Offensive or defensive poker?

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mottotom27

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By offensive i mean exploiting your opponents, by defensive i mean balancing your plays so you are harder to read. At what limit does a defensive strategy start to dominate? Dan Harrington suggested that all the way up to 25nl you should employ an offensive strategy and only at 50nl+ you should become more defensive. Blackrain79 on the other hand suggests that you should begin to employ defense into your game at as low as 10nl. What do you guys think?
 
PapaC

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Well I think you have to play both ways in any game. You just got to know when to go on the offense and the defense. To me poker is like any other game. Now I'm learning a lot here and look for a lot of advice, so I will leave it at that and see what these other players with more experience say.
 
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mottotom27

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At 2nl or 5nl there is no need to employ any kind of defense or balance into your strategy because virtually all the players can be exploited so easily even the regs are bad. But there will be a limit where defense becomes a big part of the game and that's what im trying to discover
 
veronica

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I think being offensive or defense depends on the circumstances and time of game we meet...offensive provide us intimidate your opponent to seek the reaction of withdrawal, but his look a defensive help us go cautiously seeking greater profit.
 
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GWU73

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Every player is different. The easiest way to balance your ranges is to exploit each player separately. Your weak raises vs players who fold a lot will fool the callers, who will call you down light & vise versa. Don't bother actively balancing unless more than one or two players at your table are on to you. Then you are better off using spurts of naked aggression to confuse them, rather than focusing on balancing hand ranges. Switching between tight and loose works MUCH better than playing a static balanced range.
 
RodneyC86

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Every player is different. The easiest way to balance your ranges is to exploit each player separately. Your weak raises vs players who fold a lot will fool the callers, who will call you down light & vise versa. Don't bother actively balancing unless more than one or two players at your table are on to you. Then you are better off using spurts of naked aggression to confuse them, rather than focusing on balancing hand ranges. Switching between tight and loose works MUCH better than playing a static balanced range.

naked aggression?
Like how the Celtic woad warriors just charge in blue and naked at a tight Roman Turtle formation legion?

I LOVE IT!


Btw I'm back guys. Now a reg on 888poker at 10NL, Killing it pretty good too
 
Landopope

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At 2nl or 5nl there is no need to employ any kind of defense or balance into your strategy because virtually all the players can be exploited so easily even the regs are bad. But there will be a limit where defense becomes a big part of the game and that's what im trying to discover
I agree with this. At the very low micros an offensive strategy is my go to. Players often fold when they shouldnt, call when they shouldn't, and their bet sizing is easy to exploit.

I too have not reached a stake where I have had to employ a defensive strategy but looking forward to it.
 
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cotta777

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Since the skill level is mostly lower at Micro stakes, offensive strategy will be effective, the majority of semi bluffs will get through often enough to be profitable, and you'll find alot more players are willing to call 3-bet out of position and just give up on the flop, or call with a draw on the flop and give up when they miss.

It's also easy to profit by just playing tag, utilising the right range and right positional play, the key is discipline and control.

After 50NL
It's really all about your perceived Image and as stated above individual players and situations
if your on a strong site like pokerstars your going to get a respectable level of poker.
Theirs no harm in thinking outside the box and exploiting exploits, once you know whats up and who's trying to do what to you
 
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nygmen2007

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I am a fan of putting pressure on players.. I am an offensive player by nature, and it works out later in tourmanets when people want to increase their position. There are times when you need to be defensive, but you should not define urself one way or the other all the time.. A little change up is needed..
 
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alexgl

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I want to say that it all depends on the situation, to play a defensive game or offensive. No need to play an offensive game with good cards in hand.
 
rogerdelpk

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i tend to be more deffensive than offensive..........but in tournaments at least, the guy who is very offensive ends up at the final table usually....
 
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befe01

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I tend to agree to offensive side...when I'm playing deffensive I end up being eaten up by antes. So change my strategy to offensive. I will let you know how this new strategy is going :)
 
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tiltshove

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You have to read and properly adjust (and continuously) to the table
 
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Dagano

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You have to read and properly adjust (and continuously) to the table

This.... if the table passive I'm raising more, if I sit a 3 bet happy table with maniacs I'm playing tight game
 
Bee

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In any case the offensive. Of course, customize the game situation, position, and the phase in which the tournament.
 
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ATOMs01

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I want to say that it all depends on the situation, to play a defensive game or offensive. No need to play an offensive game with good cards in hand.
I absolutely agree ... it is necessary to play poker on the cards.
But also have to take risks
 
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hffjd2000

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Overall, I prefer being offensive.

It makes him unpredictable which makes opponents wonder.
 
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Geldi

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All good poker players play actively, because they know that aggressive play key to success.
 
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ATOMs01

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All good poker players play actively, because they know that aggressive play key to success.
Aggression is good.
And if a bad card comes, what to do?
 
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FreshFeeling99

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aggresive play is the way to make money in my eyes, just know when you can be agressive, dont be with unsuited 2 7 please :D
 
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11012015

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Attack and only attack! Not one step back! defense - Only in the hands of monsters.
 
MilosNCAA

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Hmmm.....my tactic is when i have a position, i always raise...If i don't have a good cards on Under the Gun i can call, but almost never raise...If you raise before the flop, and don't hit nothing, always try a raise, you must try to take a pot...but don't bluff with whole your stack...I am a defensive player only if i have1 or 2 very agressive player, then i try to catch them on strong hand.
 
Nawlins Ace

Nawlins Ace

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By no means an I an expert, and I have read some very good advise on this thread. I feel that being aggressive without a strong disciplined defense could be disastourous to your BR.. Without first identifying what type of players seated could cost you all of your money early. I like to play tight aggressive to identify who strong or weak and then go on the attack. If I have a table full of strong players I stay tight but aggressive and that in itself is my defense. To me loose aggression is for losers who don't like to win. bluffing weak players aggressively must be done carefully and only from a strong position.
 
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MichaelFoerster

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In poker, most people think about offense: getting the cards, going on the attack, raising even if it means bluffing. This is all part of the cat and mouse game between players vying for that glistening pile of colored plastic in the middle.

But it’s not all about offense. Poker is a game of survival, something you need to accomplish before you get a chance at funneling those chips into your Brinks truck, or at least enough to stuff in your pockets to play another day.
 
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