How can i be a good LAG player?

Im playing tournament mostly now a days. People saying that in mid stage I should be more LAG than TAG " This is in Mid stage"

But I dont really have any idea how can i be a good LAG player.
What are the things should I do during mid stage?
What range of hands I should be playing?

Should I be limping more? Or raising more?

Any input would be really appreciated

-Alvin Pe

Limping isn't agressive.. When people say that you should be more lag than tag mid-stage they are most likely telling you to do this when the other players start tighting up near the bubble. When this stage happens I would start suggesting the following:

1. Open up your stealing range, as well as start stealing from the CO.
2. Open up your range in general, start raising with Broadway cards with a less than standard kicker.. K9 offsuit comes to mind. as well as start raising with lower suited connectors such as 56. These hands will often allow you to steal blinds way OOP as well as get HU situations.

When raising with these hands that are normally not in your range your post flop decisions should be very simple. Either you hit your hand or you don't. Sometimes you can shoot out a CB if you feel the board is scary.

The LAG players that I know have an above average ability of reading players, knowing opponents' betting patterns and really knows how to aggressively play in position. Something that I'm striving for myself. It has very little to do with your hands but everything to do with getting inside your opponents head and playing their cards.

You should be trying to exploit situations where your hand strength doesn't matter (ie, you don't go to showdown super often).

Essentially, you want to constantly find profitable ways to be in pots against exploitable players, even if it means compromising a bit on your starting hand requirements.

Ways to be Laggy:

- Steal more from late position. (exploit position, people who don't defend blinds)
- Re-steal more against late position stealers. (exploit the fact that their stealing range is wide)
- Isolate/punish limpers. (Exploit the fact that their hand range is weak)
- Float ABC TAG players with a wide range with plans to steal post-flop/post-turn. (Exploit their c-bet and give up/fit or fold post-flop tendencies)

That is my understanding, too. Doyle Brunson's Super System has some good hints on LAG play, although it certainly isn't my favourite poker book by any stretch of the imagination.

This isn't necessarily directly connected to your question, but I found my game improved loads after I watched Negreanu's "small ball" lessons on Youtube. In fact, I think I should go and watch it again lol.

Sorry if this too random.

Adam

I would not advocate being a LAG player. I guess here is a time and place for it, but my from perspective....LAG induces multi-way pots, uncertainty, and doubt. Again, I guess that is OK if your well versed, know what your doing and why your LAG in the poker world but for me....NAH!!!! I will take my chances with 1st in and raising or raising when you LAG...lol

I think striving to be a LAG player definately has its benefits. I would say my style (if I have one) is TAG. It's a great place to start but I would like to progress to a small ball/LAG style somewhere down the road. I would probably still have TAG as my default style, but being able to play LAG would open up some options. For example, it would be great to be able to change gears to a LAG'gy style every now and again just to keep everyone confused--a great way to mix up your play. Also, if you start the hand as a TAG and miss the flop, if you have developed your LAG skills you might be able to push your opponent off of their hand because you have a good idea of where they are at.

Playing LAG profitably is definately an upper echelon skill. I have tons of respect for those can do it well. You always seem to be in a tough position where you have 2nd or 3rd pair, an Ace on the board and your opponent just put in a pot sized bet. Now what?

Daniel has said several times in vids that I've seen, the small ball/LAG style relies completely on your reads. If you do not have great hand reading skills don't play small ball.

Good luck if you decide to persue the LAG style of play.

I want to learn how to be good at being LAG player I need it on mid stage and late stage of a tourney. People said you cant reach final table without playing LAG style. Which is true imo in my experience even playing TAG long the way long you cant reach final table. "Just my opinion and had experience it already.. I dont know maybe tight on mid stage doesnt work on me.

+1

Pay attention to the master here, c9 has developed a solid logic/rationale for his LAG style, if you want to learn LAG search his posts/threads. His emphasis is cash games rather than tourneys, but the logic is applicable situationally to tourneys. Lizzy's comment on hand reading is also spot on.

You need to practice to make this style work, and much of it is counter-intuitive - but keep in mind that this style plays the player (as you can see from the advice above) above all else (note the emphasis on not having to show down).

