Can tight only player make money?

#1 August 18th, 2017, 9:21 PM

Can a player whose only strategy is playing tight starting hands make money in the long run?

I know there is a lot of strategy involved and as a newbie, I may not be able to beat all the experienced players post-flop. If I just stick to playing tight pre-flop can I expect to make consistent money?

#2 August 19th, 2017, 4:18 AM

It depends on how tight your talking. If you're only gonna play top pairs then no probably not in tournaments (the blinds will knock you out before you get enough good hands) but maybe in cash games you could overcome the blinds you lose but I wouldnt suggest it. My suggestion is that you play the best hands like you would normally but then throw in some suited connectors above 76s and AK, AQ, AJ, AT suited and AK, AQ off-suit, and if the tables quiet throw in the lower pairs and other suited ace combos. That should give you a good list of hands that could be playable which going back to you're original question will be profitable in the long run if you play smart and not too tight. Try freerolls to practice playing different hands and see what works best for you and what you feel comfortable playing. Best of luck to you and hope that helps ya!

#3 August 19th, 2017, 10:13 AM

The short answer is - YES.

Think of it logically - from pure hand strenght it is obvious - the rarer the combination, the stronger it is. So it only makes sense that the one who plays tighter, wins.

Ofcourse there is strategy also involved and stuff, but that only follows as secondary to what I just said.

#4 August 19th, 2017, 10:30 AM

This is a recommended strategy for novice players

#5 August 19th, 2017, 11:46 AM

I think it's possible, but it's important for you to make a profit before opening cards and playing with impulses, not allowing rivals to make big reraises

#6 August 19th, 2017, 12:33 PM

I don`t think so,,,if it was true,everyone would make money and that`s just not possible.You have to widen your range and learn how to play post-flop,try different bet-sizing techniques that your comfortable with,and mix-up your game,,get comfortable sticking your neck out more with smaller cards,learn how and when to steal pots.(try to be hard to play against,if that makes sense) This all comes with experience,,,get playing! Can tight only player make money?

#7 August 19th, 2017, 1:21 PM

You cannot only play the cards. You have to play your position & opponent as well.

#8 August 19th, 2017, 3:07 PM

Originally Posted by Alucard

You cannot only play the cards. You have to play your position & opponent as well.

True,,,and i always start a tournament with the thinking i`m going to win the hands i`m supposed to,,and steal a few i`m not supposed to win and build a stack until the unevitable `bad beat` hits you and you just keep on playing thru it,like it never happened,,,(don`t hav time for tilt in your game,,,it`s like wipin ur azz,,stfu about it,move on) jus my 2 cents,,gl,n hav a nice day! Can tight only player make money?

#9 August 19th, 2017, 7:56 PM

Originally Posted by pokeyou

Can a player whose only strategy is playing tight starting hands make money in the long run?

I know there is a lot of strategy involved and as a newbie, I may not be able to beat all the experienced players post-flop. If I just stick to playing tight pre-flop can I expect to make consistent money?

If you play a live game against the same pool of 50 to 60 players, you get to know their styles. Who is a fish , who is tight etc. In my experience this strategy can't work, because players will figure you for being 'tight' and you will get no action on your premium hands.

#10 August 19th, 2017, 9:39 PM

I think a tight player can make money in poker. In most cases, a tight style is a predictable game. The best solution is to create a tight player's image at the table, then play a wider range of hands so that opponents do not know about it.

#11 August 20th, 2017, 12:53 AM

no, unless other play want to pay u.
everyone has a read.
if you are too tight, you will not get paid.

#12 August 20th, 2017, 2:34 AM

Originally Posted by BlackJesus

The short answer is - YES.

Think of it logically - from pure hand strenght it is obvious - the rarer the combination, the stronger it is. So it only makes sense that the one who plays tighter, wins.

Ofcourse there is strategy also involved and stuff, but that only follows as secondary to what I just said.

Depends on your opponents if your opponents see that is what you are doing they simply fold when you go into pot and take your blinds the rest of the time. So it doesn't really work unless you are playing beginners .

