Pre-flop Raising Strategies
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.
Phil Gordon,
Full Tilt Poker
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