Ever been sick of seeing the same players always winning, ever wondered what they've got, when everyone's dealt the same cards? They say knowledge is power and nothing is more important when playing poker than having the ability to identify the different types of poker players one's up against.

If one wants to know what makes the pro a pro, someone who knows how to win with weaker cards, it's very simply down to fact that they have developed their capacity to speedily detect the types of Poker players they're up against. Once they identify them they break them down into "player types" keeping the information they glean, firmly under their hat. Let's look at two contrasting types of players.

The Calling Station

Simply put, this type of player calls a lot! Their pre-flop play is characterized by being loose-passive and as well as passive post-flop, they frequently go down to the showdown. Don't bluff this player, they're the least profitable.

The Mouse

The Mouse player is Tight and passive. They prefer to fold or call rather than betting or raising. As their name implies they are timid. They are great ones to steal blinds from and can easily be flushed out by bluffing.

If one learns to master the different types of poker players that they are up against in every game that they play, it will instantly give the player an added edge and allow them to make more accurate decisions. It will help them avoid losing their chips to stronger competition and to exploit weaker players in the game that are less clued up.

Is this all starting to make sense? Remember there's more to Poker than just learning the rules! All good players can identify all the different character traits, learn to do it too. It's part of the journey towards becoming a Poker master, one must be able to separate the men from the boys!