Councilman's Corner -Vol 9: Mastering the Players at the Table
- Lance Palmer
- 6 days ago
- 7 min read
A Player-Type Approach to No-Limit Hold’em Tournaments: Welcome to the Zoo!
In league and tournament poker, strategy is shaped by one unavoidable reality: stack sizes are always changing. As blinds rise and stacks shrink, hands that were once playable become automatic folds, or shoves. At the same time, opponents react to these pressures in very different ways.
This is where many league players go wrong. They follow generic shove/fold charts without accounting for who they’re playing against.
The truth is simple: shove/fold decisions are not just about math; they’re about player tendencies under pressure. Understanding how different player types behave as stacks shorten allows you to make better decisions, preserve chips, and capitalize on mistakes that charts alone can’t explain.
Phil Hellmuth, Jr. in his book, ‘Play Poker Like the Pros’ does a really nice job of breaking down the different types of players by associating them with a particular animal, The Mouse, The Lion, The Elephant, The Jackal, and The Eagle. Through my study of these different player types, I’ve come across one additional animal that can be included in the “Poker Zoo”…The Monkey. Take a moment to break down each type of player, understand them, know them, and most importantly know which one YOU are.
The Tight-Passive Player (The Mouse): Playing Not to Lose
Tight-passive players, often referred to as “The Mouse” are common in league environments. These players value survival above all else. With deep stacks, they fold frequently and avoid marginal spots. As their stack shrinks, their fear of elimination increases rather than decreases.
When a tight-passive player has a comfortable stack, they will still pass on profitable aggression. At medium stacks, they begin limping or calling instead of raising, hoping to see flops cheaply. Once they reach short-stack territory, their behavior becomes extremely predictable: they shove only with hands they believe are unquestionably strong.
This predictability creates an opportunity. Against tight-passive players, aggressive late-position shoves are highly effective because they over-fold. However, when they shove themselves, especially at 15 big blinds or fewer, bluff-catching becomes a serious mistake. Their shoves represent strength far more often than not.
Common League Hand Example:
Blinds: 500 / 1,000
Stacks: ~25 BB effective
The Mouse limps under the gun. You raise from the cutoff with A♠ Q♠. Everyone folds, Mouse calls.
Flop: Q♦ 7♣ 2♠Mouse checks, you bet. Mouse calls.
Turn: 3♥Mouse checks, you bet again. Mouse suddenly raises all-in.
Correct Adjustment:
Fold.
In tournaments, tight-passive players almost never bluff-shove. Their stack preservation instinct disappears only when they believe they’re way ahead.
Tournament takeaway:
Steal from them relentlessly, but fold without regret when they finally commit their stack.
The Tight-Aggressive Player (The Lion): Applying Pressure Correctly
Tight-aggressive players, often called “Lions”, understand stack leverage and position. They are selective with their hands but aggressive when they enter a pot. As stacks decrease, these players adjust smoothly, mixing raises and shoves appropriately.
With deeper stacks, they attack blinds and weaker players. At medium stacks, they balance min-raises and shoves to maximize fold equity. When short-stacked, their shove/fold ranges are usually close to optimal.
Against this type of player, blind aggression is dangerous. They recognize when their opponent’s range is capped and will exploit hesitation. However, they are also capable of folding when a line makes sense, especially in league formats where survival has value.
The best approach against tight-aggressive players is selective resistance. Choose spots where you have position, blockers, or range advantage, and avoid marginal calls when tournament life is on the line.
Common League Hand Example:
Blinds: 2,000 / 4,000 / 4,000
Stacks: ~25 BB
The Lion raises from the button. You defend the big blind with K♣ Q♣.
Flop: Q♠ 8♦ 4♠You check, Lion bets small. You call.
Turn: J♥You check, Lion checks back.
River: 2♣You lead small. Lion calls.
Correct Adjustment:
Value bet confidently.
Lions are capable of folding top pair when ranges shift, but they also recognize when your line is capped. Against Lions, thin value betting in tournaments is critical.
Tournament takeaway:
Lions won’t donate chips, but they will pay when the story makes sense. Play accordingly.
The Loose-Passive Player (The Elephant): Calling Too Much, Too Often
Loose-passive players, commonly known as "Elephants", these are your “Calling Stations” and are among the most profitable opponents in league poker, particularly as stacks shrink. These players dislike folding and routinely underestimate how important chip preservation becomes in tournaments.
Even with medium or short stacks, they continue calling raises instead of shoving, placing themselves in awkward post-flop situations.
When facing all-ins, they call far wider than theory suggests, often convincing themselves they are “pot-committed.”
This behavior completely changes optimal shove/fold strategy. Against loose-passive players, bluff shoves lose much of their effectiveness. Fold equity drops sharply. However, value shoves become extremely profitable, because these players call with dominated hands.
In league formats, the key adjustment is discipline. Shove only hands that are happy to get called and avoid fancy plays. Let their inability to fold do the work for you.
Common League Hand Example:
Blinds: 1,000 / 2,000 / 2,000Stacks: ~30 BB
Elephant limps. You raise with A♦ J♦. They call.
Flop: J♣ 9♠ 4♥You bet. They call.
Turn: 2♠You bet larger. They call again.
River: 8♣You bet big. They tank… and call with J♠ 6♠.
Correct Adjustment:
Value bet relentlessly.
In tournaments, Elephants are even worse because they “don’t want to bust yet,” which leads them to call far too wide.
