Below is a list I made myself a while back to help beat certain player types by associating their typical hands with their typical actions. These are not secrets but it does take a while to work out and it really opened up my cash game beyond a strict 'nit' style of play. Good mirostakes cash poker advice is hard to find although there are some easily available online pdfs that advise ABC tight aggressive poker with huge bet sizing for your good hands. This type advice was perfect a few years ago but the average player has got a little better these days so it cannot hurt to review fundamentals and really narrow down your opponents ranges and weaknesss to best exploit them
Fish are defined as players with no poker knowledge, slp as players who understand the need to select good starting hands but play with no discipline or aggression. These are the player types it is ok to raise big and bet really big into. Often they will hit top pair and only min bet, allowing you to chase draws as well if you want to take a passive but profitable line. You cannot bluff these player types ever so do not try since even Queen high on a paired board is a calling hand to the passive player types so just keep betting. It can be frustrating to bet bet bet and then get raised by these player types, however they are not 'representing' anything but have simply backed into two pair or flat called a set for 2 streets: you can safely fold to a passive player's river raise on any wet board without the nuts, or on a dry board without top two pair+ or a set. All weak passive players suffer from under- betting good hands so they often price their opponents into catching a better hand. Since this is the case bluff raising minimum bets with absolutely nothing is a bad idea although I still catch myself doing it sometimes!
Tight-bad players are an interesting proposition since they limp in with hands like AQ often and it is best to avoid fancy plays like raising KJ against them for this very reason. These players can go on tilt after a passive player has chased a flush down and beaten them, so your timing in a pot against them is a big factor. They will come out swinging after a big loss, pot betting A9 on a 986 board for example which is when you want to be in there with T7 or 57 of course;) This player type will hold onto top pair ace kicker for dear life so get all in as quickly as you can. Tight-bad players also cannot fold AK unimproved, at least for two streets so bet a decent amount with any pair. Some players of this type minimum raise preflop with broadways and suited aces, raising more with premium hands and some minimum raise with all their decent hands and limp the rest: you have to see a few showdowns to work out which type you are facing to narrow their ranges.
TAG and NIT players are best avoided if you want to make money, which you are almost certain to do if a maniac is sitting on your right. Maniacs do not know why they are betting, but it is fun and those suckers just keep on folding! The best thing about maniacs is how they will bet second pair like it is the nuts e.g. KT on AT4 board. This can equate to massive profit if you hold Ax and they don't catch a K on the turn and river to send you to the lunatic asylum!
Fish
at 65%
All aces, all pairs
All broadways
Xxs down to T2s
Xxo down to J60
Most suited and connected cards less 2x 3x
No
raising range and non-standard lines post flop. A lot of flush and straight
draws in range-often weaker flushes and weak two pair hands. Always chasing,
often hitting losing hand.
Fish
at 42%
22+, A2s+, K2s+, Q6s+, J7s+, T8s+, 98s,
86s+, 76s, 65s, 54s, A2o+, K8o+, Q9o+, J9o+, T9o, 98o, 87o, 76o
Slightly
more discerning in playing less junky hi-low unsuited but must play most
pic-small suited and all SCs. Always chasing, often hitting losing hand.
Likes
to call down genuine monsters, ie will not raise a set (until the end usually)
SLP
at 33%
All aces, all pairs
All broadways
All suited aces
Most middly suited Kx, Qx and some
connected cards
After
raising easy to put on premium overpairs, pairs and high sets if active. If
passive hitting tptk, tpgk, weak aces, nut flush draws, broadway straights Kx,Qx
and concealed two pair hands. Often min betting eg tpsk just once.
Tight-bad
at 18%
All pairs
Most aces excl low unsuited
Most broadways, slightly less of the tens
and nines
No junky suited kings or queens
If
you eliminate the top 3% or so (AA-TT AK,AQs) left with mostly pairs, Ax and
often hit decent KQJ on flop when limping in. Likely to call down top pair type and strong
underpairs.
If they click raise turn or river you are usually dead.
Tag
17% ish (14 pfr)
All pairs
Most aces from mid position, all from LP
Most broadways, including all with T or 9
in LP
Some junky/suited stuff if HU, or IP
Range
is position dependent (the only player type which will be). No limping or
calling unless set mining or SC mining so strong lines in passive multiway pots
easy to fold to. Able to often bet twice
for value but 3rd bet only if beating all obvious hands they face.
Will often bet once and give up if board is wet.
Nit
10/8 ish
66+, ATs+, KTs+, QTs+, AJo+, KQo
A
lot of sets, strong top pair, strong broadway draws, nut flush draws. This
player type often bet bet bet in the same way with 100% of range.
Maniac
75% (approx 25 pfr)
No range as such just varying play based on
mood, spite plays, randomness.
All high-low suited combos
All junky suited down to 8x suited small
All vaguely connected cards
All high low unsuited down to Jx and medium
Ts and 9s etc.
Hard
to put on a range based on starting hands or post flop action. Tends to slow
play super good hand with checks and smaller bets (and min raises pre). Tends
to overplay marginal made hands and turn them into bluffs. Can be cautious and
slow down vs obvious rock players or paired boards eg will do lines like
pot-min, min with decent pair hand that is easily beaten vs a tight player.
glossary side note for my readers who do not spend any time on poker forums:
slp=semi loose passive player type
tag=tight aggressive player type
nit=extremely tight, but usually aggressive player type
rock=extremely tight, but usually passive player type
TPSK means top pair, shit kicker eg A5 on A2Q board. (gk is therefore good kicker)
Min-betting is a bet of one big blind: a sign of a losing poker player
Broadways are picture cards that can make TJQKA straights.
18%
refers to a percentage of all possible i.e. close to one in 5 (20%)
hands is worth playing an 18% player. This is a player's range of hands.
Rock means a super tight player who only bets the nuts
pfr stands for pre flop raise, which is the percentage of hands raised by a player
SC is suited connected hands
click-raise is a minimum raise back to you