Should I Have a Tight or Loose Image?

One of the favorite topics of discussion (or violent disagreement) among thinking poker players is, "Should you have a tight or loose table image?"

This discussion has been re-ignited by an excellent book, Inside the Poker Mind, by John Feeney. In it, Feeney reviews the main points on both sides of the discussion, and the most well-known proponents of each. To summarize, the "Mike Caro" camp holds that a loose image gets you calls for your value bets that you wouldn't get otherwise. The "Mason Malmuth" camp holds that your tight image allows you to steal entire pots that you wouldn't otherwise. Feeney basically agrees with Malmuth in passing, while moving on to the more complex question of multiple table images.

But speaking specifically of low-limit hold'em games, I respectfully disagree with Dr. Feeney. Here's why:

In low-limit games, the players are there primarily for recreation – you can't earn a decent living in $5-$10 games. And, in general, the players are not as focused and don't think as much about the game itself and their opponents. Well, you are your opponents' opponent. If they don't think about you much, when it comes time for you to play a pot with them, they're likely to do what they naturally do – call. If you've been quiet, have played tight, and haven't been involved in many pots, you're not likely to even register on their radars. As an experiment, try playing supertight preflop for a while. Then, when you finally get pocket queens and raise, what happens? They all call. If they don't, you may want to consider the possibility that your tight play is actually being noticed. But by and large, they'll call anyway.

However, if you have an image of playing loosely, you're more likely to appear on their radars, and your image will encourage them to call more. I believe that making them call more is desirable, because it pushes them further away from correct play; they call too much anyway. Encouraging tightness and less frequent calling pushes them back toward the center – toward correct play. But I claim that in most low-limit games, you won't be able to push them to a point where you can start to steal enough pots to make it worthwhile.

So, I disagree with Feeney? Not necessarily. He's careful to note that the pot-stealing effect is greatest against skilled opponents. And I'm specifically talking here about unskilled, unaware opponents. So, in summary, to the degree that table image matters in low-limit games, I encourage you to present an image of being a loose player – with these two caveats:

1. Don't confuse image with correct play. Even as a winning player, you don't have a huge edge over your opponents. Playing silly cards to develop an image is rarely the correct thing to do. If you can persuade your opponents, via your talk, your behavior, or marginally correct "gambling" plays, that you're a loose player, all the better. But with very rare exception, play your cards optimally.

2. When you move up into the limits that Feeney's book is geared toward – the midlimit games – you'll need to be much more aware of your image, and the effect that it has on your opponents.

Thanks for reading.