Basic Pre-Flop Position Strategy (NLHE)

This strategy can be used when you have a 'competitive' chip stack (30+ BB)

Big Blind
Raise if small blind limps in with no other callers; call if small blind raises 3-4xbb with no others in the pot; otherwise FOLD.

Small Blind
Call if unraised pot, otherwise FOLD

The Button
Raise 3-4xbb if first in, call any number of limpers, call with one 3-4xbb raiser, otherwise FOLD

The Cut-Off
Raise 3-4xbb if first in, otherwise FOLD

Cut-Off -1
Raise 3-4xbb if first in, otherwise FOLD

All earlier positions
FOLD

Violate this basic strategy if either you hold exceptional cards or need to 'make a stand' as short stack.

Discussion welcome

Horrible. You're basically saying to do these things with any 2? If so you'll quickly be below 30+BB. If used in a cash game you'll be reloading soon. If in a tourney you'll be on the rail.

seems to work for me but ,thanks for your in-deth insight lol .

Do you have any idea what your stats are playing this way? VP$IP and PFR?

ill just say that i started with free rolls ,and now have a nice bank on 4 to 5 sites.and im not sure what your trying to prove.it is my opion what are you a pro basher your starting to get on my nerves if you dont agree then you have stated that now leave it alone mr pro.

OK, not my intent, but OK.

sry but im just giving my opion here and would welcome your strategy if you would care to post it here allways willing to take advise and maybe learn something.thanks for your time hillbilly.

Does your strategy change as you get reads on the players at the table? These seem to be a little bit vague.

For instance if you are UTG with 88's at a limpy/passive table wouldn't you want to call and try to see a cheap flop.

Also, what if you are the BB and raise 3xbb with 82o since the sb called and the rest folded then the sb check raises what now?

Lol, wtf kind of a strategy is that topic creator? Fold all hands if you're in early or middle position? Call a preflop raiser on the button before looking at your cards? You're strategy seems to take only position into account and not take your actual cards into account. Other factors matter but so do your actual cards. A very strong preflop strategy is the one Dan Harrington talks about in Harrington on Hold'em V1. I follow that strategy early in tournaments and it works well, I rarely play a pot where I'm dominated going to the flop. The only thing I do that Dan doesn't recommend is calling a preflop raise with AQ (he says to fold it) and raising a few limpers with an AQ os, I guess Dan just doesn't like AQ.

fundelmental ur strategy is fundamentaly flawed
u say to call just with position with no cards{and calling 10% of stack as well}
i dont mind the bigblind play with raising if sb just limps but calling 3-4bb raise with any 2 in that spot is ludacris { like my spelling }
again i could see u raising unopened pot on button with any 2 cards but calling there with just position and 10% of stack and like 2 limpers infront is just not +ev

this strategy just isnt going to be a consistent winner for anybody

Perhaps he wants us all to follow that strategy when we play against him.

Very similar to this?
Sit n Go Holdem Poker.com: A) Strategy: Preflop Basic Position Strategy

exact same thing, again i dont mind the raisng into unopened pots but calling with nothing just cause u have some sort of position is rubbish IMO but im by no means a pro

well this post was ment to get feed back and all the advise is well noted. im allways willing to learn.thanks to all for atleast giveing some insight

Original post was short and sweet, but way too vague, as someone else pointed out. This might have been solved by a simple assumption that your cards are such and such and then the chart. Looking thru the chart I can see a few hands that might work, but so many more that won't. This favors the bluff chart notion a bit, except your idea about calling many limpers after a move.

Is there a range of hands you play or is this the bluff chart? WV wasn't being overly terse in his initial replies, he was being realistic.

As part of a more diligent discussion, entailing specific hands/reads/situations, the chart may be useful, but as a stand alone item, it is as useful as saying the sky is blue.

I am not convinced that ALL POKER AUTHORS are not mainly in it to get us lemmings to follow a predictable strategy so they can rip us apart. The completely unknown beginner has probably always scared the living daylights out of most successful players. Think of them as wild horses, or wild kids. Until you've given them some foundation, and hopefully a particular foundation they are more trouble than its worth to bother to feed them.

