A poker nit is a type of player who plays very conservatively, only entering pots with the best of hands and folding often. Nits are not aggressive players, and they rarely bluff. They are often referred to as tight-passive players because they play very few hands and rarely take risks. The term ‘nit’ is derived from the slang for a card counter.
Characteristics of a Poker Nit
Nits are easily recognizable by their playing style. They generally only play premium hands like A-K, A-Q, and pocket pairs. They rarely bluff, and they typically fold when they face a raise or a bet. Nits also tend to be very passive, rarely raising or re-raising pre-flop. They are also unlikely to make big bets on the river.
Nits also tend to be very selective in the hands they play. They will often fold even if they have a good hand, because they are afraid of the risk. Nits will also often fold when they are facing a bet or a raise, even if they have a good hand. This is because they are afraid of losing money.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Being a Poker Nit
Being a nit has some advantages, but mostly disadvantages. On the downside, nits are less likely to win big pots, because they are not aggressive enough to take advantage of opportunities.
And if they are an actual nit, you allow the other players to play almost perfectly against you because any time a nit enters the pot, you can assume they have a solid hand. You can bet aggressively until you receive pushback and pick up a bunch of small pots.
You can also push nits off of big hands with enough aggression, and you can also put their range of hands in a smaller box. For example, they might only have AA, KK, AK, QQ, JJ, 1010, 99, AQ from early position and add some hands in later position.
You can use this to your advantage in 3 bet pots. If they 3 bet and you flat, if an Axx falls on the flop, you can pull a small check-raise eliminating all of their pocket pairs that aren't AA. I would only recommend this if you have a very solid read on the nit status of your opponent though.
Sometimes being a nit can have it's rare advantages. If the nit is able to pull the trigger on a big bluff every now and then, they will be given more credit for the bluff. This does not outweigh the disadvantages of being a nit.
Nits also tend to be less successful in winning tournaments, because they are unlikely to take risks. In a tournament, players need to take risks in order to build their stack and increase their chances of winning. Nits are unlikely to do this. Although they may cash for the minimum prize pool very often and get blinded out easily after the bubble.
Real-Life Examples of Poker Nits
One of the most famous poker nits is Phil Hellmuth. Hellmuth is known for his tight-aggressive style of play, which is often referred to as “nit-style”. Hellmuth is known for playing very few hands, but when he does enter a pot, he is usually holding a premium hand. He is also known for folding often, even when he has a good hand, because he is afraid of taking risks.
Conclusion
Nits are players who play very conservatively, only entering pots with the best of hands and folding often. Nits are easily recognizable by their playing style, which is often referred to as tight-passive.
