Rereading some classic threads, and stumbled upon aejones talking about the evolution of a poker player. It's a must read

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/56...-player-89941/

Anyway, one section that really caught my eye this time is upfront vs backdoor aggression. Cliffs is upfront aggressors are very aggressive preflop and when they have initiative, whereas backdoor aggressors are the tricky check-raisers/sandbaggers.

I am definitely in the "upfront aggressor" category. I raise a lot preflop, c-bet way too much, and am not afraid to 2 barrel or 3 barrel if I see fit. I don't do a whole heck of a lot of c/r'ing as I'm usually the aggressor. If I am c/r'ing I usually have the goods, but I still get payed off because I'm labelled as "too aggressive." That's a benefit, but it also means a lot of players like to try and sandbag me because they know I'll take the initiative if they let me, and it also means I probably can't get away with as many c/r semibluffs/bluffs.

Just wanted to stir the pot a bit and see if we can get a good discussion going on this concept, as I'd like to be able to better label my opponents. I think a lot of times I fall into the trap of saying "aggressive/passive", and leaving it at that. I sometimes forget to really evaluate how often they are leading the turn when just calling the flop, etc..., and how I should adjust my play in those cases.

I see alot of players whose style varies drastically on the street they are playing.

Old asian guys who NEVER check raise the flop with a big hand, but ALWAYS check raise the turn or river with it. Is he a passive or aggressive player? I don't know, it varies by street.

Old lady who fires multiple streets with draws and air, but will check/call or c/r every time she has the nuts. Is she passive or aggressive? Again, I'm not sure. It varies based on her holdings.

Young kid who flats flop IP with OESD in a super good spot to raise, then makes large turn and river bets with air when checked to. Some might say his line is passive, while others would argue aggressive.

My point is that players don't fit into neat little boxes the way we like to label them on 2+2. Their concept of poker came from different places than ours and we need to consider tendencies that don't show up on your HUD.