The internet is awash with websites, which offers you invaluable advice on different strategies that improve your chances of winning Texas Hold’em. However, one of the most volatile playing tactics has to be the Loose Aggressive, or LAG style.
Players who employ a LAG tactic will play loosely during the starting hand selection, before becoming more aggressive during the post-flop betting. This allows you to play a large range of starting hands in the hope of outperforming your fellow players after the flop.
The LAG style, although effective when used right, is dependent on two variables during the poker game. These are your position and the tendencies of your opponents. Regardless of your post-flop skills, playing a mediocre hand out of position is likely to end in disaster. This tactic will therefore generally yield the best results when used against weaker players, who overvalue their starting hands when the community cards have been revealed.
Players using the LAG strategy will rely heavily on the value of fold equity. Raising in position with a weak hand will likely help you to pick up the blind. Many websites like, onlinepokergenius.org stress that your position pre and post-flop needs to be considered when you are deciding whether you want to try pick up the blinds with a weak hand.
Playing a LAG strategy may also help you outplay your opponents post-flop to make them fold a good hand, or could even see you pick up a strong hand on the turn or river in order to win the pot.
In addition to this, LAG players are also able to play premium hands profitably, as they have a much better chance of getting large pots on strong hands than players who employ Tight Aggressive strategies (TAG).
LAG does have its challenges. Maximising value on a large range of starting hands can be very difficult. Therefore, LAG is not recommended for players only just starting out on their poker education.
You must have a good understanding of pot and implied pot odds in order to successfully use LAG strategies. You will need to play speculative hands in multi-way posts, or raise pre-flop first. Be aware that you will have to adjust after the flop, estimating the fold equity and showdown value of your hand. Showdown value can be achieved by obtaining correct pot odds, and the potential fold equity is based on your read of opponents playing in the pot.
It is also important to identify when a LAG strategy will work best. Assessing if and when you can get a player to fold in certain situations is very important. This tactic can prove ineffective, for example if you are playing passive calling stations, where you are only able to push showdown edges.
Playing LAG against fellow LAG players should be avoided, as more aggressive opponents with strong post-flop skills could take a major beating on your bankroll.
When practising LAG Texas Hold’em, stick to Heads Up Sit & Go tournaments or 6-max cash games. Here you will automatically be forced to loosen your pre-flop starting hand-range, which is good practice for improving LAG performance. Also, try to stick to no more than two tables simultaneously, as you will be required to pay close attention to table reads and image.
