
Preflop fundamentals for beginners
In poker, the value of good preflop play is often underestimated. Here’s why it is important:
Played in every hand: Since preflop…
You raised, someone 3-bet, you 4-bet, and they 5-bet all-in. The rest have folded.
When to call
5-bet bluffs are rare in most games. They are rare even when playing with GTO (Game Theory Optimal ranges). In general we want a very strong hand to call an all-in 5-bet, like JJ – AA and AK. As usual the exact range will depend on the positions.
If you are 4-betting good ranges (against strong opponents), you will fold your 4-bet bluffs. This is hands like: AQo, KJs, A5s and A4s, but it depends on the positions.
Most of the time we should adapt to our opponents and their ranges (when they are deviating from optimal), but it is a bit easier to do it exactly when calling a 5-bet. The reason for this is that ranges are much more narrow and the hand ends when we call, so we don’t need to worry about how well our hand plays postflop. See How to use an Odds Calculator for information on how to do this.
It is challenging to memorize all the different charts just by looking at them. It is also hard to know if you remember correctly. We strongly recommend practicing preflop ranges in the preflop exercise to help you commit them to memory and get feedback on mistakes.
In poker, the value of good preflop play is often underestimated. Here’s why it is important:
Played in every hand: Since preflop…
You raised, someone re-raised you, and the rest have folded. Bet sizing: It is recommended to raise to 2.2 times the 3-bet in position…
One player has raised the blinds. There is one or more callers in front of you. 3-betting in this situation is called squeezing or the…
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