Hold 'em poker - which is better: tight or loose play?

Question

I already know that it depends on the game. Elaborate please! What about pre-flop vs. post-flop?

Answer 1

matters if you have a long tournement...

you would want to be pretty tight in a tournement, because you need to last... but if ya got good cards ya needs to play them

Answer 2

In the Psychology of Poker the author describes the best type of poker player as tight/aggressive. This basically means that you are very selective in the hands you play but once you've committed to playing a hand you play it aggressively. I play this way and win most of my hands before the river and rarely have to show down to win a pot. The catch is that once an opponent figures you out they will play passively when they have the nuts and let you bet your stack away. So you still need to know how to read your opponents and get away from a hand. Even those sexy pocket rockets when you know you might be beat.

Answer 3

Great poker question. I like to play using a tight aggresive poker style. Always try to have your chips in play with the best poker hand. In the long run you will win money. I hope this helps.

Answer 4

Depends on the game and the player. If you are playing short handed you should be playing looser, especially if you have a good handle on your opponents. There's some good takes on this in the Tips From the Pros archive on http://www.theultimatepokerguide.com that I think make a good case for playing a bit looser than normal.