This article will focus primarily on identifying where you should call preflop raises in position and out of position. We are not talking about limping in this article, we are talking about when someone raises in front of you and you decide to call. For the sake of clarity and ease of use the article has been divided into two parts, playing in position and playing out of position. It is also assumed that you will be playing 100 big blinds deep. Playing with short stacks or stacks larger than 100bbs will influence the playability of all the hands covered in this article.
Flat call in position:
Suited connectors: Position is the main requirement for playing hands like suited connectors, the reason for this is that you will often flop some equity with a hand like 56s, you can hit bottom pair with a backdoor flush draw or a backdoor straight draw. In this spot you will usually want to continue to the turn. Being in position will make this spot profitable, while being out of position would make it more difficult and would probably be an unprofitable spot.
Pocket pairs: We will generally flat call all pairs in position, where I would not be 3-betting for value with the intention of going all-in. This would often fit on cards 22 through TT. Sometimes I will flat preflop with JJ and QQ because they are not strong enough to go all-in. Sometimes we will flat call with KK and AA against aggressive players or short stacks to speak of, with the intention of inducing a squeeze. With middle pairs we generally have more value postflop. Pairs like 88-TT allow us to call a bet in position when the board is favorable. With small pairs we will often fold to c-bets when we do not hit a set.
Broadways suited and offsuited: In the same way we play suited connectors, we try to flat call broadways frequently in position. We will float a lot with pairs and backdoor draws, and we will raise frequently in position when the flop is full of low cards and we have overcards. For example, the cutoff raises preflop and we flat with QJs on the BTN. The flop comes 278 with a backdoor flush-draw for us. This is a great spot to raise our opponent's c-bet. If we face an EP raise, like from UTG for example, we prefer to fold broadways like QJ, QT and AT, but I will defend more loosely if the raise comes from, for example, the CO. We can then say that a QJo is a call against a CO raise, but a fold against an UTG. I will flat call frequently with QK and AQ in position. In the case of AKs or AKo, we prefer to 3-bet.
Suited Aces: Suited aces are powerful hands because they allow you to semi-bluff the nut flush draw and make you a tougher opponent to play. You will be able to flat call many suited aces in position and play similarly to broadway or suited connectors, by raising semi-bluffs in some cases. For example, if you have an overcard, a backdoor flush draw, and a gutshot straight draw with A4s on a good blop, these are good spots to raise as a bluff or float the flop.
Dynamics: The main focus of your preflop flat calling range in position will be your implied odds with hands like pairs, suited connectors, and suited broadways. Since this range is not very strong, we recommend only flatting with strong but unsuited broadways, so you don't have to fold on high boards. If you are getting squeezed often or have aggressive players to your left, we recommend two things:
1: Eliminate a portion of your flatting range to avoid creating dead money in the pot.
2: Start slowplaying preflop hands like AA or KK so you can raise and trap your opponents when squeezed. You might also consider 3-betting an all-in jam with small pairs on top of a 3-bet from aggressive players.
Out of position:
When we talk about playing out of position, we are usually talking about playing in the blinds.
Against late position opponents, we recommend flat calling hands like middle pairs and suited broadways. You will generally want to fold small pairs out of position, as you will not be able to make a profit playing them against regulars. If the pot is multiway or you are playing against weak players, you can justify playing more hands like small pairs, suited connectors, and suited aces, hands that would generally be easy to fold out of position.
We recommend 3-betting with hands like AK, KQ, AQ, and KJ against steals, as your opponents will often call with worse cards in position.
Finally, against players in early position we recommend playing very tight in the blinds and almost never flat calling. This is a good opportunity to call with low pairs in search of a set, since your opponents' range in EP is stronger and you will get more value by hitting your set. Hands like AQs, AK, QQ and JJ are too strong to fold, but too weak to 3-bet and eliminate the risk of going all-in against a raiser in EP, so in this case we opt for the call.
Article translated and adapted from the original: Pre-flop flat calling hand ranges
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You could ease up on the naming range, as Aakkari would say! LOL
hahahaha
You can clear up any doubts you may have about the nomenclature here: https://pokerdicas.com/forum/perguntas-de-iniciantes/
I agree with the friend above, an article like this is of great value for beginners too who wouldn't need to pick up a poker “dictionary” to understand!!!
You can clear up any doubts you may have about the nomenclature here: https://pokerdicas.com/forum/perguntas-de-iniciantes/
Very good article, quite enlightening, especially for those of us who are just starting out.
I just didn't understand one part:
“Since this range isn't very strong, we recommend only flatting with strong but unsuited broadaways, so you don't have to fold on high boards.”
Why not suited? Isn't suited always better?
Big hug!
I believe the author's intention in this part is to say that if the strong broadways were suited you would not flatten, instead you would trivet. I think that's it lol.
Hello Marcelo!
I believe that the author's thought must have been, perhaps, to avoid suits so as not to compromise himself in a situation of being dominated, against similar suits but bigger than his own.
Or, as gilialadim said, perhaps a 3-bet would be more appropriate in this case.
Suited is definitely better (although not as much as they say).
Remember: this is just my opinion.
Let's discuss the following: (last sentence)
Hands like AQs, AK, QQ and JJ are too strong to fold, but too weak to 3-bet and eliminate the risk of going all-in against an EP raiser, so in this case we opt for the call.
I. don't agree! Not at all! Examples:
Just calling with AQ, OUT OF POSITION, what kind of board gives you value to continue in the game.
Do you want to see an A??? If so, were you afraid of that preflop?
Want a Q?? Ok! But are you going to fear KK and AA?
I repeat which board do you follow in the game ???
