Pre-Flop Strategy

Before you start betting like a madman when you get two eights in the pocket, you need to carefully consider all factors involved in solid pre-flop strategy.

The factors to consider are the number of players, how aggressive/passive the players at the table are, your bankroll, your position, and how much risk you are willing to entail.

Number of players: With 10 people in the game, it's much more likely that someone else has a strong hand in the pocket than in a short-handed game. Also, you'll need to be more cautious in larger games, as the chances of someone's pre-flop hand fitting the flop will be much better. More competition means stiffer competition.

How aggressive the players are: Assuming you've been playing with a few people for several hands, and you noticed some jackass is raising every hand pre-flop, you'll want to play tighter. Let the guy win the blinds (big deal) and nail him to the wall when you have a solid hand in the pocket pre-flop.

Your bankroll: If you have $2 left, you'll want to play extremely carefully and select one hand to bet on, hoping to get as many players involved as possible for a larger pot. You'll want to be all-in before the flop is dealt. On the flip-side, if you have $1000 at a $1/$2 table, you can take the high-risk, high-payout bets.

Your position: People in late position have the ability to influence the size of the pot much more than those in early position. This is especially true pre-flop. (see our page on position for more info)

Your tolerence for risk: Depending on your playing style, you may want to play more or less aggressively pre-flop. Players who shoot for larger pots, but don't mind a greater chance for losing a few hands will want to raise pre-flop, especially if they are in late position. Some players prefer to be as selective as possible pre-flop, grinding out a winning hand here or there. It really depends on your own style of play, and how you perceive the players around you.

Without taking much of this into consideration, you want hands that have high card value, or the ability to be the best hand (the nuts). You'll want to seriously consider playing high value cards (queens, kings and aces), suited (drawing for a flush) and connected (drawing for a straight) cards, and obviously, always play high pocket pairs (queens or better).

Good post. I find that pocket 8's-9's-10's are best played aggressively only in the mid-to-late position. Otherwise, I would simply call in early position and hope to make a set on the flop.

I must say that nick! gives very good advice from what I've read...... good perspective on things, and I don't say this because he's the prez. :wink:

playing middle pairs like this aggressively in early position is a dead giveaway to a player you should keep your eye on, learn his betting patterns and take his money.

You should raise with only the best of pocket pairs in EP. Play the lower pairs in ep if you can see the flop cheap and hope to hit a set. I will call with a pocket pair in ep if the raise is tiny and the pot has many people who will likely see the flop with me. If the raise is large or the pot is small, I will fold the smaller pairs and pick a better place to take a shot.

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Bodog Poker has alot of Poker Fish, so does Absolute Poker. I mainly play at AP but Bodog is another good one!

this is so true....when i get aces kings or queens in the pocket in late positions i hope some fish got middle pocket pair in early position and will bet into me...my advice is its better to limp in and run from a losing hand than it is to bet big and limp away from that same losing hand

Keep the posts coming. You guys have been really helpful. thank you.

i play my pp different every time based on the blinds and antes at the time or the limit of the table or if i have a madman next to me or at my table its all a feel if u got a tight table u may raise and win just those blinds and antes which maybe 75 cents but if u got "lovesto bluff " at your table u may slow play them and hope to crush him i love to play with manaics because it takes 1 hand to double me up

it turn out i am one of those jackasses that raises pre flop all the time.

onlybecause i generally get lucky and just try to get people on speed tournys.

oh well confirmed jackass it is then

I like to just call low pockets or raise when im small or big blinds.

I try not to raise on low pockets, like to call on 6 - 9 and raise on 10 and up