A nit in poker is someone who doesn’t play enough hands and doesn’t put much action on the table. These players often open tight, 3-bet tight, and rarely bluff. They can be found at all stakes, but are most commonly seen in lower level games. They can be difficult to beat, but you can learn how to play against nits and profit from their lack of aggression.
Nits are characterized by their lack of action preflop. This can be due to a few factors. They may open tighter than the average player, they may 3-bet with a small range in late position, or they may simply be reluctant to make a move preflop.
When playing against a nit, you need to take extra care when making your decisions. They have a very high frequency imbalance and are vulnerable to exploitation by balanced players. It’s important to expand your opening and 3-bet ranges in late position, as well as your 4-bet range, if you want to improve your game against nits.
Another reason why nits are vulnerable to exploitation is their tendency to overplay their monster hands. This is especially common in late position when they face raises. It’s important to realize that you can make big money when playing a monster hand. However, you should still be ready to fold when your opponent bluffs.
A poker nit’s brain rewards them for these folds by convincing them that their opponent had to have a set on the flop. They spend their poker career dreaming of the times when they have pocket aces or a flopped set and a sucker gives them their whole stack.
When playing against nits, you need to be aggressive with your own preflop 3-bets. This includes 3-bet stealing against them with strong speculative hands such as 98s or suited connectors. You should also float the flop and bet the turn against them. Finally, you should double barrel against them on the river with a scare card to get their chips.
A nit can also be beat by a good flopped set or a top pair with top kicker. They’re more likely to call a flopped set or a strong ace than a weak one, and they’ll often fold on the river when you bet with a big pair.
In the end, nits are usually beat by balanced players because they are too tight both preflop and postflop. To overcome this, you must learn to open your ranges more preflop and become more aggressive in late position. This will help you win more pots and avoid getting exploited by nits. You can do this by expanding your ranges to include more hands and focusing on the right types of hands in each situation. With the right coaching, you can learn to beat nits by playing a more balanced strategy.