‘Tight-aggressive’ strategy has evolved over the years

Like most games, poker offers a wide variety of strategies, some of which reflect on the player employing them. For example, a player who only plays the best possible hand (also known as “the nuts”) is often labeled tight, while someone who plays any two cards is referred to as a lunatic, reckless, etc.

There are labels for players who fall in between the two extremes, such as TAG, an acronym for “tight-aggressive.” This applies to players who play few hands but, when they do decide to mix it up, play those hands very aggressively. The tight-aggressive strategy was prominent in the mid-2000s, at the height of the poker boom.

Back then, a lot of players liked to splash around preflop. By using a TAG strategy, players could wait for strong hands and then punish those loose players, who were inclined to pay off the competition.

While loose players put in chips with hands such as Js 10h or 5c 6d, TAG players would wait for stronger hands such as As Kc or Jd Jh. By playing pocket pairs and big aces, they were more likely to enter the hand with the best of it.

Those were the good old days, but the game has since changed. Players no longer pay off as often, especially if they pick up on the fact that you only put chips in the pot with strong hands. But if you’re a TAG player, fear not: That strategy has evolved to fit modern poker.

To take your TAG game to the next level, you need to balance your range, which means playing the same way with all sorts of hands. You can balance your range by expanding the cards you’ll play. For instance, you might get involved with suited connectors such as 10d 9d or 4h 3h and play them as you would a big pocket pair.

You’ll confuse your opponents, who will have a much harder time putting you on a hand. The result is that they’ll be more likely to put chips in the pot, and you’ll be more likely to get paid when hold a big hand.

Conversely, if you’re playing against a TAG player, you’ll want to proceed with caution and take a more conservative approach.

Imagine you’re in a $1-$2 no-limit hold ‘em cash game and a TAG player raises to $6 from middle position. You’re in the big blind with Ah 8c and call to see a flop of Kd 4d 2h. You check, and your opponent checks behind.

The 8s turn gives you second pair, and your first inclination is to bet. However, this might be an instance where you want to check. After all, your opponent is tight, and he entered the pot early, so there’s a real possibility he has a hand like pocket nines or tens.

Perhaps a better option is to check with intention of either calling a bet on the river or value-betting if your opponent checks.

Poker is always evolving, and your game should keep pace.