Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
Blog > Aggression is key
Look at any winning poker player, be it those who play with Texas holdem strategy, pot-limit Omaha or Stud, whether they specialise in cash game or tournament each and every one of them will have a common trait. They are all aggressive at the table when they are playing poker.
By aggressive I do not mean they are shouting at other players, throwing chips around and being a general nuisance, I am talking about they are usually the aggressor in the hand, meaning they are the players betting and raising instead of simply calling.
Aggression at the poker table is a vital ingredient if you wish to become a winning player. Whilst it is correct to be passive in some situations, it is usually the correct to show some aggression the vast majority of the time. Being aggressive has many positives attached to it, some are highlighted below.
By being the person asking the questions, and not answering them, you constantly put pressure on your opponents and it is a well known fact that people make more mistakes when they are under pressure and we make the majority of our money by capitalising on the mistakes our opponents make.
Being aggressive also gives you an extra way to win a hand. If you simply call all the way to the river you simply have to have the best hand in order to win but if you bet or raise on any of the streets, you can win by having the best hand or you can force your opponent to fold a hand that is potentially better and stronger than yours.
Constantly betting and raising also increases your chances of being paid off handsomely when you finally hit a strong hand. If you have been aggressive at your table, some opponents will be inclined to play back at you with less than stellar holdings giving you more equity in the hand, plus they will give you less credit for having the goods when you are strong and pay you off with a much lesser hand.
One mantra I remember from when I first started playing at a Poker School is that by betting when you should not you cost yourself a bet, but failing to bet when you should can cost you the entire pot.
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