Pre-flop Play in the Early Stage
by Unam
| 1 |
Introduction
In this article- Goals of pre-flop play in the early stage
- What to consider when making a decision
- How to make a decision using the charts and the information you have available
Even though the winnings of a SnG player are determined mainly in the late stage of a tournament, the key to success is laid in the early stage. If you play badly here, you will rarely reach the late stage, or your stack will be too small to play effectively.
This article takes you beyond the starting hands charts from the Beginner section and explains the most important aspects of early stage tournament play.
What are the differences between SNGs and cash games?
Assume that you are dealt Q
Q
in the first hand of an 11$ SNG and are sitting in the Big Blind. The Small Blind shows you A
K and moves all-in. You are a 53.8% favorite to win the hand and have an easy call in a cash game.
At this point it is necessary to clarify the crucial difference between cash games and SnGs:
You buy into a tournament with $10 and receive 2,000 chips. So initially your 2,000 chips are worth $10, but this will change during the course of the tournament. If, for example, all your opponents decided to go crazy and went all-in every hand until only one of them was left, the situation would be as follows: You are heads up with 2,000 chips against an opponent with 18,000 chips.
2nd is certain and your 2,000 chips are worth at least $30 (even more as you still have a chance to come in 1st).
The mathematical method used to associate chips with a monetary value is the so-called Independent Chip Model ICM.
Let's have another look at the above situation without considering the blinds, as they are insignificant in size and can be reduced to 0 to keep the formula simple.
If you win the hand, you will have 4,000 chips. According to the ICM, they have a value of $18.444 (not $20, as you might assume). If you call the all-in, each uninvolved player gains 19.4 cents by moving closer to the money due to the fact that either you or the SB will be eliminated.
Therefore, you invest $10 to win $8.444. To make this call profitable, you need 10:18.444, or a 54.2% probability of winning the hand. Since you only have 53.8% equity, you should fold the hand.
This concept and formula with the ICM can be applied to any situation in an SnG, and the above example demonstrates why a tight pre-flop strategy prevails over loose play.
A chip won is worth less than a chip lost! (The first 2,000 chips are worth $10, where as the second 2,000 chips are only worth $8.444.)
Why is position so important?
One of the most important things to consider, and beginners very often underestimate this, is position, as it allows you to obtain a huge amount of information without investing a single chip.
As explained in the Beginner articles, position is determined according to a player's seat location relative to the dealer. The earlier your position is, the sooner you will have to act in the betting round, and the more opponents will be left to act behind you. For this simple reason, you need better cards to get involved in a hand from an earlier position than from a later position.
You should already have understood and internalized this concept, but have you thought about what influence this simple statement has on your game?
When in early position, the danger of running into a strong hand is much greater, as there are 9 players behind you (rather than 2 when you are on the BU). It should be fairly obvious why you need a stronger hand to raise from early position than from late position.
In other words: A hand like A J , which is an easy fold UTG, becomes a good hand for a value raise when sitting on the button. It also means you can fold a drawing hand with which you'd like to see a cheap flop in early position when the players behind you tend to raise before the flop.
Pursuing this logic, it also becomes clear that you also need a stronger hand when an opponent in early position raises. The above mentioned AJ is a clear fold against an UTG raise, whereas you could easily call in the BB after a first in raise from the BU.
Position is also a decisive factor in the post-flop play in the early stage of a SnG. As most of the chips wander into the pot after the flop, it is important to have position. Ideally, you want to be the last player to act on the flop. This gives you an information advantage, as the other players have already made their decision to check or bet.
How to play different types of hands
AA, KK and also QQ are definitely starting hands with which you should try to get as many chips as possible into the pot before the flop, as you almost always hold the best hand.
Besides having a lot of value pre-flop, these hands are usually strong and easy to play after the flop. Your goal is to play for as large a pot as possible and against as few opponents as possible, preferably moving all-in before the flop. If you're first-in, raise. If someone raises, re-raise.
