Playing Tight Aggressive Poker (TAG)

[akmost]

Very interesting article , in the longterm and with an appropriate adaptation in your game TAG playstyle is the one will lead you to the profitable side. You should play TAG in the very beginning and near FT the chaos always happens in the middle stages as far as I know.

ps. ''If your answer is “no”, go and get a cookie and move to the front of the class.''

Where is my cookie?

 

[VIP_TARIFF]

I also play in the style of tight-agrsivno and it really brings the results of the winnings, the opponents simply may not believe that the person hit the flop, or they want to check because you have been waiting in ambush for a long time. I always attack on almost all of my opponent’s chips, so that he would pay me full if I eat a monster.

 

[m0t22]

It is very good topics like this where we can share information and ways of thinking about a strategy.

I believe beginners do not need to think about (GTO / Exploitated) where most players in micro limits do not even think Level 2.

 

[Paya_31]

Hello very good article on the TAG game, I found it very important, and if handled well this style good results, and mix with other styles to vary is more likely to achieve good profits yet. but achieving this style is tight. regards

 

[TheNutz4You]

I play a TAG style of poker, but have been trying to become a hybrid tag/lag, as I feel the most profitable style of poker is a mix of tag and lag play. It has been tough as at heart I am a more tight aggressive player, but see how playing loose aggressive can and does give an edge vs tighter players. I think the stronger your post flop play is the laggy you want to be. But playing TAG is an awesome strat for beginning players imo.

 

[braveslice]

I wonder if things are really that simple. The better the TAG is the more LAG-like lines are appearing. Same can be said about LAG style, more LAG-player learns more TAG lines he implements. What comes for ranges, range is defined by the skill compared to villain, more skillful you are more hands you can play, profiling the villain, the table and the position. This goes same for both LAG and TAG.

When we say he plays LAG – we mean usually he is bluff heavy - > obvious mistake, if we say he plays TAG we mean he is typically value heavy -> obvious mistake too. So what we see as a meaning of TAG/LAG can’t be the true meaning behind the terminology.

So I do share the views of (surprisingly many) of this topic that being TAG or LAG is a bit blurry concept.

 

[EnigmaTTO]

Good read, definitely going to make sure I play this way as much as possible. Definitely, need to be more consistent in my game so this is probably what I need to focus on.

 

[Chalada12]

to be a tag player , u must play that way all the tournament , u must keep playing samer methode for ours . most players start that way , but don t continue due to a tilt , or losing a pot because the river card .

 

[RicardoTolfo]

Playing that way is good at the beginning of the tournament, to analyze the opponents. After much time at the same table it is necessary to mix the type of game, not to be exploited in most hands

 

[Nelson1712]

I usually tend to play a wide range of hands before the flop, after the flop play aggressive according to the value of my hand, it is very profitable to play often aggressive but cautiously

 

[wsbar]

No doubt the tight aggressive style is in fact the most lucrative style of texas holdem poker, it is not easy to apply this style because it takes a lot of patience and commitment to yourself. It is very difficult for a player to resist not playing with a TJs in order to hit the flop. At the beginning of a tournament my mentality is to apply this style in my game, more as time goes by, the blinds increase, patience is running out and it is necessary to take some action and start playing with other cards, more doubtless when the A pair is required to be able to extract as much stack as possible from your opponent. Good luck to everyone.

 

[m0t22]

Thats odd. I have read the article and thought I have posted in this thread

Anyway, I believe the best style is mixing it up. I dont think many players do this. Most stick by their favorable style either tag or lag and end up being easily predicted. Also many players think they are playing tight agressive but in reality they are playing tight passive. I try to change playing styles depending on opponents and table.

Unbalanced tag style is the most easily exploited style. Its like playing with your cards face up. Especially in micros where a lot of beginners play, its so painfully obvious what cards they have. If we dont exclude cash games and talk about turbo tourneys format, spin n go etc, I think playing tag is a disaster.

I agree with what you said.

 

[PHX]

When I first started I believed TAG was the only right way to play. You need to be able to play TAG but also need to be able to mix up your depending on your table.

I would say playing TAG is the foundation of any mtt strategy. If you are just starting off you learn to play TAG first and then expand your strategy form there.

