The 8 poker player types

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Poker players cluster into recognizable types along two axes: how many hands they play (tight ↔ loose) and how they play them (passive ↔ aggressive). Holdem Pro maps that space to 8 archetypes — from The Cooler, who folds nearly everything, to The Surgeon, the balanced shark — each defined by real, measurable stats rather than vibes.

Know the types and two things happen: you exploit the players across the table, and you recognize the cage you're in yourself. Every archetype below links to a full profile — stat signature, strengths, defining leaks, and the measured path to its next form.

The Vault 🔐Nit

Chips go in, chips don't come out.

VPIP 12–19% · AF under 2 · 3-bet under 4%

The Cooler 🧊Rock

When they enter the pot, run.

VPIP under 12% · PFR under 8%

The Sponge 🧽Calling Station

Calls everything. Folds nothing. Bleeds slowly.

VPIP over 28% · AF under 1.2 · WTSD over 32% · VPIP–PFR gap over 12

The Tourist 🧳Whale

Just here for fun. Costs you a lot of fun money.

VPIP over 32% · PFR under 16% · VPIP–PFR gap over 14 · Study accuracy under 50%

The Wolf 🐺TAG

Patient, deadly, picks spots.

VPIP 20–26% · PFR 17–22% · AF 1.8–3 · 3-bet 6–11%

The Fox 🦊LAG

Reads the room. Plays every angle.

VPIP 27–36% · PFR 22–30% · AF 3–5 · 3-bet 11–18%

The Hammer 🔨Maniac

Smashes every flop. Most of them shouldn't be smashed.

VPIP over 38% · AF over 5 · 3-bet over 18% · WTSD under 22%

The Surgeon 🦈Shark

Precise, balanced, hard to read.

VPIP ≈ 24% (±4) · PFR ≈ 20% (±4) · 3-bet ≈ 9% (±4) · AF 1.8–3.2 · Drill accuracy 75%+

Which one are you?

Guessing your type is how everyone gets it wrong. The free quiz reads your actual decisions across 7 real hands and names your archetype — plus the leak that comes with it.

Find my archetype — free

Free · 2 minutes · 7 real hands · no signup

Common questions

What are the poker player types?

Players cluster along two axes — how many hands they play (tight vs loose) and how they play them (passive vs aggressive). Holdem Pro maps the space to 8 archetypes: The Cooler (rock), The Vault (nit), The Sponge (calling station), The Tourist (whale), The Wolf (TAG), The Fox (LAG), The Hammer (maniac) and The Surgeon (shark).

What is the best poker player type?

Tight-aggressive (The Wolf) is the best style to learn first and beats most low-stakes games. The strongest profile is the balanced Surgeon — near-GTO baselines around 24/20/9 with 75%+ drill accuracy — which wins against every opponent type.

How do I know my poker player type?

Measure it. Holdem Pro classifies you from real stats — VPIP, PFR, aggression factor, 3-bet, WTSD and drill accuracy — or you can take the free 2-minute leak quiz, which reads 7 real hands and names your archetype with no signup.

Can your poker player type change?

Yes — every archetype has a measured evolution path. A Vault becomes a Wolf by raising VPIP toward 23% and AF above 1.8; a Hammer becomes a Fox by cutting AF below 5. The classifier re-reads your stats as they move.

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