#13 August 20th, 2017, 6:51 PM

If you only play with a tricky good arm, it will not do anything light for you because it will just start to read your game.

#14 August 22nd, 2017, 10:41 AM

Playing cash - maybe.
Playing tournaments - no way.

#15 August 22nd, 2017, 7:15 PM

Yes, tight player will get money but not very fast. Playing against multiple loose gamblers it goes even slower.

#16 August 22nd, 2017, 7:27 PM

Only tight play it is noob game, if u have win in the distance, u need adjust to opponents.

#17 August 22nd, 2017, 8:22 PM

If you stick to this strategy, then I think you'll earn money. It will be long, but profitable with time.

#18 August 22nd, 2017, 10:54 PM

Against the newcomers, I think tightly aggressive style is the most

#19 August 24th, 2017, 12:48 AM

when you have a bigger stack you have more leverage over small stacks. you can play a little looser when you have a big stack size in the early game. tight is better late mid tournament. try not to bleed yourself too much is always smart too.

#20 August 26th, 2017, 7:31 AM

Maybe in the long run of a section. But a combination of a tight aggressive and not scared to make some calls when you think you have the winning hand then your on a good path.

#21 August 26th, 2017, 7:41 AM

Look at it this way, in some tournaments I win 3 out of 4 hands I play, and I'm like a mad mad in the first few minutes. If I see a player who ONLY play AA KK etc then I will call with anything under JJ, anything, even 2 7 off. Amazing how many times I take out the tight players.

In fact 79 89 or 8 10 are my best hands against AA.

Look at the stats of it and you will see why.

#22 August 26th, 2017, 4:37 PM

Are you a cash game player? If not, why are you talking about post-flop at all? I'm a tournament player, exclusively, and I suck at post-flop games, but I just do by okay.

"PLAYING TIGHT" is a vague term though, it's not a strategy. And in the long run, if that were true, would you have seen players like Daniel Negreanu, Gus Hansen, and the likes beating the field?

#23 August 26th, 2017, 5:06 PM

yes a tight player can make the money, but they are fighting an uphill battle the faster and deeper the format

#24 August 26th, 2017, 5:13 PM

maybe in cash games, straightly online nl2, then that player will need a good mindset for get few money in a long time.

#25 August 26th, 2017, 5:13 PM

Yes.

#26 August 26th, 2017, 5:18 PM

If youre just starting out with free rolls... its smart to play tight especially early on.

#27 August 26th, 2017, 10:36 PM

Well, if you are like me and 90 percent of my games are freerolls, yes my bankroll moves up playing a tight game. It may not have the variance of a person who may win tournaments with their play, but I will probably be in the money more frequently.

#28 August 27th, 2017, 9:00 PM

If a player get himself a "tight" player tag, he is just not a complete poker player. If you ask me, any decent poker player could make a money as long as he respect BRM and if he is not a potential tilter

#29 August 27th, 2017, 9:09 PM

I think that in MTT the factor of mathematics is less taken into account, for this reason any player can compete with the professional almost on an equal footing!

#30 August 27th, 2017, 11:20 PM

In online poker, i think it's possible to make money playing tight, because you play different opponents almost everytime. Even in MTTs, you get changed of tables often, and get new opponents. But it's not the best 'strategy', just playing monster hands.

#31 January 21st, 2018, 11:40 AM

why would you go to war with only one weapon...? Work on post flop strategies to add to your arsenal...

#32 January 21st, 2018, 12:09 PM

Might be a good strategy. I personally use it from time to time, when I'm feeling insecure or when my BR is nearing the red line. Trust me when I say this, to play very tight all the time you'll need at least two things:

1. Luck - yes, because it's important to hit something on the flop or for your opponents not to hit anything.

2. Switch tables frequently - this play is highly predictable. If someone figures you out, you're in for a bust. When you've made your 25% or 50% buyin, leave.

Still, I would advise you play low suited connectors too once in a while.