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t40 (10 handed)
UTG (t2000)
UTG+1 (t1960)
UTG+2 (t2644)
MP1 (t1980)
MP2 (t1940)
MP3 (t1698)
CO (t1900)
Button (t2040)
SB (t1960)
Hero (t1878)
Pre-flop: Hero is BB with A, A.
2 folds, UTG+2 calls t40, 1 fold, MP2 raises to t200, 4 folds, Hero raises to t600, UTG+2 folds, MP2 raises to t1080, Hero pushes all in , MP2 calls all in.
AK, AQ, JJ and TT - you can easily raise these hands first-in, but should avoid investing all your chips pre-flop, because these hands are by far not as strong as they may seem. Look at AK for example: you are even a slight underdog if your opponent holds a pocket pair. As you learned in the introduction, you should try to avoid such coin flips.
With TT we have a similar situation, since overcards are the only hand you can flip coins with. And, of course, there is also the danger of running into a monster. Make pre-flop value raises with these hands, but don't create pots you won't be able to get out of.
How then should you play your strong hands? If you are first-in, raise. If someone raises before you, just call. This way you avoid marginal situations in which you are forced to make a move due to odds and the size of the pot, even though you are not a clear favorite. You also avoid giving your opponent an easy fold before the flop, which allows him to lose more to you with the 2nd best hand after the flop.
If, for example, you opponent raises A6, you call with AQ, and the flop reveals an ace, you will certainly win more chips than if you'd re-raised before the flop.
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t40 (8 handed)
UTG (t2000)
UTG+1 (t2000)
MP1 (t2040)
MP2 (t1860)
CO (t1920)
Hero (t2040)
SB (t6140)
BB (t2000)
Pre-flop: Hero is Button with K, A
.
UTG raises to t160, 4 folds, Hero calls t160, 2 folds.
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t60 (10 handed)
UTG (t1760)
Hero (t2000)
UTG+2 (t1610)
MP1 (t920)
MP2 (t1720)
MP3 (t4360)
CO (t2890)
Button (t2420)
SB (t1960)
BB (t360)
Pre-flop: Hero is UTG+1 with A
, Q. 1 fold, Hero raises to 200
With hands like A5, KT or 87, preferably suited, which are not strong before the flop, but can hit a board nicely, you should act carefully, especially if you are still working on your post-flop game. They often lead to marginal situations, which you want to avoid.
If you want to play these hands, be very careful not to end up being the one paying off an opponent with the second best hand. You want to see a flop as cheaply as possible. Look for cheap, multi-way pots when playing such hands.
Drawing hands are only worth playing when several players are in the hand, since you are then more likely to get paid off when you complete your draw.
Example: Four players have limped in and you call with J T , a good drawing hand. The BB checks and you see the flop along with five other players.
Here is a list of made hands you can hit and the probability of hitting on the flop:
- Pair: 32.4%
- Two pair: 2%
- Trips or better: 3.6%
Against five opponents, a pair of jacks or tens is rarely enough. You will probably end up paying off a better hand if there is a lot of action and you don't fold. You only hit trips or better about 3.6% of the time, and even then you can run into a better hand or get sucked out on.
You are much more likely to hit a draw than a made hand:
- Straight draw with 4 Outs: 16.6% (better known as gutshot)
- OESD, Double Belly Buster with 8 Outs: 9.6%
- Flush draw: 10.9%
Even though it contradicts the principle of saving chips in the early stage, you have to invest further chips with these hands.
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t60 (9 handed)
UTG (t1820)
UTG+1 (t2040)
MP1 (t4030)
MP2 (t1150)
MP3 (t1940)
CO (t3140)
Button (t1910)
Hero (t2140)
BB (t1830)
Pre-flop: Hero is SB with J T .
2 folds, MP1 calls t60, MP2 calls t60, MP3 calls t60, CO calls t60, BU calls t60, Hero completes, BB checks.
How to continue with this hand is described in the articles on flop play (see the link box at the end of this article).
Pocket pairs are also drawing hands, but of a very different nature. Either you hit your set and try to generate a large pot, or you hit nothing and have an easy fold. You already know what you are going to do after the flop when you call before the flop.
