Aggression Factor in Poker

If you want to avoid getting your throat cut and having to watch as the crimson eats into the green felt, then you need to make sure your poker game has an adequate serving of aggression.

Being aggressive means to be forceful, hostile, and always on the attack. Your front foot should wield blisters, and your back foot should be as soft as a babies bum.

Circumstances prevailing, when your opponents limp into the pot, you should raise to isolate. When your opponents raise, you should three-bet; when they four-bet you should five bet.

When you are playing Poker online, you can use your heads up display (HUD) to help you understand aggression and use it to your advantage. Imagine that you are involved in a hand where you have the nuts and have reached the turn. 

Many players look at the strength of their hand and decide to check-raise. But that strategy only works if the person you are checking to is likely to bet. If they do not bet, then you have lost a bet.

So, the next time you decide to go for the mighty check-raise, look at your opponent’s aggression factor to determine how likely he is to bet. If his aggression factor is high, then it is wise to check. Conversely, if not, then you are probably off just betting for value.

The aggression percentage is factored after taking into consideration aggressive actions on each street. So, if a player checks the flop before betting the turn and river, their aggression percentage would be 66%.

These sorts of statistics are lacking in the live arena, but the same principles can be used to give yourself a much clearer decision, based on your knowledge of your opponent’s tendencies.