Loose play and tight play are the style in which each of the poker player plays his game. Some of them switch between the two depending on the type of cards they have. It’s possible that when a player has a strong card, he would stick to tight play and when the cards are weak, he might play loose hoping to win the game by luck.

It totally depends on how you look at it and which approach you consider is the best for your game. However, knowing your opponents style of play will definitely be of advantage.

There are no fixed rules for loose and tight play and it varies from player to player as to how they see a loose play or a tight play. Generally a tight player starts the hand with a strong cards and a loose player starts the hand with low card. Few things to look out in a loose player are, he plays too much on inside straights or a full house draws whereas a tight player will raise only when he feels that he has the best hand.

Irrespective of a player being loose or tight, you need to be on guard as both these types of players and hurt you in case you do not read their game well and play accordingly. However, the tight players are easy to play. They can be identified from the Flop and the betting.

Loose players makes themselves very difficult to read. They might not fold if you bet against them unlike tight players. The tight player will only raise when he thinks he has the best hand whereas a loose player would raise irrespective of the hand he has and would rely much on luck.

Loose players normally get a small advantage when they raise as it is difficult to know if they have a strong hand or if they are trying to win by betting. This is what which makes it difficult to play a loose player. Also, an odd flop may fit their hand well.

It’s good to have loose players in the game as it helps in increasing the pot amount. Normally its loose players who frequently raise the pot amount and this can be helpful if you are able to read them well. It’s the loose players who make large pots possible and this can be of advantage if you have formed strong hand else it can be the worst thing to happen.

It is possible to read players based on how they conduct themselves at the table. Usually it easy to read players who talk a lot during the game as they tend to calm down as their hands get better. It’s very simple to read them. Observing the body language of each player can help you identify the card strength of each player.

Knowing the strength and the weakness of a player is the kind of information which can fetch you money. Therefore it is important to read you opponents accurately. It does take time but with a little bit of effort, you can soon avoid the pitfall and improve your chances of raking the pot.