These opponents aren’t very easy to spot. You have to pay special attention to the particular dynamics of the hand that’s occurring and note why they might be making the play they’re making. Generally however there are two types of LAF’s if you are keen enough to spot them. They are:
LAF A – These opponents tend to be somewhat aggressive and like to apply the pressure by leading into their opponents and seeing if they can “steal” the pot from them. They tend to know that since most opponents will miss the flop a majority of the time, they’d rather take the initiative being out of position and see if they can take down the pot with a bet. They are only somewhat aggressive because they will nearly always fold to a raise unless they have a big hand.
LAF P – These opponents tend to be a bit more passive, but will take stabs at the pot with their mid pocket pairs or middle pair type hands. However, they will fold instantly to a raise fearing the worst of their opponent’s hands.
Both of these opponents present a unique opportunity for you to pick up some extra big bets. When these players bet on the flop, you should raise with a lot of hands you missed the flop with. You don’t want to completely overdo this concept, but you do want to apply as much pressure as possible to these opponents. If you have no over cards and no draws or strong back door draws, then giving up in these spots is fine. Since LAFs tend to be able to fold their weak hands, you want to test them as see how much they really like their hand and how far they’ll be willing to go with it. If you do decide to stay ultra aggressive in these situations, make sure you’re aware that your opponent will tend to take a stand at some point. Use the tension concept to try and time it so that you’ll have a big hand when your opponent does take a stand against you.
Anytime you see someone put a bet in on the flop and fold to a raise, make a quick note of it. Just because someone does it once or twice doesn’t make them a LAF. That’s why these types of opponents’ tendencies are much harder to pick up on. In one session, you may not really know for sure if someone is a LAF. This is much more of a long term read that you may have to make against a regular player. There are times however when you will be able to make this read within a session, and it will be quite obvious when that time occurs.
