What is a "nit"?

In poker, a nit is a player who is extremely tight. A nit will only engage in hands in which they are almost certain that they are ahead.

For example, a nit may only open raise with hands such as QQ, KK, AA and possibly AK. No matter their position, or what their situation!




Being a nit is not a good thing at the poker tables

Why you ask? When a player with a nitty image gets involved in a hand, everyone else at the table is automatically cautious because they (correctly) assume that the nit is playing a premium hand. Anytime a nit bets or raises, it is nearly certain that they have the nuts.

One of the reasons that players like myself prefer 6-max cash tables to full ring is that nits can be pressured out of their comfort zone, and driven away easily. This is usually the most effective way to avoid playing with nits, who will surely frustrate us and stymie our attempts to exploit them.




There is an article in The BQ Digest by Mikes007 that is, while a great strat piece, a classic case in point. Now, the author is certainly a well respected player and contributor in these forums, but look more closely at his examples - what do you think of his ranges? I believe your answer to that question will confirm what type of player you are at the core - nit or normal.

For those who are confirmed nits, this is how to get better

Print this picture of our inspirational leader Viktor Blom - hang it in your office or wherever you play poker, and study his focus and commitment to the game.
Keep repeating out loud - "I can open wider from late position! I can 3bet light!"

Voted

I forgot to vote first!

Now I'm in, but second....

Good that you were first in - I believe you may be suffering from the nit syndrome, last I sat in with you I noticed your stats in my HUD were a bit.......too tight.

I'm a spazztard >

When did nit get redefined from being one who nit picks (as I am doing now) to what rock used to mean?

Uh oh, nit ITT

"Nit" - a poker term similar to "rock".

http://www.pokertips.org/glossary/w/NIT

http://pokerterms.com/nit.html

When this term became part of the poker lingo? I have no idea. Ask CMAR, he's been around since poker was invented afaik.


Now print out Isildur1 pic and loosen up Prof!

Voted for meta-game.

I first heard it in August 2010, so it was definitely before then.

Hope that helps with your investigation.

(nice post PP btw)

Sick read, wp sir!


GN - you're always helpful, thanks!

I voted too , but the funny pictures are apparently in another thread

Can having a nit style be profitable?

Yes , it will pretty much always make money , just not the most amount of money in all situations

I am convinced the 90% of poo flinging lag monkeys that are beating my brains out are just on long (mirrions of hands) term heaters. Knowing they will get theirs in the end, (you know who you are ) I am comfortable with my loss rate and the knowledge that "tight is right" in all positions.

Also you should know OP in this thread is also a well known as a "fool" in this one: Link to TLR thread stickied above

[X] Tight is always right.
[X] OP is a gimmick
[ ] I completely understand Mike's column in the BQ Digest and am fully prepared to use his strat tips optimally
[X] Ban BumbleBee99
[ ] Do not play poker with Ice_Wolf he is too good.
[ ] WDWF is female
[X] OB is BO backwards
[X] Bona is shamelessly promoting that digest thingie even though it is TL;DR

Around three weeks into my online poker career, I spent around two weeks tightening up my play, especially from early positions. I now play 42/31 or there abouts. That's after tightening up. I need some o' dat nit syndrome.

Probably around the time 'suck out' was redefined from meaning failing at something to what 'draw out' used to mean.

That was one of the first things I thought of when reading the initial post.

Doc

Now, back to my knitting.

hahah, I am more of a BR nit more then anything



I hope he doesn't leave PS

I think my problem is I'm afraid of my own shadow. Otherwise, I think of myself as tight-aggressive. (I could be blowing smoke up my own ass, tho) I wait for good hands, and I raise them, but if I ain't got the nut, and someone plays back at me, then me ballz shrink up.

^^ probably wearing your tighty-whiteys a bit too tight then, try boxers and aggressive 4betting when your open with T9s gets played back.....

oh lord, perish the thought!

Max Heinzelmann 6bet Shaun Deeb with A6o in the ME, it worked out really well for Max - cracked Shaun's aces. Hyper-aggro is the truth and the light in NL! Just raise until your opponent calls, folds, or runs out of chips

Super-profitable! It all depends on the circumstances. At a table full of LAGgro lunatics who never fold, 6-bet shoving 73o is not going to win you the money. It all depends who you're playing against.

I'm playing a lot of limit poker tournaments (lo stakes until Full Tilt comes back), and pretty much no one ever folds. There I think a nitty style is probably almost optimal - at least that's how I play the stud games, and I've got a 160% ROI at them, so I'm either doing something right or I'm a total luckbox.

I understand why people think 5-betting 74s is courageous and cool and everything, but I don't think nits deserve the bad rep they sometimes get. Yes, there are very often circumstances where nitty = bad, and yes, a nit who can't adapt to the table is easy to chip away at, but there are definitely situations where nitty play is good play, especially at super-lo stakes. All that said, by 'nit', I might mean something different from what other people mean - to me, a nit is someone who folds readily and doesn't bluff often. A nit can still play good hands aggressively or deceptively or whatever needs done to get max value.

Just merging my ranges. I'm really a nit (honestly) I only raise with the nuts.

Poker Stars $0.05/$0.10 Pot Limit Omaha Hi - 6 players
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

CO: $16.10
Hero (BTN): $11.23
SB: $11.18
BB: $25.11
UTG: $16.49
MP: $10.15

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is BTN with Q 5 A K
1 fold, MP raises to $0.25, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.25, 2 folds

Flop: ($0.65) K A Q (2 players)
MP bets $0.50, Hero calls $0.50

Turn: ($1.65) J (2 players)
MP bets $1.10, Hero raises to $2.90, MP raises to $4.70

Final Pot: $7.45
MP wins $7.09
(Rake: $0.36)


Poker Stars $0.05/$0.10 Pot Limit Omaha Hi - 4 players
DeucesCracked Poker Videos Hand History Converter

SB: $9.09
Hero (BB): $10.15
CO: $13.46
BTN: $36.98

Pre Flop: ($0.15) Hero is BB with 8 6 A A
CO raises to $0.35, BTN calls $0.35, SB calls $0.30, Hero calls $0.25

Flop: ($1.40) 8 T 5 (4 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.80, CO calls $0.80, BTN folds, SB raises to $1.60, Hero raises to $2.70, CO folds, SB calls $1.10

Turn: ($7.60) A (2 players)
SB checks, Hero checks

River: ($7.60) 8 (2 players)
SB bets $6.04 all in, Hero calls $6.04

Final Pot: $19.68
SB shows J 7 T T (a full house, Tens full of Eights)
Hero shows 8 6 A A (a full house, Aces full of Eights)
Hero wins $18.72
(Rake: $0.96)