What kind of table image do you want? Is one best?

[dalecooper]

See subject. I got to thinking about this when I saw Fnord's comment elsewhere on this forum that he'd rather have a LAgg image at a table, than one of a tight player.

What table image is most profitable in the short and long term? My table image in my home games is basically a rock, or tight-aggressive, depending who I'm playing against. This image has served me well in this particular group, which is largely made up of other tight players. I feel like I can bluff any of them out of any pot as long as their hand isn't strong (trips or better). Any time I stay in a pot, raise, or re-raise, they have to respect it. The result has been that I actually bluff them a lot more than I used to, and more than I used to bluff in ANY game, but they're still largely unaware of it.

Online - which I am not playing currently, but have extensively in the past - my image ranges from loose-aggressive to absolute maniac. If I pull off a big bluff, I show it. On a small pot or small all-in, I'll call it down just to give the impression I love to gamble & love throwing money away. Sometimes I'll deliberately cultivate an insane table image by typing nonsense into the chat box and announcing blind all-ins and things like that. It's not just for fun (although it is a lot of fun)... it can also make money if you use it right. People never expect the maniac to have the goods. If you pull it back a few notches and start playing tight aggressive right when a good run of cards comes along, it can be exceedingly profitable.

So what do you think? Is it best to go one way or another, or (as I suspect) is it best to recognize your actual style, and then try to cultivate an image that helps you make money when you play "your way"?

[twosevoff]

Generally, the best table image to have is one that's contrary to how you usually play: if you're tight you want the table thinking you're a maniac, and if you splash around and steal a lot of pots, you'd like a tighter image but still with the action-giving loose image that'll inspire other players to gamble against you.

[Fnord]

Mike Caro says LAgg gets the money in any game. You want them to call.

S&M say tight in a limit game, and LAgg in a no-limit game. I guess with betting so small compared to the pot, folding is the worse mistake often enough.

[ryoung11]

a tight image works for home games because u are playing with a certain group of people many times. in online poker u are everywhere and it is much easier to build the reputation of a maniac then a rock. basically for me tight = dont need cards to win, lose = need cards. for example as u said a rock can bluff people out because they ahve to respect the raise but a maniac needs to catch a big hand and get called by everyone because they think he's lose.