The Rock in Poker

Poker is growing by leaps and bounds and in many games you will probably notice a player playing like a rock. So what exactly is a rock in reference to a poker player?  Usually we think of a rock as a player that just sits back, takes no chances, and waits for the great hands.

Every year we see more and more players playing Texas Holdem and the average player is probably getting a little bit better. The player that is conservative, tight, and disciplined very often gets the nickname of a rock. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. The good news for players that are rocks at the table is that they command instant respect. The bad news is that they usually don’t get much action. This can present problems when you are playing poker, but there are solutions.

Technically a rock is someone who plays very conservatively and very tightly. The opposite of a rock is known as a fish, someone who doesn’t know how to play and usually calls every hand. If everyone at the poker table knows you are a rock you can use this to your advantage by stealing pots and stealing blinds. That is the first thing you can do. The second thing you can do is to loosen up your play.

Changing your tactics and becoming more aggressive after originally being pegged as a rock will win you a lot of pots for free. Players will be afraid to get into the pot with you and the free wins will roll in. You still have to be aware, however, that when you do get called to throw your hand away. Changing tactics is a great tip for any poker player, and it especially applies for those of us that are known as a rock.

Some people believe that the most important part of winning at poker is getting value for your winning hands. Even when you are playing online poker you still want to mix up your play. It gets very easy when playing online to continually do the same thing. You get to be like a robot and only play certain hands. Mixing it up once in a while will keep your opponents guessing, and that is always a good thing.

A rock is the type of player that is predictable, yet solid. If you can take the attributes of a rock and mix in the tactics of the loose player, you can be a real force at the table. These types of players are tight aggressive. When they get big hands they are aggressive, when they have semi-bluffs they are aggressive, and when they sense strength from their opponents they fold. So in summary what you want to do is be tight and aggressive. Be an aggressive rock the next time you are at the poker table.