The importance of variation in your playing game style

Poker Strategy
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The importance of variation in your playing game style.

In the beginning, when I started playing poker, I watched video classes talking about how to play in position and also about range concepts, as time went by, I ended up adopting a tighter playing style, believing that this would be the formula for success, and I was wrong, that way I started to become very predictable, as I only had this style of play as a resource, after some time I started to realize that I needed to increase my game arsenal, where I went to get more information, look for more videos, and watch live tournaments on YouTube with great Brazilian players, Rafael Moraes, Carmanhani, AndrĂ© Akkari, Felipe Mojave among others, and I started learning new possibilities, where I decided to put them into practice and my game evolved more and more, I still make a lot of mistakes, but I’m in the process of maturing in poker and I’m already seeing results, I’ve learned to change my strategy in the middle of each tournament, in some moments I adopt a tight playing style, in others aggressive, and in other situations using bluff as an option, my game improved a lot after I started using new game patterns, and today unpredictability is my biggest weapon in poker.

During a long tournament we will have to adapt several times and variation in playing style can be an important weapon for this.

So, to finish this little topic about the importance of variation in your game, tell me what your playing style is and what strategies do you use that make you a different player?

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Hi, ZenonBR.

I’m more of a tight and “trappy” player naturally.

But as you point out as soon as you find any unbalanced thing that your opponents do you try to exploit it.

If they fold too much you bluff more. And if they call too much you value bet more and thinner.

Here is a quote from Bruce Lee that is for martial arts but can be used for poker with a little imagination: “The best fighter is not a Boxer, Karate or Judo man. The best fighter is someone who can adapt on any style. He kicks too good for a Boxer, throws too good for a karate man, and punches too good for a Judo man.”

Below is a summary of different articles published online on how to play against opponents with a distinct style:

  1. Calling Station

    • Avoid bluffing: They rarely fold, so bluffs are unprofitable.
    • Bet for value: When you have a good hand, bet for value as they will call with weaker hands.
    • Thin value bets: Even medium-strength hands can be profitable because they’ll call with weak holdings.
    • Play passively with draws: They don’t raise often, so you can play your draws more passively.
    • Be cautious when they raise: If they raise, they likely have a very strong hand.

  2. Maniac

    • Play tight: Wait for strong hands and let them make mistakes.
    • Induce bluffs: Maniacs love to bluff, so slow play and let them bet.
    • Don’t bluff: They are too aggressive to fold to bluffs.
    • Lower hand standards: Hands like top pair or even medium pairs can often be good enough.
    • Consistency is key: Stick to a plan and call down or fold early, as they will rarely give up.

  3. Nit

    • Attack their blinds: They fold often, so capitalize on this by stealing their blinds.
    • Be cautious when they show aggression: They only play strong hands, so respect their bets and raises.
    • Play hands with implied odds: Hands like small pairs or suited connectors can pay off big when you hit.
    • Avoid big pots: If they’re still in the hand after several streets, you’re probably up against a monster.

  4. TAG (Tight Aggressive)

    • Selective aggression: Attack their blinds occasionally, but don’t overdo it.
    • Avoid confrontations: TAGs are solid players, so focus on weaker opponents instead.
    • Respect their bluffs: They don’t bluff often, but when they do, it’s likely a semi-bluff or calculated play.
    • Don’t bluff too much: TAGs will recognize bluffs and call you down when warranted.

  5. LAG (Loose Aggressive)

    • Play tighter pre-flop: Don’t get drawn into playing too many hands against them.
    • Steal blinds less often: LAGs defend their blinds more frequently.
    • Lean towards calling: Post-flop, their wide range means your hand may still be stronger, so don’t fold too easily.
    • Avoid unnecessary rivalries: Stick to your strategy and don’t get emotionally involved in their aggression. Profits will come from your stronger range over time.

These tactics help exploit each player’s weaknesses based on their style and tendencies.

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My first rule of thumb is I do NOT bet ANY bingo player in here. Period.

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Books, videos, movies, watching poker live etc. is good-but honestly, just play a lot of poker ( small at first) and you will learn n become good if you have PATIENCE
I played 7-stud all my life ( yep, i am old lol ) and a few years ago had to learn Texas-hold-em because that is what was in most casinos n online-----PATIENCE and just reading players and playing a lot helped me become decent at it and anyone can become good at it with PATIENCE:).

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I’ll try to adapt to every new table which means monitoring my opponents awhile before making any drastic moves. So against unknown opponents I do not have just one playing style. It always depends on their actions and tendencies.

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Positional poker, where later position is everything, is usually sufficient to have sufficien variation, in playing style, if one follows both GTO, and Exploitative.

Example. If I raise 65 suited from the button, and 66,77+ KQ, AT suited, AJ suited AQ, AK UTG, then some to almost lots to almost most players are going to think I have a wide range, lots of variation, and think I am unpredictable, while I am making, being very predictable according to position, players, tables, stack sizes, blinds, conditions, situation, nuances, etc. This is COUNTER, REACTIVE POKER. And counter, reactive poker can, seems unpredictable, but in reality is very predictable, its just that it seems unpredictable, because most players dont know your countering, reacting, etc, to conditions, and even if they do know, they dont always know what conditions your countering, reacting to. So a key to seemingly being unpredictable, variant, etc, is to play GTO, Exploitative, Positional, Countering, Reactive, according to conditions, correctly. Doing that will make a person unpredictable, variant, enough, or seem like it, that enough.

And that can be augmented by occasionally, once in a while, raising 87 suited from UTG+1,2,3, instead of from only button, cut off, hi jack, sb, and sometimes occasionally once in while raising 22, 33, 44, A7 suited, QJ suited, KJ suited, UTG. Doing that a lot is bad, can get you into trouble, but doing so on limited occasions, once in great while, can help, will help to mix up your game, semi balance out your ranges, make you seem semi unpredictable, semi variant at times.

That, this all of this combined is how one is, or seems to be unpredictable, variant, and is the correct, right way to play.

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Changing your playing style keeps opponents guessing, making it harder for them to read your hand or strategy. This unpredictability can lead to mistakes on their part. Different opponents have different weaknesses. Adapting your style allows you to exploit these weaknesses effectively. For instance, against tight players, you might play more aggressively to steal pots, while against loose players, you might tighten up and wait for strong hands.

Imo this is only necessary if playing against thinking opponents.

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Yep, you play the same way ANY good player will see it–got to change it up and keep ppl. thinking:)


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Stop please lol-------stop confusing ppl. with these charts on what to do:)
 ‘the correct way to play’ lol

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I am tight Aggressive, or at least i am trying to be . But at different tourney blond levels and stages i will try to play differently , differently if i have bigger or smaller stack , differently if i am itm or close to ft or only at the beginning of the tournry