Also if you know the in and outs of TAG players you will be able to devise a strategy to combat these players since many people play this way.

 

[CallmeFloppy]

The main advantage of a tight aggressive is being able to control the hands that you play and limit your chances of a big loss. You won't steal as many pots and will allow more pots to be stolen from you, but are less likely to fall into a bear trap and lose your stack. The key is to be disciplined and aggressive on the hands you play.

 

[Miguel Chacon]

Tight aggressive the most popular poker strategy among regs but also very very unknown by fishes hehehehe of course since I started playing poker I always play tight aggressive it just seems like a smart move to not put yourself in complicated decisions that will cost you money and more when you're still a beginer and you're not sure about a lot of things to consider postflop ... I love this strategy and is the one I use more with little modifications to my style hehehe great Article!

 

[neverbluff]

I think at the lower stakes, with deeper stacks, TAG is generally optimal. You could also play overly aggressive, but even if you win in the short run you'll generally have a lot of leaks in your game. One thing I think people confuse is TAG doesn't mean always playing tight. If you have < 20 BB you need to be shoving marginal hands when it's folded to you. You also need to make sure your are aggressive enough pre and postflop or you just end up being tight and people will walk all over you

 

[shanest]

I recently played my first live poker games and I emplyed this strategy. I was nervous sitting down at a live poker table at the Venetian poker room.
I found even with this style it is very effective in a live setting as players were drinking etc and paying me off light in spots despite playing very few hands.
I think to win tournaments you need more than this style. It is always vital to be able to adapt and change gears as necessary and appropriate.

 

[danoscar]

Fish or no Fish (No TAG or TAG)

TAG works. Card distribution can be your best friend or your worse enemy. If falling behind, loosening up is required. I am looking for straight and flush opps more. If sitting pretty, well I like to pick my "magic moments". Good conversation piece.
Dan'O

 

[xbronk]

excellent many see it as a game style or a label only one weapon that you can use and if you have in your arsenal something like this who am I to differ but the examples are more influential factors and the phrase to bet when the board you defeated is throwing the money down the drain defines many bad stories hahaha good luck greetings:icon_puke

 

[migesan]

As far as I'm concerned, my game is based on the TAG game, but the neigram always depends on the kind of players I play and whether I managed to read them, so if I get an opportunity to play against a TAG player, then I'm playing.

 

[cwdignus]

this article is an invitation to reflection, because if we know how to define Tight Aggressive Poker (TAG) and LAG (loose aggressive) attitudes ... sometimes we think a lot about aggression and do not evaluate correctly when, where and when it really can. bring advantages ... the understanding of the Ranger of Hands, the strategic choice of the Ranger, allied with the most suitable position among other factors and that can make the difference between profitability or not ....

 

[Rijckenborg]

It appears that I play my best poker when I'm Tight Aggressive.
I should stick with that.
But maybe it's good to have more than one style to trap an opponent.

 

[Nikolay Nakhaev]

Now I prefer to combine these two styles of TAG and LAG in the game.
depending on the specific data and situation.
It helps me in the game and brings results.
it is possible

 

[m0t22]

As far as I'm concerned, my game is based on the TAG game, but the neigram always depends on the kind of players I play and whether I managed to read them, so if I get an opportunity to play against a TAG player, then I'm playing.

Well placed, it makes sense.

 

[kdawg71]

I am a tournament player. I play TAG (Tight Aggressive Poker) - When I say that what I mean is that whatever scenario that I am in at the point when it is my turn to play will ultimately dictate how I will play with the ultimate goal of trying to maximize my wins while at the same time keeping my loses minimum. Scenario? What 2 cards am I holding? What position on the board am I at? Is there a raise or re-raise in front of me? Do the guys on both sides of me have bigger or smaller stacks than I do? Is the table aggressive or timid? What cards am I putting my opponents on? How close am I to the cash bubble? How many opponents saw the flop? How big are the blinds? Do I think I can bluff this person? Is this person bluffing me? Is this person a caller? Is this person a bluffer? Does this person play to many hands or not so many hands? Plus a few more that I can't think of right now. That being said, there is a lot to think about when making plays in a poker game. That's why I consider myself to be a TAG.