#33 January 21st, 2018, 4:58 PM

Tight players mostly make money in normal tourneys with deep stack. This is the ideal strategy to make money in normal tourneys but you will not make to the final table.

#34 January 21st, 2018, 5:48 PM

Originally Posted by Alucard

You cannot only play the cards. You have to play your position & opponent as well.

Very good advice

#35 January 21st, 2018, 5:56 PM

I do not agree with you dude, I think that if u want to win some money u should play tight-aggresive style... Can tight only player make money?

#36 January 21st, 2018, 6:00 PM

tight player seem to be taken out when the big blinds come along, they continued to play tight and usually don't make it to the final table, blind out, or playing passive won't take you to the final table.

#37 January 21st, 2018, 9:40 PM

Originally Posted by pokeyou

Can a player whose only strategy is playing tight starting hands make money in the long run?

I know there is a lot of strategy involved and as a newbie, I may not be able to beat all the experienced players post-flop. If I just stick to playing tight pre-flop can I expect to make consistent money?

That depends on a lot of factors (as most things in life and poker too).
In some games playing very tight might yield some nice profit (for example the microstakes online). But anyways, if the players postflop play is shitty, there is no way he will win even if he playes the tightest range.

In more advanced games, playing only the top combinations will get you read really fast and you will end up getting folds a lot when you make aggression. Thats not good.
In general, being balanced is the best way.
But being balanced doesnt mean playing shitty hands. It only means that you mix in some weaker combos, which have lower equity preflop, but on certain boards make nuts and their equity is realised easily, for example suited connectors.

Good luck at the tables all!

#38 January 22nd, 2018, 4:47 AM

In live cash games, a lot of winning players are way too tight imo. Just depends on game selection and playing with action players, I’ll never understand some of them but tight gets paid often. Tournament is a different story.

#39 January 22nd, 2018, 5:29 AM

I like playing the tight aggressive style in the early stages but in mtts depends on how long late registration go's on for before the blinds eat your chips when playing tight in early stage. I won a card chat freeroll playing tight aggressive/ loose on the final table. It depends look for the weakness and use it to make your stack

#40 January 22nd, 2018, 8:18 AM

an extremely tight game, it is predictable, then i would attack it more often and when he has a strong card i would notice .. in poker there is a mental game, although starting a session playing tight can bring more benefits than playing loose .. to play tight and not die in the attempt you have to know other strategies. In baseball, a pitcher cant be a winner just throwing fast balls..

#41 October 23rd, 2019, 4:13 PM

Playing tight as a newbie is generally a good idea, it goes a long way towards preventing FPS (Fancy Play Syndrome). There are spots where playing a little loose can be beneficial (maybe in an MTT with few chips?) but at low levels you definitely want to limit your hand selection

#42 October 23rd, 2019, 5:00 PM

always playing tight are teaching strategies for beginner players since they do not handle many strategies greetings to all

#43 October 24th, 2019, 1:15 PM

I'd just add that, imo, playing *strictly* tight just can not be very profitable in any form of poker.

You are too exploitable and dependable on card draw. Even when playing tight, you have to once in a while throw that curve ball. Every so often, open up your range, or place that bet you wouldn't otherwise. You have to mix it up a little.

#44 October 24th, 2019, 8:48 PM

What will make you make money in the long run is not playing tight or loose exactly, it's time to apply each strategy. This is just a piece of what makes up a winner!

#45 October 25th, 2019, 3:34 AM

Originally Posted by pokeyou

Can a player whose only strategy is playing tight starting hands make money in the long run?

I know there is a lot of strategy involved and as a newbie, I may not be able to beat all the experienced players post-flop. If I just stick to playing tight pre-flop can I expect to make consistent money?

In my opinion, the answer is no. By the time you pay the blinds waiting for prime hands, you are already in the red, and then you pay rake when you win a hand. Unfortunately, most players take notes and they soon realize that you play only strong hands, so when you raise pre flop you end up only picking up the blinds. My advise to you is: post 3 times every day here on Cardschat and as soon as you qualify apply for the Freeroll Club, and play the freerolls as often as you can until you gain experience. That way you will at least not lose any money while learning. Good luck!

