What does it mean to be a LAG?
Top Tips for playing LAG poker.
Should I play LAG?
What Does it Mean to be a LAG?
LAG stands for “loose aggressive” and is characterized by a poker play style which matches up with the name. LAGs play a large selection of hands preflop and proceed to play aggressively postflop.
While the majority of LAGs are losing players, it’s generally considered that very good LAGs can make more money than those employing a tighter play style (often referred to as TAGs).
Although LAGs give the appearance of betting and raising postflop with an extremely high frequency, the best LAGs use carefully measured aggression and know exactly when to give up on a hand. For information on fighting back against LAG opponents, see here.
Top Tips for Playing LAG Style
1. Know your opponents.
A good LAG does not simply utilize blind aggression. Many of the looser plays a good LAG makes will not be theoretically correct but are profitable due to exploitative reasons. We should be on the lookout for any exploitable tendencies exhibited by our opponents. For example, if we notice our opponent is folding too frequently to preflop 3bets, we can look to widen up our 3bet range. A good LAG will also be aware of when his opponent is not folding in a certain scenario and avoid making bad bluffs.
2. Observe realistic boundaries.
While LAGs look to play more aggressively with weaker holdings, there are still limits to how wide this can go. When making plays (bluffs/semi-bluffs) on the flop or turn, it’s still important to have some sort of equity when dealing with an unknown opponent. Although a LAG might not require as much equity as a TAG looks for, making postflop plays against unknowns while holding total garbage is not generally a smart thing to do. Making zero equity buffs (aside from on the river) is usually one sign of an incompetent (weak) LAG.
3. Know when to fold.
Once players get into the mentality of meting out aggression and taking weak holdings a little bit further than normal, sometimes it becomes a little bit harder to find the fold once our opponent plays back. A bad LAG might level himself into thinking that his tight opponent is adjusting to all the aggression and attempting to formulate a counter-response. A good LAG recognizes when he has run into a legitimate holding and is capable of making the laydown. It’s very easy for a bad LAG to turn into a calling station, but a good LAG is always capable of making disciplined laydowns when required.
Should I play LAG?
LAG style is usually best for players who have been around poker for a while and gained some experience. Most novice players will do best sticking to a TAG (tight-aggressive) style. However, keep in mind that the absolute best poker players do not tie themselves down to a specific style but retain the ability to change gears based on who they are playing.
