There are many different types of poker play that a player’s unique playing style can fall under. One such archetype is that of the tight passive poker strategy or what is sometimes called the nit. Playing in a tight and passive manner is the most conservative posture of poker play that you can possibly assume. For a tight passive player, patience is the name of the game and avoiding unnecessary risk is of paramount importance.

The first aspect of the tight passive play style is playing tight. This means that you are folding a large majority of the hands you are dealt and only playing hands that are extremely good. A typical tight passive player will be extraordinarily tight with their hand selection and will often fold extremely good hands depending on their position at the table and a number of other factors. Being tight is a good thing for most players, as it avoids a great deal of downside risk, which results in more chips in your stack when you need them. With that said, there is such a thing as playing too tight and that can be a trap into which a tight passive player falls.

In addition to being tight, a poker stars tight passive player is also passive at the table, which means they rarely bet. A passive poker player is one that is going to avoid making big moves and swinging their chips around. As a passive player, avoiding aggression is the name of the game as aggression does carry with it some level of risk. As such, a passive player is much more likely to call than raise and can often be pushed off a hand with relative ease by an aggressor at the table. This is not to say that a tight passive player never raises.

The times when a tight passive player raises are the hands where you should be folding if you are playing against them. Of all the archetypes that exist in poker, the one whose raise you should respect the most is the tight passive player. A tight passive player will only raise or reraise if they are sitting on a total monster and avoiding the train that is heading straight for you is a wise decision. A tight passive player is a player that is neither going to give nor receive a lot of action. Instead, they will just plug away folding hands and picking up small pots from time to time.

A tight passive play style is the definition of conservative at the poker table. Players who assume this playing style are almost always extremely risk averse and want to avoid losing money. These players should also be shown the most respect at the table if they choose to raise because of the nature of their conservative style.