#46 October 25th, 2019, 6:42 AM

I play a tight aggressive style (VPIP intentionally way lower than normal) but then I have a good post flop game based on trapping because you have to maintain your image- its no good folding a lot then exploding into a pot. No one will pay you off. But in a tourney my game opens up immediately after the bubble.

That said it is definitely a limited game with limited potential no matter the fact I play it well.

So I take the opportunity in FRs and play money 10K tourneys to play a looser more aggressive style. The funny thing is this does not seem to pay off in any noticeable way, my results do not markedly improve. However, what you do notice is in specific spots, and hands you make a successful play whereas normally you would not even be in the hand. So there is a lot to take away and absorb.

That said, I grasp it is going to take time and patience to break out of a too restrictive tight aggressive mold...but it's what I will have to do to create a more complex game, one that is less exploitable.

#47 October 25th, 2019, 6:56 AM

Originally Posted by pokeyou

Can a player whose only strategy is playing tight starting hands make money in the long run?

I know there is a lot of strategy involved and as a newbie, I may not be able to beat all the experienced players post-flop. If I just stick to playing tight pre-flop can I expect to make consistent money?

Well I don't have the greatest track record yet so maybe you should take my advice with caution.
I think they key is to learn poker as fast as you can and not lose too much money in the process. If you are new then I don't think you will win consistently right away. That being said I think the fold is gold. People say to play tighter at first and then start mixing in more aggressive play. That being said don't wait too long. You are going to make mistakes at first. That is part of the learning process.
About your question specifically. I think you should try to balance. Be a little tight preflop but not extremely tight. You need to see some pots to win. You are probably already learning the chart of preflop cards. I guess there are different charts. But looking at some will give you a basic idea of the order. CC I can post this link right? from
1
Pocket Aces
AA
2
Pocket Kings
KK
3
Pocket Queens
QQ
4
Ace-King Suited
AKs
5
Pocket Jacks
JJ
6
Pocket Tens
TT
7
Ace-King Off-suit
AKo
8
Ace-Queen Suited
AQs

#48 October 25th, 2019, 9:38 AM

I think it's possible but only at the smallest stakes where you play mostly against loose players. When you go up in stakes you will encounter players who can see your playing stile and exploit it, therefore you need to change gears in those games.

#49 October 29th, 2019, 7:47 PM

It depends how much tight you are playing , but generally I don't believe tight/very tight players can have great success - blinds go up , they lose too many chances to see more hands , they might go blinded out or forced to shove everytime to double up , until one calls and bust them out of the tournament lol .....

#50 October 29th, 2019, 7:52 PM

I do not know exactly how tight strategy works on micro limits, but on higher limits play very loose and most importantly it works.

Similar Threads for: Can tight only player make money?
Thread	Replies	Last Post	Forum
How much money can you earn as a recreational poker player?	80	October 31st, 2020 2:11 PM	General Poker
Can you really make money online	91	May 21st, 2020 4:15 PM	Online Poker
How to Make Money As A Losing Player	32	January 7th, 2020 4:01 PM	Poker Rooms
Player to player fund transfer is like money laundering on poker rooms?	2	November 25th, 2019 2:22 PM	Poker Rooms

Similar Threads for: Can tight only player make money? > Texas Hold'em Poker
Thread	Replies	Last Post	Forum
How much money can you earn as a recreational poker player?	80	October 31st, 2020 2:11 PM	General Poker
Can you really make money online	91	May 21st, 2020 4:15 PM	Online Poker
How to Make Money As A Losing Player	32	January 7th, 2020 4:01 PM	Poker Rooms
Player to player fund transfer is like money laundering on poker rooms?	2	November 25th, 2019 2:22 PM	Poker Rooms

Can tight only player make money?

Why more than 330,034 poker players have joined CardsChat