- Tight: Playing fewer hands, only entering with strong holdings
- Loose: Playing more hands, entering with a wider range
Neither is inherently "correct"—the right approach depends on position, opponents, and skill level.
VPIP (Voluntarily Put $ In Pot) measures how often you enter pots.
| VPIP |
Style |
Description |
| <15% |
Very Tight |
Only premium hands |
| 15-22% |
Tight |
Solid, selective |
| 22-28% |
Optimal |
Position-aware |
| 28-35% |
Loose |
Many hands |
| >35% |
Very Loose |
Too many hands |
| Benefit |
Explanation |
| Stronger range |
Easier decisions postflop |
| Less dominated |
Avoid tough spots |
| Table image |
Get paid when you have it |
| Simpler |
Good for beginners |
| Drawback |
Explanation |
| Predictable |
Opponents fold to you |
| Miss value |
Pass on profitable spots |
| Easy to read |
"Raise = strong hand" |
| Benefit |
Explanation |
| Hard to read |
Wide, unpredictable range |
| More action |
See more flops |
| Steal more |
Win more blinds |
| Exploit tight players |
Attack their folds |
| Drawback |
Explanation |
| Weaker hands |
Tough postflop spots |
| Dominated often |
Kicker problems |
| More variance |
Swings up and down |
| Skill-intensive |
Need strong postflop play |
The best players are tight from early position and loose from late position:
| Position |
Style |
VPIP |
| UTG |
Very tight |
10-12% |
| MP |
Tight |
13-16% |
| CO |
Medium |
22-28% |
| BTN |
Loose |
40-50% |
| SB |
Varies |
Context-dependent |
| Factor |
Tight |
Loose |
| Variance |
Lower |
Higher |
| Skill needed |
Less |
More |
| Exploitability |
Yes |
Less |
| Fun factor |
Some say boring |
Some say fun |
- Out of position
- Facing strong opponents
- Early tournament (survival matters)
- You're running bad
- In position
- Facing weak/passive opponents
- Short-stacked (need chips)
- You have a skill edge postflop
Being selectively tight (by position) is optimal. Play tight early, loose late. Adjust based on opponents and situation. Tight isn't "scared" and loose isn't "reckless"—they're strategic choices.