Tournament takeaway:
Never bluff an Elephant, especially when they feel pot-committed.
The Loose-Aggressive Player (The Monkey): Pressure Without Restraint
Loose-aggressive players, or “Monkeys,” thrive on chaos. They raise frequently, apply constant pressure, and rely heavily on fold equity, often overestimating how much they actually have.
As stacks shorten, this tendency becomes exaggerated. Medium stacks turn into over-shoves. Short stacks turn into desperation plays. While this aggression can Jackaly cautious opponents, it also creates opportunities for patient players.
Against loose-aggressive players, tightening up and trapping is far more effective than fighting fire with fire. Their wide shove ranges mean that calling with solid, but not premium, hands becomes profitable. Instead of shoving light, allow them to shove into you.
In league play, Monkeys often bust themselves when blinds rise. Your job is simply to stay out of their way until you have a hand that can comfortably call.
Common League Hand Example:
Blinds: 2,000 / 4,000 / 4,000Stacks: ~28 BB
Monkey raises from the hijack. You call on the button with 9♠ 9♦.
Flop: K♣ 7♥ 2♠Monkey bets big. You call.
Turn: 9♥Monkey shoves.
Correct Adjustment:
Snap call.
Monkeys bluff shove far too often in tournaments, especially when they think their aggression has fold equity.
Tournament takeaway:
Against hyper-aggression, DON’T FIGHT BACK! Trapping is far more profitable.
The Maniac (The Jackal): All Gas, No Brakes
Maniacs, sometimes called “Jackals,” take aggression to an extreme. They raise, shove, and over-bet regardless of stack size, position, or tournament context. Their decisions are driven by emotion and momentum rather than structure.
As stacks decrease, maniacs become even more volatile. Shoves occur with little regard for fold equity or opponent tendencies. While this can intimidate newer players, it is a fundamentally flawed approach in league poker.
Against maniacs, bluffing is unnecessary and often harmful. Instead, calling wider with strong hands is the correct adjustment. Let their excessive aggression build pots for you. When they shove, their range is usually much weaker than it appears.
Patience is the weapon that defeats the maniac.
Common League Hand Example:
Blinds: 400 /800Stacks: ~40 BB
Jackal raises 4x preflop. You call with A♠ K♥.
Flop: K♦ 5♣ 3♠Jackal immediately shoves.
Correct Adjustment:
Call.
Maniacs overplay marginal hands and draws. In tournaments, their aggression accelerates as blinds increase.
Tournament takeaway:
Don’t bluff a Jackal. Let them torch their own stack.
The Thinking Player (The Eagle): Adjusting to the Table
Adaptive or thinking players, often referred to as “Eagles”, are the most dangerous opponents in league tournaments. They adjust their strategy based on stack sizes, opponents, and payout structure. They avoid unnecessary variance and recognize when pressure matters most.
These players modify their shove/fold decisions depending on who is in the blinds, who covers whom (stacks sizes), and how close the table is to meaningful milestones (laddering up the points board). They punish predictable behavior and exploit players who rely too heavily on charts.
Against thinking players, autopilot decisions are costly. Every shove, call, or fold should be reassessed based on context. While they are capable of bluffing, they are also capable of restraint, which makes careless hero calls especially dangerous.
Common League Hand Example:
Blinds: 3,000 / 6,000 / 6,000Stacks: ~20 BB
Eagle opens small from early position. You defend with Q♠ J♠.
Flop: J♦ 8♣ 3♠Eagle checks. You bet. Eagle calls.
Turn: A♥ Eagle checks again.
Correct Adjustment:
Proceed cautiously.
Adaptive players use delayed aggression and pot control to induce mistakes. Tournament survival matters to them, and they expect it to matter to you.
Tournament takeaway:
Don’t go on autopilot and re-evaluate every street. (This should be done with every hand, against every player type)
The League Poker Reality
League poker introduces unique dynamics: players fear elimination, misunderstand urgency, and react emotionally to rising blinds. These human factors matter just as much as math.
All that being said, NONE of this matters, until you have a complete understanding of yourself and your own style of play.
Ask yourself, “SELF, Which Type of Player am I?”
then ask yourself, “Do I want to continue to be that type of player?”
If your answer to the latter is anything other than “YES”, make the changes in your own game before worrying about having to figure out the rest of the table. Once you’ve done that, proceed.
Remember, the strongest league players don’t ask, “What does the chart say?”
They ask, “Who or what animal am I playing against?” and “What size is their chip stack?”
When you align stack size strategy with your opponent’s tendencies, your decisions become clearer, your mistakes fewer, and your results more consistent.
In No-Limit Hold’em tournaments, the cards and the math will always matter, but infinitely more important is understanding the player across the table.
When you can get the math, the cards, and the opponent all lined up, you will find yourself playing winning poker, in the long run.
Remember, you don't need to win 100% of the time, just make QUALITY DECISIONS 95% of the time and your rate of success will dramatically increase over time.
I'm looking forward to following this guide, getting my mindset right, and and being well on my way to finding my best self, playing “Winning Poker” for many years to come. Join me and let's go on this journey together.
Until next time, may all your cards be gems and may you never get stacked.
~The Councilman
You can reach the Lance at lance@misfitspoker.com or via FB messenger @lancejpalmer.
Catch him at a venue (our Locations) and ask for his number, he’ll give it to you.
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