Guys, I need tips on how to do this things.

-Re-steal more against late position stealers. (exploit the fact that their stealing range is wide)
- Isolate/punish limpers. (Exploit the fact that their hand range is weak)
- Float ABC TAG players with a wide range with plans to steal post-flop/post-turn. (Exploit their c-bet and give up/fit or fold post-flop tendencies)

What do you mean ABC TAG players?

How do you isolate limpers? and what does that mean?

How do you exploit c-bet?

Thank you in advance

-Alvin Pe

All comments above assume position (i.e., you're last to act, not first).

You should check out the Golden Archives for more context and better explanations. GL and see you on the felt!

Thank you for your well explained reply. I really appreciate it Mr. Sly. Thank you.

in order to be a good lag raise a lot in position, and basically just play youre position really strong and own ppl

lol for more visit deucescracked.com and watch foxwoodsfiend and krantz :P

I will try all your advices tonight on a tournament on pokerstars hope i can make it to the money

This is somewhat true. Often the players at the low buy-ins will limp/call preflop, and fold to c-bets 90% of the time postflop. And you can value-town calling stations with QT just about as easily as with AK. While you can't be super crazy against stations, you can still isolate them pretty wide and try to exploit their stationyness postflop.

Playing LAG is just about maximizing factors other than hand strength. You pick spots to open up your range of hands that have everything else going for it. Sure, QTs may not be a monster, but when you're on the button, with a loose/terrible limper in the cutoff & nitty players in the blinds, QTs is almost as good as aces UTG.

If I have only 100$ br what is the most good and enjoyable poker game in tournament? In their specific buy ins.

Play 1$ MTT's, or 2$ SnG's.

One thing to keep in mind is that one of the foundations of small ball is being willing and able to lose multiple small posts in order to win a few large ones. It's not that simple by any means since another vital part is winning small pots too, most often by using position to advantage. So, you have to be able to cope with not just playing lots of pots, but also the fact that playing more hands and doing so with a broader range means you will lose more of them.

Remaining unmarried to your hands/moves is also a skill you need to develop for LAG play.

In C3s QT example, you might hit the flop a little and meet resistance to your usual pressure even when you have a hand to back it up. You need to know the right time to keep pressing vs letting go of your cards and waiting for your next spot.

This is why the hand reading skill is important, or even mandatory. But you need to also know hw to act.

If you know the tight guy on the button who called your PFR wouldn't do this without JJ+ AQ+ then you need to know when the rest of the flop is telling you to let go of your middle pair-fair kicker hand.

And then you have to be able to let go without blinking. More cards are on the way.

You must consider your opponent at least as much as your cards, or you will be shooting out chipstacks like a fire hydrant.

I failed trying to be good lag player. During late game I was afraid to raise too much. I dont know. And I dont know what pretty much hand I should've be raising with..

Good news guys. I played 5$ tournament. And make a big success well for me. Place at 180th. I noticed my wrong move. On my AJ which is reraised 3bets. I was thinking the raiser were bluffing. thank you for you advice. It's now clearer for me. I need to tweak some of my mistakes/leaks though..

I think the keys are being able to read your table. As a player, you shouldn't force yourself to one strategy, whether it be LAG or TAG or anything else for that matter. You have to observe your table and go from there. Most of the time, I prefer not to assume that my opponent is bluffing unless I know they are overly aggressive. The worse thing you want to do is play for hours and get burned on one all-in because you thought they were bluffing. It's generally safer to fold than it is to call, especially if you don't have a good read on your opponent.

There is loooots of good stuff here.

The thing about style is it pays to adopt one that works for the circumstances. To be comfortable in more than one is a boon. I am naturally a moderately loose aggressive player (usually too much loose and not enough aggressive. haha) But sometimes when opportunity strikes, i must become a tight player or even a nit.

It has been said that one should adopt the style NOT common to the table. Loose at tight tables, tight at loose ones. Overall it's a decent axiom.

Thanks Kuberr. I will try this later on. Im not that good at reading people even I have tracker. I dont know I just dont know how to use effectively. That call made me almost out of the tourney. I still regret it up to now. But I'll add it up to my bad experience and play better later on.