PokerWorks

It's Not All About The Cards

There was a purpose to the pre-flop assignment - it wasn't about post-flop betting, this was purely a pre-flop assignment meant to address three things... 1) having a standard way to raise when first to act 2) having a standard way of dealing with limpers and raisers and 3) using position to your best advantage.

Some of you will be looking for a "magic" solution - I can't provide you that. You need to look at the assignments I give you and study them with an open mind and not just think "this is boring" or "this doesn't make any sense" - why doesn't it make sense? Ask! See what I'm trying to get you to do. Why do I have you reraise 2x the total bet? Why do you call a raise with 6-4 on the button? Why do you not play A-10 out of the BB to a raise? Why do you raise 1x extra for each limper? Why do you limp with small pairs in early position? Why do you call a raise with small pairs?

The answers to these questions will help you get on the path to figuring out the concepts behind proper pre-flop play. Let's go over the answer to the first one briefly to give you an idea of the thought processes you should be using pre-flop:

Why do I have you reraise 2x the total bet?

A problem that a lot of people make is not raising enough OR raising too much. Not raising enough invites action you don't necessarily want. Raising too much makes the pot too large and will make your post-flop decisions much more difficult. Let me explain by showing you examples of each.

In hand number one, you are dealt pocket kings. The blinds are 100/200 and a player in middle position has raised it to 600. You decide to make it 1,200 to go. It is folded back to the middle position player who has a marginal hand, A-10, but he only has to call 600 to win 2,100 or 3.5:1 on his money. He makes the easy call and spikes an ace on the flop to take the pot from you. If you had made it to 2x the total bet or 1,800 to go he would have had to call 1,200 to win 2,700 or 2.25:1 on his money. A significant difference and a much more difficult (and stupid) call to make.

Fortunately, people are stupid and will make this call quite often. Even though I was discussing inviting action you don't want, your goal as a poker player is to get your opponent's to make mistakes. It is not a mistake for them to call with A-10 out of position when they are getting 3.5:1 on their money. It is a mistake for them to do so when they are only getting 2.25:1.

In hand number two, you have pocket queens and your opponent has opened the pot with A-K to 600 with the blinds at 100-200. You make it 3,000 to go thus committing over 30% of your stack. Your opponent makes the call and there is now 6,300 in the pot. The flop comes king high and your opponent checks to you. You make a continuation bet of ½ the pot, or 3,150, and your opponent check raises all in. You fold, having committed over half your stack in the process. If you had made it 1,800 to go and made a ½ pot continuation bet, you would have lost 3,750 in chips as opposed to 6,150. Huge difference.

This assignment was not about how to win a no limit hold em tournament at Full Tilt or PokerStars, it was an exercise in applying a concept. The assignments are built upon one another so that you can learn it in small steps instead of one large one. You need to approach these assignments as if it were a homework assignment and don't think that it's going to help you win a tournament overnight. Study what you are doing and why you are doing it and in the long run it will all start to come together.