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September 30, 2007
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Poker Lessons)
Poker Lesson: Pre-flop Raising
Strategies
Author: Phil Gordon
To limp or not to limp - that is the question. I'm
not going to name any names here, but there are some big-time
pros who will argue that it's OK to limp into a pot before the
flop. They reason that the more flops they see, the more likely
they are to hit something big. If not, well, then they're pros
and they can outplay their opponents after the flop.
I tend to land on the other side of the fence in
this debate. My pre-flop strategy is this - its raise or its fold,
there's no in between. I'm not injured - I don't have a sprained
ankle or a broken leg - so why would I limp? There's nothing wrong
with seeing flops, but why let your opponents get in cheap with
an inferior hand?
I like to size my pre-flop raises based on my position.
A lot of inexperienced players raise based on the strength of
their hands, but good players will pick up on this play before
too long. If you always raise four times the big blind with pocket
Aces, Kings, and Queens, but only three times with everything
else, skilled opponents will notice these patterns and exploit
them later on.
If, on the other hand, you always raise a predetermined
amount based on your position, your holdings will be much better
disguised. By adopting this strategy, it doesn't matter if you're
holding pocket Aces or 7-8 off-suit (which is the kind of junk
I highly recommend you don't play), your opponents will have a
much harder time putting you on a hand after the flop. Cards aside,
here's how I like to play before the flop:
From early position - including the blinds - raise
two-and-a-half times the big blind. You are more susceptible to
a re-raise from this position, so it's best not to risk too many
chips. Still, this raise lets everyone know that you mean business.
From middle position, raise three times the big
blind. Hopefully a couple of people will already have folded to
you, so there's less chance of being re-raised. Hence, you can
afford to make a stronger push and possibly steal the blinds.
From middle/late position, raise three-and-a-half
times the big blind. You really want to encourage those last couple
of players to fold so you can go heads up with the blinds or just
steal them outright.
From the button, raise four times the big blind.
You either want to steal the blinds or make it really expensive
for them to re-raise you.
Now, obviously when you play this raise or fold
style before the flop, you can't be afraid of action. A lot of
players - especially when they raise with a hand that they'd rather
not see called - get that internal dialogue going that says "Please
fold, please fold, please fold." But here's the thing; you
should want action and welcome a call.
The fact is your opponent is going to miss the flop
such a high percentage of the time that it shouldn't matter whether
you hit or not. You're the one who raised and you're the one in
the driver's seat. Every chip that your opponent put into the
pot before the flop is, in all likelihood, coming over to your
chip stack. Even if your opponent does hit the flop, chances are
they might not hit it very hard. If your opponent has A-8 and
the flop comes K-8-4, the pot can still be yours. Steel those
nerves and fire off a continuation bet - you're going to get them
to lay down their hand a good amount of the time.
At the end of the day, it's all about how many chips
are coming back to your stack. The more you put in pre-flop, the
more you should get out of the pot when it's all said and done.
Forget about limping, it's time to go full speed ahead.
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