5 Things To Do Pre-Flop

[4W Cowboy]

<font color="red"> </font> I was playing poker online &amp; came up w/ a list of the 5 things you have to do (in order) pre-flop &amp; wanted to get some feed back. I believe they are 1) check your hand (your 2 hole cards) 2)check the situation (action in front of you) 3)check your position (in relation to the button) 4) check your opponents (their table image &amp; previous experiences w/ them &amp; 5) pot odds (the odds the amount of chips in the pot are giveing you to draw if you don't currently have the best hand based on #4. Why this order? One simple example to illustarate: #1- your 2 hole cards are the only thing you control and know for a fact. You are not going to fold As preflop even if the pot has been raised and reraised in front of you (#2). However, you might fold Ks or Qs preflop depending on your position (#3), who is doing the raising (#4), because you can guesstimate that the first raiser probably has A-big or a larger pair and the second raiser has As or less likely Ks. So the last concern (#5) is whether you are getting the correct odds to make a call based on #4.

[Draidin]

I think #1 checking your hole cards first is relative to your position. IF you are UTG then checking your cards would be the first thing to do. But if you are on the BTN or SB or BB then checking the action, players and stacks happens before checking your cards.

[4W Cowboy]

I agree with you. You want to watch everyone look at their cards to try and pick up any tells before you look at yours. However, I think you might have misunderstood me in my post. I wasn't talking about the ORDER you do thing in but the order of IMPORTANCE that thing those things come into play...Thanks for replying.

[Draidin]

oh yeah ok I see. But what about this... in NLHE, if you know your opponents well, then your cards dont even matter that much. You could theoretically play with out seeing your whole cards and just play based on knowing your opponent.
Didnt B. Greenstein say Limit holdem is about your cards and No limit holdem is about their cards?

[4W Cowboy]

Good Point. I guess thats a perfect reason for constistantly playing the same hand differently [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
And I guess you can always hope that they haven't decided to change up their game when when you're not looking at your cards (jk). A good example of this is Gus Hansen. Used to play every hand and now has really tightened up, but every once in a while will go back to that wide open style.

[Albert Moulton]

Assuming this is NLHE...

1) check your hand (your 2 hole cards)


2)check the situation (action in front of you)
.. and put each of your opponents on a rough range of hands for that action based on your reads or stats and the action itself

3)check your position (in relation to the button)
... and your relative position in relation to the preflop raiser, as well as how many (and what types of) players still have to act behind you preflop

4) check your opponents (their table image &amp; previous experiences w/ them &amp;
this should be part of step 2, putting opponents on a likely range of hands based on the action, their position, and their image.

5) pot odds (the odds the amount of chips in the pot are giveing you to draw if you don't currently have the best hand based on #4.
... and implied as well as reverse implied odds based on your hand, what you expect to flop, and your position (both relative and absolute).

6. SPR (Stack to Pot ratio)

7. Target SPR vs player(s) you expect to go to the flop with you.

8. Draft a basic plan for your hand to maximize your EV (i.e. flop a set or check/fold; bet any flop, give up if I miss and get raised or called; float any dry flop and bet the turn if checked to because the preflop raiser c/f's the turn when he misses the flop, but bets the turn when he hits the flop; etc.).

Be flexible post flop and adjust the plan as needed, but you should have a plan.

[mucked4u]

[ QUOTE ]
Assuming this is NLHE...

1) check your hand (your 2 hole cards)


2)check the situation (action in front of you)
.. and put each of your opponents on a rough range of hands for that action based on your reads or stats and the action itself

3)check your position (in relation to the button)
... and your relative position in relation to the preflop raiser, as well as how many (and what types of) players still have to act behind you preflop

4) check your opponents (their table image &amp; previous experiences w/ them &amp;
this should be part of step 2, putting opponents on a likely range of hands based on the action, their position, and their image.

5) pot odds (the odds the amount of chips in the pot are giveing you to draw if you don't currently have the best hand based on #4.
... and implied as well as reverse implied odds based on your hand, what you expect to flop, and your position (both relative and absolute).

6. SPR (Stack to Pot ratio)

7. Target SPR vs player(s) you expect to go to the flop with you.

8. Draft a basic plan for your hand to maximize your EV (i.e. flop a set or check/fold; bet any flop, give up if I miss and get raised or called; float any dry flop and bet the turn if checked to because the preflop raiser c/f's the turn when he misses the flop, but bets the turn when he hits the flop; etc.).

Be flexible post flop and adjust the plan as needed, but you should have a plan.



[/ QUOTE ]


ah you`ve been reading professional N/L vol 1 [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Ray Zee]

as you get better you will learn to just know the situation that applies to that particular hand as the action comes to you. learn to feel what is happenning and you will grasp instantly what to do before you even look at your cards.

and when you do look at them you are not looking for what you have, you are looking for what you need to have to play.