure out, the type of game that you are in will be dependent upon the types of players sitting at the table. Most of the time you will have a mixture of players but, more than likely, you will find yourself with the majority of players having the same style.

No Fold'em Hold'em
This is the term given to games that contain a large number of calling stations. The game is usually very loose with a lot of players seeing the flop and many of them calling all the way to the river. This type of game is also called "Showdown Poker" because you will have to "show down" the best hand at the end. There is absolutely no time in this game when it will be correct to try a bluff. It just won't work. You can play your normal style (tight-aggressive) in this game. You can raise knowing that you will be called. You just have to make sure you will be showing down the best hand.

Wild Games
In wild games you will have a large majority of loose aggressive players. They will want to cap the betting before the flop and continue betting after the flop. This type of game can produce big fluctuations in your bankroll if you play your normal style. You will have to tighten up your game even more than normal and wait for the big solid hands to play. You may not be playing many hands, but the ones you do win will be huge. It has been my experience that most of the wild games I have been in consisted of mostly younger males who are out having a good time and showing off a little macho bravado at the tables. If this type of game makes you feel uncomfortable then you should find another game.

I experienced one of my biggest wins in a wild game. I had gotten to the casino in the wee hours of the morning. I sat down and it did not take me long to determine that most of these guys had been drinking and playing most of the night. Four of the players in the game were trying to out-do each other. They were calling "raise" before the dealer could flop or turn the cards. The dealer had to remind them to act in turn. I was able to get a seat with all of them on my right. I patiently waited for a premium hand to play. My patience paid off as I was dealt pocket Aces during one hand and the flop of A-2-2 gave me the nut full house. I did not even have to worry about betting because the pot was capped before it was my turn to act. These four guys capped each betting round right to the river. The highest hand among them belonged to one player who had the fourth Ace for two pairs. They were stunned when I showed my full house.

Tight Games
If you are in a game with many tight players you will see much smaller pots, as there will be fewer players involved in each hand. They will be very selective about the hands they play and will do a lot of checking, looking for a free card if they are on a draw. Usually a bet will drive them out in this situation. If the game is passive as well as tight, you may be able to loosen up a little since you will be seeing the flop fairly cheaply. If there is ever a correct time to bluff in low-limit Hold'em, it will happen when you are in an extremely tight passive game. If you attempt a bluff in a tight game and are called or raised, you should immediately give it up. Many of the tight games I have played in have been in the afternoon at local casinos. The players were older and many of them were retired. Not all of these tight games were passive. I have met some of the toughest players in these games.

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Loose-Aggressive
These players are also referred to as maniacs. They never saw a hand they couldn't raise with. They crave action and want as much of it as possible. They will play many hands and will be betting and raising at every opportunity. This is the player you want to have sitting on your right so you can fold your weaker hands when they go into action. The problem with the maniacs is that you never know what hand they are raising with. Under the gun, they could just as easily be raising with A2 as AA. These players will cause the biggest fluctuation in your bankroll. They also will contribute to some of your biggest wins.

Tight-Passive
Tight-passive players are sometimes referred to as rocks. They play only premium starting hands, but they don't play them strongly, opting to check and call, rather than bet, raise, or check-raise. When a rock makes a bet you can be sure he has a very strong hand. If you have been paying attention to the players in the game, you will be able to spot the rock at your table. Some players joke that you can tell rocks by looking at the cobwebs on their stack of chips. These players like to receive free cards until they make a strong hand. When you are in a game with a majority of tight players, you will see more checking going on than betting. Tight passive players can also be bluffed more easily than other players. If you are in late position with active players limping in and checking on the flop, you can probably steal the pot with any bet made on the turn. You will lose to the rock if you do not have a strong hand. They hardly ever bluff, so when you are raised by one of these players, you will save money by mucking your hand if you don't have anything near the nuts.

Tight-Aggressive
A tight aggressive player is a force to deal with. If this is not you, then it should be your role model. This is the type of player you want to be. If you are new to the game, or are trying to improve your present game, you must understand that it will take a little work and effort on your part before you get to where you want to be. It doesn't happen overnight, but you can start at your next session by being more selective in the hands you play. Before the flop you play solid starting hands. After the flop you are going to read the board and determine how your hand stacks up against the best possible hand that can be made from the board.

If you decide to go on after the flop, you will play aggressively. A winning player is usually the one that initiates the action. If you are first to act, rather than checking, bet. If there is a bet before you, consider raising rather than calling. You should be well aware of the complete arsenal at your disposal including check-raising, slow playing, semi-bluffing, and how to gain a free card if necessary.
You should always be aware of the number of players involved in the hand. Was there a raise before the flop? If so who raised and what type of hands has that person been playing? You should also be aware of the pot odds and ask yourself if the odds justify calling a bet or raise. These are some of the questions that should cross your mind before you make your play. Winning players are leaders, not followers.

When I first started playing, I had no problem playing a tight game. I did discover that I was not being as aggressive as I should be. I made a conscious effort to change this. As I started playing more aggressively, I noticed a remarkable improvement in my game. The change came about as I developed more confidence in my own ability.

Fox is a term mostly associated with tournament players or professional players. Foxes have the ability to play deceptively. They may appear to play loose but then change gears and tighten up their play at any given time. They are masters at the art of deception and if you come across one at a table, you may find yourself being out played. These players have excellent results in higher-limit games, but some of their fancy plays will be lost on most low-limit players who don't pay attention to the play of others. If you plan to move up to the higher limit games, you will have to learn to incorporate some of the Fox's traits into your game. Unlike the low-limit games where "Tight Is Right," your opponents at the higher level will pick up on your tight play and not give you much action.

