Pre-flop strategy

In Texas Holdem Poker the pre-flop strategy is very important. If you play the pre-flop right you will have better chances to win the hand but if you play it wrong you could lose a lot of money.

In the pre-flop strategy you must be aware of some crucial aspects: the numbers of players at the table, how aggressive are they, table stakes, your position and not the least, the cards you hold.

The number of players at the table can influence the chances that someone else could have a strong hand. If it’s a 10 players table you should play with caution because more players mean strong competition. A shorter table makes a weaker competition but this doesn’t mean other players can’t have strong hands.

If you played some hands at the table and you noticed one or two aggressive players that raise every hand in pre-flop, you should play tight, so you can have the first chance of winning the hand if you remain heads up with one of them. I know these aggressive players are annoying but if you can keep your cool is more enjoyable when you take their money.

It’s well known that at low stakes players call much easier so a small raise won’t have the same effect like in a high stakes game. The late position gives the player the opportunity to influence the pot size much more than the early ones. It is recommended to play with caution in the early positions and more aggressive in the late positions especially if you have a strong hand.

The cards you’ve been dealt can make the difference in the pre-flop strategy. A good pre-flop strategy is based on position and the cards you hold. If you are in early position is recommended to play just these hands: AA, KK, QQ, TT, AKs, AQs, AJs, KQs, AK.

If you are in mid position to the hands that you can play with you may add some cards but you should not call a raise in front of you with these: 99, 88, 77, 66, 55, AQ, AJ, ATs, AT, KQ, KJs, KJ, KTs, KT, QJs, QJ, QTs, QT, JTs, JT, T9s, 98s, 87s, 76s, 65s, 54s.

If you are in late position and no one raised before you can also play these hands: 44, 33, 22, A9, A8, K9s, Q9s, J9s, T9, 43s, 32s, 98, 87, 76.

These are just recommendations that you can use in your game. The way you play is also influenced by your character and your personality. If you have a strong or a weak personality it will be reflected in your game but if you can follow and learn a good strategy you can overcome your disadvantages and make a good game.