Loose/Passive

In poker, most players can be separated into four categories characterizing their style of play. Each style is described as a combination of the starting hands the player chooses to play, and the way the player bets these hands.
"Tight" and "Loose" describe the choice in starting hands. "Passive" and "Aggressive" describe the betting pattern.

This is your very own piggy bank at the poker table – and typically also the style of play most beginners initially adapt.

The Loose/Passive player will play almost any starting hand – no matter how mediocre it might be. Hence the name "Loose". At the same time the Loose/Passive player has big problems getting away from a hand and will as a result often call too many bets with these hands.

The math and probabilities behind poker is not something the Loose/Passive player is very familiar with, and you can immediately recognize these players by the fact that they only rarely fold preflop, never ever make a raise and will call down anyone with anything.

A Loose/Passive player doesn't really take an interest in the positions at the table – and probably wouldn't know what to use positions for anyway. Instead these players call right and left – almost regardless of the sizes of the bets – hoping they'll get lucky and hit something later on. It often doesn't matter if it would take a small miracle to make a hand – if there's even a slim shot, there's a Loose/Passive player willing to call for that last card.

Like all other players, the Loose/Passive player will get lucky from time to time and hit those miracle cards. Often believing they did something right and clever in the hand.
Because the Loose/Passive player is willing to call even big bets with very poor holdings, they often pick up quite big pots, when they do hit that wonder card. But you can be absolutely certain that the Loose/Passive player will lose a lot of money in the long run.

"Calling Station" is another term often used to describe the Loose/Passive style of play – because of the tendency to call anything down. And if there's anything in poker you do not want to be, it's a Calling Station.

How to counter this player:

Get to see as many cheap flops as possible with speculative hands like small pocket pairs and suited connectors – hands that could flop big like Three of a Kind, Straight or Flush.
These starting hands are easy to fold, if the flop misses you completely, and they'll make you a ton of money against Loose/Passive players, if you hit. You'll be able to bet out with your monster and get calls all the way to the river.

Strong starting hands should be played aggressively with substantial bets and raises preflop, since you're almost guaranteed to get a call from the Loose/Passive player.

You should never attempt to bluff Loose/Passive players. Ever.
They'll call every time, and if you are trying to steal the pot with nothing, you'll quickly find your worthless hand beaten by something only slightly less worthless.
Instead you wait until you are solidly ahead in a hand and then have these players pay dearly for their curiosity by making big bets and raises.


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