The objective is to see a flop as cheaply as possible. So you limp, or call a raise, but certainly do not raise them yourself. Be sure you and your opponent each have enough chips left in your stacks for you to win a big pot when you do hit a set. Only invest chips before the flop when you both have at least 15 times the amount required to see the flop left in your stacks.
You will hit your set only 11.8% of the time, so you need to make up for the invested money lost 88.2% of the time when you do hit by winning a big pot.
Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t40 (10 handed)
UTG (t2000)
UTG+1 (t2000)
UTG+2 (t2000)
MP1 (t2000)
MP2 (t2000)
MP3 (t2000)
CO (t2000)
Hero (t2000)
SB (t2000)
BB (t2000)
Pre-flop: Hero is Button with 2, 2.
UTG raises to t120, 6 folds, Hero calls t120, 2 folds.
There are a number reasons for raising and you should always be aware of the goal you are pursuing when you raise.
If you hold AA UTG, you raise because your hand the best chance at winning the pot. If you raise a monster before the flop and get called, you opponent is almost always making a mistake, because you will win the pot 80% of the time.
The objective of the value raise is to get as many of your opponents chips into the pot as possible, since you have the best hand. A re-raise only makes you smile.
You can also raise for a mix between value and protection. An example for this would be a raise with JJ from UTG+1. It is very probable that you have the best hand, but it's still vulnerable. Every flop with an A, K or Q is dangerous. Your opponent can also beat you on flops without any big scare cards.
These scare cards are dangerous, as they force you to give up betting for protection against draws, as you may already be behind and must exercise pot control.
You are happy to see your opponent fold, but won't be too worried if he calls. A re-raise from a good opponent, on the other hand, is almost always a sign that your hand is good, but not good enough. You're usually correct in folding to a re-raise with such a hand.
Of course, the exception proves the rule. If you spot an opponent whose starting hand range is so wide that he plays KJ or 77 as if they were monsters, the value of your hand increases so dramatically that you can raise purely for value and aim for an all-in.
The intention of a steal raise is to collect the blinds, ideally without encountering resistance (so you obviously can't steal from early position). The likelihood of meeting resistance rises with every player behind you who might have a hand he wants to play.
In the early stage, the blinds are so small compared to stacks that it's hardly worth attacking them. The resulting situations are just too marginal.
The best hands for steal raises are drawing hands. With these, you have a fair chance of hitting the flop and continuing with the hand in case you get called.
If your steal gets re-raised, you have an easy fold. The only exception are pocket pairs, with which you can call for set value if you and your opponent have at least 15 times the amount you must invest left in your stacks.
The logical consequence of the above would be to make your steal raises as small as possible in order to risk only a few chips. For value raises however, it would seemingly make sense to push all-in, as you will have gotten your money in as a favorite if you get called.
Unfortunately it's not quite that easy, because small raises are called more frequently, while a push often leads to everyone folding. Therefore it is advisable to generally choose the same amount for all raising situations. This has the advantage that your opponent won't know if you are raising for value or stealing. Hence your value raises get paid off more often, and you get more fold equity when stealing.
The perfect raise amount depends on the table. In the early stage it'll usually be somewhere between 3 and 4 BBs. As always, there are exceptions. If you are sitting at a table with players that are willing to call 6 or 7 BBs, why shouldn't you be ready to take these extra chips off them with your value raises?
When re-raising, a good amount is 3 times the original raise, plus that amount for every player that called the original raise. If someone raised to 3 BBs and one player called, you should raise to 3*3 + 1*3 = 12 BBs.
If a re-raise forces you to invest half your stack, you should directly push all-in. In other words, if a raise and a few calls in front of you build a pot to about 1/3 of the size of your stack, you should push all-in right away, because if you make a normal re-raise and get called, the pot will be so large compared to your remaining stack, that you will be committed and won't be able to fold.
Pushing all-in before the flop makes your opponents make a tough decision and doesn't allow them to outdraw you or decide to fold after missing the flop. And even if they all fold, you won the pot (and didn't suffer a bad beat).
