As 2025 turns into 2026, we’re talking to some of the biggest names in the poker world and reflecting on the year’s most interesting stories and events.
Here we present two Pro Tips from best-selling author and mid-stakes coach, Alex Fitzgerald’s newest book, How to Beat Players Who Never Fold.
Nits, Stations and Maniacs
Below is one of the simplest, yet smartest, ways to think about how different player types interact with one another at the poker table:
- 'Nits' beat 'Stations'
- 'Stations' beat 'Maniacs'
- 'Maniacs' beat 'Nits'.
With this in mind, the first thing you want to be looking for when you get to the table is how people handle themselves.
Nits
Nits are usually pretty worried about playing a hand that will cost them money. You'll notice them being comfortable folding, keeping their chips neat, watching the action, and not participating.
That will be someone you want to bluff against consistently because they will usually find the big fold on the river.
Stations
Stations are what most people are. Stations tend to waffle around a lot, preflop and post-flop. They see too many flops because flops excite them, and too many showdowns because showdowns are fun for them. If you constantly see someone getting to the river with goofy hands or staying around on the flop, turn, and river way too often, that will be a station.
You want to get a slightly better hand when playing versus them than their range. It doesn't take much. Then, you'll value bet profusely.
Maniacs
Now, last but not least, maniacs, Don't worry about maniacs; you'll know who they are pretty quickly. They like to announce themselves; they usually want the attention. If you pay attention, they really only have one trick. When you call down, they keep putting pressure on you if it's unlikely you have your best hands.
When up against a maniac you have to just pick a top pair and call down and hope for the best. It's a much higher variance and intense way to play, but you'll catch them in a lot of bluffs.
Overall benefits
Paying attention to player types benefits you at the table because it gets you out of the standard way of playing. Most people play poker based on their personality. The people who like to have fun usually see too many flops and typically see too many showdowns. The very conservative people fiscally tend to be a little too tight. The people who want to blow off steam tend to be maniacs. You don't want to be any of these three.
You want to be someone who can adjust at the table based on what the table is willing to give you. If there's free money on the table, you want to take it. You won't be a good poker player until you learn how to adjust based on every player you play against.
How to be a fake maniac
Have you ever had the problem where no one is paying you off when you have a hand? There's a way to get around that. Usually, as we discussed last time, the way the game works is that nits beat stations, stations beat maniacs, and maniacs beat nits.
The problem is, many stations these days are a bit savvier than they used to be. In the early 2000s, people lost their money pretty quickly. Nowadays, many people have realized they can't just call any river bet with any pair they have.
This is a problem because the biggest bet by far is the river bet. How do you get those river bets called when you have the goods? Well, you want to have a better hand than most stations when you're betting. That's why nits beat stations. However, you don't want them to think you're a nit. What you want to be instead is a fake maniac.
How do we do that?
Well-timed aggression
People tend to generalize some aggression with consistent aggression. If you just do some small, well-placed aggression, people will generally overcompensate versus you.
Let's say someone is opening too much. You should three-bet with any hand that is better than their wide range. The consistent three-betting will make people think that you're wilder than you really are.
Does someone constantly call on the flop with mediocre pairs and high cards? Then you should over bet versus them on some turns. When people see some three-bet bluffs, some over bet bluffs, they'll definitely think you're always crazy.
What happens now is that they have that perception of you. Now they're going to pay you off on more rivers than you deserve.
The best players are doing it
A lot of the best regulars in your games probably already do this style, you just didn't realize it. When they three-bet they make a big show out of it, when they do a big turn bluff they do a big show out of it, but they're really just cherry-picking situations when you probably called them too much on the flop or you're opening too much.
When they're actually river betting a huge amount, they're not bluffing that much in that situation. But everybody believes they are because they've seen the smaller aggressive moves earlier in the session. You can use the same strategy versus anyone around the world.
Alex Fitzgerald is a best-selling author published by D&B Poker. Check out Alex’s most recent offering, ‘How to Beat Players Who Never Fold.’
Visit pokerheadrush.com and subscribe to Alex's free strategy newsletter. Follow Alex on X and Instagram.
