WSOPE | World Series of Poker Europe

One of the most appealing qualities of poker is the fact that there is no set way in which you must play the cards dealt to you.

Despite this freedom, most plays can be found playing one of two internationally recognised styles, either TAG or LAG.

A player utilising the TAG, or Tight-Aggressive, style will usually be involved in relatively few pots as the foundations of their game is based on a strict starting hand requirements.

In comparison, a typical LAG, or Loose-Aggressive, player will play many more pots as they are willing to play a wider range or starting hands from any position at the table.

Both styles have positives and negatives to them but both, if played correctly, are capable of winning tournaments.

The main problem with the TAG style is the fact that premium holdings do not come along very often so the player will often sit for long periods of time without playing a hand.

On the flip side, when they do play a hand they are usually ahead of their opponents and once they have established a tight image, it is much easier to bluff as opponents will believe that they have the goods.

Until recently, the TAG style was considered the correct way to play poker and this was reaffirmed when Dan Harrington, probably the most famous TAG of them all, won the 1995 World Series of Poker Main Event.

Loose-aggressive play has become the norm on the tournament circuit, thanks to an influx of internet players playing in live events.

A popular saying in LAG circles is "chip up or go home early" as their style relies on accumulating a large stack of chips to combat the swings they incur due to playing weaker hands.

LAGs frequently lose all their chips early in a tournament as they try to bluff their way to a big stack of chips but once they have these chips they are a formidable opponent as they are capable of making moves and are very difficult to read.

Betfair sponsored pros, Annette Obrestad and John Tabatabai, are famed for their loose-aggressive game and both showed that this style can work in large field events when they finished first and second in the 2007 World Series of Poker Europe.

The best players are capable of switching styles at any time, incorporating both TAG and LAG tendencies to their game dependant on the other players at the table.

So the next time someone calls you a LAG at a poker tournament, do not take offence, they are just describing your style of play!