Why Aggression Is Profitable in Poker
You hear it all the time on poker shows on television, “X is a very aggressive player. If he’s got a lot of chips, look out.” What exactly is aggression, and why is it so important for success in poker?
What is Poker Agression?
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Aggression in poker does not mean threatening to subject your opponents to bodily harm. In fact, one of the most aggressive and effective poker players in history, Stu Ungar, was relatively small. Aggression in poker refers to the way in which you attack pots. Checking and calling is not aggressive poker. To be aggressive, you must make opponents fight for every pot, and when you sense weakness, pounce on it with a big bet.
Why is Aggression Profitable in Poker?
Take a moment to generate a mental image of the player you would least like to face at the poker table. Is it a quiet player who is always content to check the hand down and see whether you or he has the best hand at the end? Or is it the player who always has a hand on chips, who you know is never going to let you see if the turn makes your flush for free, who you know if you miss that flush on the turn is going to make you pay with all your chips to see it on the river? The answer should be obvious. If you are basing your decisions on the fear that another player may bet or raise, that player has an edge on you. A player who only bets or raises with a monster hand creates no such fear, and has no advantage. You want to be that player that other poker players fear.
Why Does Aggressive Poker Work?
Aggressive poker players take control of every pot they are in. They are not passive observers, waiting to see if they will win; they take action, making sure they will win. Aggression in poker is like aggression in any walk of life; to get what you want, you often have to go out and take it, because no one is going to hand it to you.
When is Aggression Most Effective?
Aggression tends to be most effective in tournaments and no-limit poker. In these situations, an aggressive opponent can threaten to end your tournament life or to relieve you of a very large sum of money all at once, both very effective threats. Also in tournaments, with constantly rising blinds, it’s necessary to have a shark-like mentality: Keep moving forward or die. Aggressive players have this mentality.
When is Aggression less Effective?
In low-limit cash games, you can still benefit from being aggressive, but since the blinds stay the same size and the bets are fixed, it is much more difficult to put pressure on your opponents. In these games, tight players who wait for premium hands to bet can often function as effectively as an aggressive player.
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