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You will meet all types of players in the cardroom. Some will be young, some old. There are males and females and players of all races and nationalities. In this day of political correctness we are cautioned to refrain from any type of stereotyping of the individuals we meet. This is practical advice in and out of the cardroom. However, after playing Texas Hold'em for a while, you will find that most players will fall into a few common categories based on what hands they play and how they play them. Players can be loose or tight along with being passive or aggressive.

Loose Players
Loose players believe that any two cards can win. They have no set standard as to which hands they play and will try to play as many hands as possible. They want to be involved and, once they are in the hand, they are reluctant to fold. These are recreational players and gamblers. They come to play and play they shall. Since they are playing a lot of hands, they consequently will win quite a few pots. However, in the long run, their wins will not offset all their losses. Having a lot of loose players in the game can make for some really large pots.

Tight Players
Tight players are just the opposite of loose players. They are very selective about the hands they play. They will only play premium hands that will have the best chance of winning. They usually refrain from playing gapped drawing hands in favor of the large cards and pocket pairs. Tight players will win more money in low-limit games, as other players are less likely to notice that they are playing very few hands. In higher-limit games, or games with knowledgeable players, there will be more players folding when the tight player does bet.

Passive or Weak Players
Passive players like to check and call. They don't like to raise and they will play their hands without much conviction. They won't push their hands by raising, preferring instead to let other players dictate the action. Because a passive player will call raises and bets, you stand to make money from this player when you win. You also will lose less money when they have the better hand because they have not been raising you.

Aggressive Players
Aggressive players will play their hands strongly. They will raise when the opportunity presents itself. They like to control the action, preferring to bet or raise rather than check or call. They are not afraid to check raise or cap the betting to eliminate other players. Aggressive players can intimidate passive players and, at times, run all over them.

You can mix and match these categories and break the majority of players down into four basic groups.

Loose-Passive
This group is also known as the "calling station." They will play many hands but will not play them strongly. A calling station will cold-call two raises before the flop and stay until the river, looking for that miracle draw. Even if it is clear that they are beaten, they will sometimes call just to keep you "honest" or to see what you had. There are some downsides to the calling station. They are the ones who will inflict the worst bad beats on you because of the cards they are playing and the fact they are staying to the end.

You have to accept this as a fact of life and be emotionally prepared when the bad beat comes along. In the long run, you will win more from these players than you will lose to them. You don't want to discourage them or drive them out of the game by berating them and criticizing the way they play. If you do get beat by a calling station tell them, "Nice Hand!" Encourage them to continue playing just the way that they are.

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6. Not protecting your cards

It is up to the players to protect their cards at all times. Place your hands or a chip on top of your cards. If another player's cards mix with yours when they throw in their cards, your hand will be declared dead. You will see some players bring a special weight or "Lucky Charm" to place over their pocket cards. It doesn't matter what you use as long as it is not so large as to interfere with the play of the game. Make sure to protect your cards until the pot is pushed to you. I once had the winning hand and the dealer pushed the pot to another player and swept my cards into the muck at the same time. I yelled that I had the winning hand. The floor was called and it was ruled that since my cards were in the discard pile I was not entitled to the pot.

7. Throwing a winning hand into the muck (discards)
The cards speak for themselves. Don't immediately throw in your cards if someone calls out a better hand. The dealer will declare the winner of the hand. Sometimes you may have a better hand than you thought you had. There is also the possibility that the player calling his winning hand has misread his own hand. Let the dealer declare the winner before mucking (throwing way) your hand.

8. Losing control of your emotions
Keep your emotions in check. The table is not the place for foul language or temper tantrums. It will not be tolerated. Besides it makes you look foolish. Veteran players as well as newcomers make this mistake. It is one that should not be made by anyone!

9. Playing too many hands
Many players crave the action. They feel that if they are not involved in the hand they aren't really playing the game. Successful players play fewer hands. It takes patience and discipline to wait until you have a proper starting hand. If you can practice these traits, you will be on your way to becoming a winning player.

10. Playing too long
Playing winning poker takes concentration. You must be aware of the game and people around you. If you play too long, you may get tired or even bored. This can cause you to make mistakes or play marginal hands. If you start to get tired leave the game. When I started playing, I would set time limits for each session. This helped to keep me focused and also helped me learn discipline by sticking to the limits I had set for myself.

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Once seated in a game in the cardroom, you want to observe proper table etiquette and be careful not to make any of the common beginner mistakes. Here are a few of the common mistakes made by new players when they sit down to play casino poker for the first time. Actually some of them are made by experienced players as well.

1. Betting out of turn
You must wait until the player to your right acts. If you bet out of turn, this could give an unfair advantage to a player that did not act yet. If you raise out of turn, a player who might had called could fold. If you fold out of turn, you are giving an advantage to the player on your right who may have folded and now knows you won't raise.

2. Making a string raise
If you are going to raise you should announce "raise" when it is your turn. If you don't announce a raise, you must put the bet and the raise in at the same time. If you put in the bet and then go back to your stack for the raise, you can be called for a "string bet," which is not allowed, and your raise will not be honored.

3. Not knowing what the bet is
You have to know what the bet is when it is your turn. You must pay attention to the amount of the bet made by the first active player. Then you must be aware if the bet was raised.

Sometimes if the player does not like the next card dealt, he will immediately fold when it is his turn. If you are first to act you can check. If everyone else checks, you get to see the next card for free. The same is true if everyone checks before it is your turn, you should also check instead of folding your cards. The free card may just make your hand. A fold instead of a check, essentially gives an advantage to the remaining players. There is now one fewer player in the hand that they need to worry about.

5. Throwing chips into the pot
Place your bet in front of you. This way the dealer sees that your bet is correct. He will scoop them into the pot. You don't throw them into the pot like you would at home.

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