From Cards to People
Reading opponents is what separates good poker players from great ones. It's not about psychic powers — it's about paying attention to patterns, betting behavior, and timing to narrow down what hands your opponents likely hold.
Player Types
Most players fall into one of four categories. Identifying their type helps you predict their actions.
Tight-Passive (Rock)
Plays few hands, rarely raises. When they bet big, they have it. Bluff them.
Tight-Aggressive (TAG)
Plays few hands but bets aggressively. The most common winning style.
Loose-Passive (Calling Station)
Plays too many hands, rarely raises. Don't bluff — value bet relentlessly.
Loose-Aggressive (LAG)
Plays many hands aggressively. Dangerous but exploitable with patience.
Betting Patterns to Watch
- Bet sizing: Small bets often indicate weakness or a draw. Large bets usually mean strength or a bluff.
- Check-raise: Almost always a strong hand (especially from passive players).
- Continuation bet then give up: Often means they missed the flop.
- Overbetting the pot: Polarized — either the nuts or a bluff.
- Min-raise: Often a weak or trapping hand.
Timing Tells
How fast someone acts can reveal information, especially online.
- Instant call: Usually a draw or medium-strength hand (they decided quickly).
- Long pause then bet: Often genuine strength (thinking about how to extract value).
- Long pause then check: Likely weakness (considering a bluff but gave up).
- Quick bet: Pre-decided action. Could be a strong hand or an auto-continuation bet.
Hand Ranges
Instead of trying to put an opponent on one specific hand, think in ranges — the set of all hands they could have given their actions.
Narrowing Ranges Street by Street
- Pre-flop: What hands would they open from this position?
- Flop: Which hands in that range would bet/check/raise on this board?
- Turn: Does their action narrow or widen the possibilities?
- River: What's left? Are they value-betting or bluffing?