Assume you're in the first hand of a SnG. The blinds are 20/40, and each player has 2,000 chips. Someone raises and 2 people call in front of you. There are 540 chips in the pot with the 60 chips from the blinds. If you now re-raise on the button and everyone folds, you win 540 chips in one swoop (a quarter of your initial stack) without even having seen a flop.
This move (also called a "squeeze") can bring very positive results and is best made with hands like AK or JJ, as these hands are often ahead before the flop, but are hard to play profitably afterwards.
If your opponent calls and you have a coin flip, don't sweat. A coin flip is not particularly desirable, but it's ok to end up in one once in awhile, as long as you also get called from time to time by poorer players with hands against which you are a clear favorite, for example AQ, AJ, or 88.
You can argue about the sense of squeezing with AA or KK, since there are hardly any flops you won't want to go all-in on. On one hand, your opponent will call a squeeze less often if they have seen you push with AA. And on the other hand, bad opponents often call a re-raise before the flop, but then fold on the flop. You have to make your decision based on the situation and opponents at hand.
Note that we have only been speaking about pots with single raises. The situation changes after a raise and a re-raise in front of you. The question then is if you can beat the hand that re-raised. Pushing after a re-raise with AK or JJ is only profitable when up against very poor players.
Before you make a decision before the flop, you must ask yourself several questions:
- In which position am I?
- What have my opponents done so far and what is their position?
- Which player acted and what might his intention be?
- Is my hand playable?
- How aggressive/passive, good/bad, tight/loose is the table?
- What image do I have at this table?
- If I play the hand, what is my goal?
- How big should I bet in order to achieve this goal?
- How likely is it that an opponent behind me could get in the way?
- If someone behind me interferes, is he a good or a bad player?
- What kind of situation did he encounter when he made his decision. What is his objective?
- How will I react if opponents resist?
- Which positions/pot size/opponents am I most likely to encounter on the flop?
If you ask yourself these questions before making a decision and have the answers, your hand/move has a specific goal, and you have a plan on how it can be accomplished, and also a plan B in case the direct route gets blocked.
You then will hardly ever find yourself in a situation where you don't know what to do. And if you do, you can go through the above questions in retrospect and find out where you made a mistake and the consequence it had.
If, for example, your steals get called or re-raised often, your analysis in retrospect could look as follows:
- In which position am I?
Late position. - What have my opponents done so far and what is their position?
I was first in. - Is my hand playable?
Yes. I only stole with nice drawing hands. - How aggressive/passive, good/bad, tight/loose is the table?
The table was very tight and the opponents rather passive and bad. - What impression does the table have of you?
I have played very few hands and done no stealing so far, so the table should give me credit for a hand. - If I play the hand, what is my goal?
I wanted to collect the blinds. - How big should I bet in order to achieve this goal?
A normal raise, the same amount I would raise for value in the exact same situation. - How likely is it that an opponent behind me prevents me from achieving my goal?
I find that improbable, because there are only two players behind me, and they are very tight. - If someone behind me interferes, is he good or a bad player?
They are rather bad players, showing little aggression, but they like to call. - What kind of situation did he encounter when he made his decision. What is his objective?
He found himself confronted with my raise out of late position. He probably has a drawing hand with which he doesn't want to invest many chips. - How will I react if opponents resist?
If they call, I have a hand that can hit the board. I can also win the pot with a bluff continuation bet. If I get raised, I have an easy fold. - Which positions/pot size/opponents am I most likely to encounter on the flop?
I don't see a flop most of the time. When I do, it is very likely that I will be playing for a small pot with a decent hand in position against one tight and one passive opponent.
If after looking back you feel you made sound decisions, then you can be confident that you did do the right thing, even though it didn't work out. If confronted with the same situation again, you would make the same decision.
Summary
Hopefully you have noticed that this article hasn't told you to bet a certain amount with a certain hand from a certain position. Instead, we have tried to help you understand the thought process behind the decisions you make before the flop, so that you can improve your play after the flop.
If you are unhappy or unsure about the way you played a hand, you should make use of the hand discussion forum, where you find friendly advice and expert opinions.
| LINKS | |||||||
|
|||||||
| 1 |
Next article:
Gold