We can't know of course, but I imagine that shortly after Doyle's Super System became available was probably his most profitable period. He finally could predict what his villains had at a much higher rate. Shortly after that tho might have been his least profitable period whereas those who had digested it could then manipulate it.

FundelMental, I really would be interested to see your stats using these guidelines (if you have them and want to share). Just curious and I promise I won't bash you because of it. I know I can be asshole (my wife tells me everyday) but I really think you need to take a lot more into account than you lay out in your basic strategy (your opponents, your table image, and yes even your cards).

This is a really limited view on opening ranges, position, table selection and opponents. You will get easily picked off eventually playing this style. If you stick to this over a prolonged period I would imagine your stats to be in the range of maniac proportions, 70/50, 60/40 or the like. If you playing 6 max cash you can afford to be more liberal and aggressive with your hand selection, but even then stats of 25/20 would be deemed to be fairly laggy.

You still have to have some criteria for hand selection, even opening from late position. Again this is soooo dependent on opponents, to stick to your theory religiously just would not prove EV+ in the long run.

If you were playing against yourself, you wouldn't be very profitable from the sb-- you would always limp in and get raised...

well i play as deffernt names at deffernt sites but there is a site witch i mite be able to get my full tilt stats but i have mainly played in private games do to being a member of many forums but yes my post was to incomplete but as you get to know me on the felt i play over cards mainly im in the card chat $150 added buy in tommorow on tilt witch is where i mainly play hope to see you there.

the first 1 is impressive
the second dont mean anything...because it is satty, u could have come 49 and got the same thing
post ur sharkscope stats or opranking stats

been playing online for 4 months started my bank roll from free rolls and doing quite well

a defernt name there as you can see

what is the purpose of all of this?

the reson being for these screen shots is that some wanted to see stats heres stats

these are to let the guys that wanna see stats here they are ill be updating this strategy soon to explain in more detail

seems some over looked the last thing i put in, here it is again Violate this basic strategy if either you hold "exceptionl cards" OR need to "Make A Stand as short stack" another thing i use is the last hand option on full tilt you can look back to see what suits and cards have hit in the last 7-8 hands if i have over cards that havent been hitting then im in sounds silly but it has been working for me.a little add about starting hands. I hope I am able to contribute by this. Here goes.

Group 1

AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs

Group 2

TT, AQs, AJs, KQs, AK

Group 3

99, JTs, QJs, KJs, ATs, AQ

Group 4

T9s, KQ, 88, QTs, 98s, J9s, AJ, KTs

Group 5

77, 87s, Q9s, T8s, KJ, QJ, JT, 76s, 97s, Axs, 65s

Group 6

66, AT, 55, 86s, KT, QT, 54s, K9s, J8s, 75s

Group 7

44, J9, 64s, T9, 53s, 33, 98, 43s, 22, Kxs, T7s, Q8s

Group 8

87, A9, Q9, 76, 42s, 32s, 96s, 85s, J8, J7s, 65, 54, 74s, K9, T8

Now for what each group means.

If your in early position ( First three off BB ) Play Group 1-3 Hands. If in a Loose game, maybe extend to some of Group 4.

If your in Middle position ( Next three seats ) Play Group 1-5 Hands. Again, loose table may extend to 6.

If your in Late position ( last seats including blinds ) Group 1-7. Possibly Group 8 hands for unraised blinds.

Now, this is how I play them. You can decide for yourself.

If first in - Raise, If Raised pot and you hold Group 1 Hand, reraise or slow play.

Bet sizing to be learned on your own.

Now, all though i disclosed my starting hand requirements and betting pattern. I just want ya to know. To be a good player, YOU HAVE TO MIX IT UP.


Hope this might help someone out

After the Flop play is up to you.

Some nice wins there, but the stats I am really interested in are your PT type stats. VP$IP, Preflop raise percentage, Aggression factor. If you don't have PT you can download the beta for free right now and import your old HHs.

Oh and if you had added the hand ranking caveat earlier it would have been a different thread.