JJ, QQ, here I assume you want a low board! But if KK and AA are in TG's range, how to play? For value? Or will you play JJ and QQ for set value, ONLY?
for AK, except AA and KK, it dominates practically all hands or at least flips, without a doubt a hand to use for strength PRE FLOP.
The only reasons, in my opinion, to only call preflop with this range defined by the author, is because of a “trap”, but in this case, you maintain the value of your hand! You play VALUE if the A comes.
Therefore, in my opinion, they are excellent hands to 3bet, especially the way people play nowadays in TG (not as tight as before).
What do you think???
I really liked your thesis... and I share your thinking... AQs, for example: I prefer a 3bet with the intention of folding to shove!!! Because there is a good chance of being dominated in this good hand for UTG, and it is better to find out this in the pre flop...
Note: Take into account the reading we have about the villain!!!
Hug…
In this case that you mentioned Luis, I believe that JJ and AQs are complicated cards to 3bet, an all in would be more appropriate taking several opponents out of the hand, because depending on the 3bet you would not take some players out of the hand, those who (go to see the Folp). AK and QQ are already stronger hands and I also believe that a 3bet would fit.
what do you think.
hug.
Dear Luis, I think we should take several factors into consideration. When it comes to the aspects mentioned at the beginning of 100 BB, going all in with AQ, AK QQ or JJ is leaving too much room for chance. Also 3-betting with, for example, limps before you is asking for a beating against a slow play. I would also take into consideration the profile of the players and the level of the table and, in the case of a tournament, what stage it is in, but generally speaking I prefer to keep the game under my control. Going all in, as Douglas said, (in this circumstance) takes away total control of the situation.
I remember two situations where this fits well here. In a live tournament, two players with around 100 BB chips, about to burst the bubble, Small with a pair of queens made a 3-bet, the BB re-raised 4-bet, then Small called, coming in the fold down there, 672, the Small checked and the BB went all in again, without thinking Small called, then the BB opened 77 and held until the end, eliminating Small who was in a comfortable situation, later talking to the player he told me that he should have been more cautious and left the game more in his hand since he was not in position, and there were several short players at the table, observing the BB's reaction he could have thought very well beforehand, the problem is that he got involved pre-flop with his reale.
In the second case, an all-in AK, AQ, I much prefer (again) to keep everything under my control in these circumstances. Why go all-in with this chip/BB ratio if I have 4 chances of making the opponent give up the pot? I'm tired of seeing people all-in preflop with AK against another middle pair and hitting A or K on the flop and the guy hitting a set on the turn or river when I could have made him give up post-flop. For me, that's giving too much room for chance.
What do you think??
You could ease up on the naming range, as aakkari would say!
Hello Pedro. You can ask any questions about nomenclature on our forum, where you will receive a great answer. Best regards.
Dear Douglas, in my considerations I consider what the article mentions, 100 BBs!
Therefore, 4-betting all in with this range of hands is indeed out of the question.
I would consider going all in at around 25BBs, and that's even better!
Anyway, considering the 100BBs: I don't criticize the call as long as you play controlling the pot post flop. Because on many, many boards, you don't know if you'll have value in your hand! Even more so when playing out of position, so in this line, I imagine you need to take a much more passive stance.
Personally, I prefer to take the reins and 3bet! Obviously, only in cases where there is FOLD EQUITY (possibility of the villain folding). This way, in cases where I get CALLED, I assume the role of the aggressor, and can control the pot.
In the end, I imagine that by playing against stronger hands, at the end of the hand, I “save” (lose less) chips than by adopting the stance of just calling.
I'm a beginner, so the question is simple, here it goes: in the first topic, being in position, which of the positions does it refer to? Middle position, High Jack, Bottom, SB, BB?
Thanks to everyone and great topic!
Hello big Leonny.
“Being in position” means having a positional advantage over someone.
If I'm on the Button and you're on the BB, I'm in position against you because you speak before me.
Another example: you are in BB and I am in SB, you have position over me.
Thank you for the compliment, we are at your disposal.
Guys, this is a good topic, and another question has come up!
in the pocket pairs topic, “In the case of low pairs we will often fold to c-bets when we don't hit a set.”, the author refers to when it is a FLOP, TURN, RIVER, or any of the three.
Logically I thought about FLOP but I would like your help.
Thanks!!
It refers to the FLOP, just the three cards face up on the table.
If you, for example, called a pre-flop bet with 44 against a “strong” player and the board comes AK7, he makes the C-BET, we will often fold our hand in this situation, seeing that we are behind our opponent almost 100% of the time.
Hugs.
Exorciser, thanks a lot!
I would like to know more or less what the “m” factor would be necessary to play with this pre-flop caution? Considering that counting the stack from BB can give a wrong view of the game. Like above 20 M factor or 25, or between 15 there is 20 of “M” factor?
Hello Matheus.
I recommend posting such a question in the General Poker Discussion or Tournament Discussion section:
https://pokerdicas.com/forum/discussao-geral-sobre-poker/
https://pokerdicas.com/forum/torneios-multi-mesas-mtt/
Hugs
I usually play, mainly in PS Home Games, tournaments with 70 people, starting chips of 10k and 20k, starting blinds of 15/30. What changes in the flat call when it is deep stacks?
Hello friend André.
I recommend posting this question in our Poker Discussion section, it will generate a good discussion.
Hugs
https://pokerdicas.com/forum/discussao-geral-sobre-poker/
I didn't understand the "SUITED ACES" lol
Hello, Eduardo. Suited aces would be any ACE with another card, both of the same suit. Examples: A5s, A9s. The “s” stands for suited.