This is Not a Book: Plan Your Hands Preflop

#1 14th March 2011, 9:14 PM

This is Not a Book: Plan Your Hands Preflop

By C9H13NO3

Introduction

So Dakota-xx saw this article I wrote recently, and then asked me to do something for the monthly Cardschat newsletter. She liked the 500 word format, but she wanted something the entire forum would benefit from. So here, in 500 words or less, is a quick tip that will increase your win rate no matter what game you’re playing. Be it tournaments, ring games, or even hearts, planning your hands will allow you to maximize your win rate. 500 word count (not including the hand histories) starts…… now!

Why plan preflop?

Most players have a standard preflop strategy that they do not adjust. If an opponent raises in middle position, and they have K♣ J♥ on the button, they just insta-call. They don’t give any thought to what their opponent’s tendencies are. However, exploitation starts preflop, and that’s how you set yourself up to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses & avoid mistakes.

What does a preflop plan look like?

Step 1: Identify what type of opponent you’re likely playing against.
Step 2: Think of a basic strategy to allow you to exploit this player.
Step 3: Do your cards allow you to exploit this opponent?
Step 4: Profit.

So let’s consider an example, playing against a maniac. Here’s a hand history:

--------------------------------------------------------
3 other players
Button (Hero) ($125)
SB (Nit) ($100)
BB (CRAZY MANIAC!) ($88)

Preflop ($1.50): Hero is BTN with K♣ J♣
3 folds, Hero ???
--------------------------------------------------------

Now normally we’d just say “decent hand on the button, insta-steal”. Instead, lets make a plan!

Step 1: We’re going to be in the pot with a maniac, because maniacs don’t like folding.
Step 2: Make a *made* hand we like after the flop (lets say, top pair or better), and then get the maniac to put in a bunch of money. Get all in preflop with TT+/AJ+.
Step 3: Yes. K♣ J♣ will hit top pair a good percentage of the time. Sometimes it will flop flush and straight draws too, so we won’t have to fold many flops. If we had a hand like A♣6♠ we would fold, since it does not hit many flops and is not a big favorite when we get all in preflop.
Step 4:

--------------------------------------------------------
Preflop ($1.50): Hero is BTN with K♣ J♣
3 folds, Hero raises to $2.50, SB folds, Maniac raises to $10, Hero calls $7.50

Flop ($20.50): J♥ T♠ 4♣
Maniac bets $16, Hero calls.

Turn ($52.50): J♥ T♠ 4♣ Q♥
Maniac goes all in for $62, Hero calls.

Maniac showsA♣ 4♠
Hero shows K♣ J♣
--------------------------------------------------------

I raised smaller preflop, because I did not want to create a big pot when I hadn’t hit anything yet. You could even limp in this spot, since the maniac will be raising almost every hand. And we stuck to our preflop plan, we flopped top pair and got the maniac to put all the money in.

Other preflop planning errors

1) Calling early position raises from tight players (or even weak-passive fish) with off suit, gapped broad way hands like QTo. These players are usually raising a tight range that dominates you.
2) Calling blind steals from the button with hands like 9Ts or 44. These implied odds hands make nothing quite often, and this plays right into the stealer’s strategy.
3) Calling in position for implied odds with a hand like 44, and then bluffing when you miss the flop. If you called preflop because his range was strong, why are you bluffing into his strong range postflop?
4) Re-raising blind steals with monster hands like AA in a tournament. Just call with your monsters, and allow them to continuation bet with their huge blind stealing range.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that the flop can drastically change your hand values, you should set yourself up to make +EV plays by planning your hands out preflop. By setting a clear strategy preflop, you will reduce the number of errors you make in the whole hand.

Word Count: 500

Further Reading:

Exploiting your Opponents Part 1: The Why
Exploiting Your Opponents Part 2 : Nits
Exploiting Your Opponents Part 3 : LoosePassive

#2 14th March 2011, 9:27 PM

Yummy. Good stuff. I guess I try doing this to an extent, but never really "planned" it out like you describe. Another thing is that I'm still learning all the abbreviations in poker, so when you say to set yourself to make "+EV plays", what does that mean? I'm not a big reader of books, but maybe recomend a book that would explain a lot of these basics? Thanks again

#3 14th March 2011, 9:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yotalover

so when you say to set yourself to make "+EV plays", what does that mean?

Sorry about that, I tried to write it with as little jargon as possible, but it snuck in. +EV means positive Expected Value. It basically just means profitable.

#4 14th March 2011, 9:36 PM

No problem and thanks. Like I said, I'm still kinda a computer idiot. I obviously (to me anyway) need to learn a lot more about them. I assume a lot of players use extra programs that run and help them while playing online, but I have no idea about all this, and I'm a little apprehensive about it because I'm so dumb (computer skills). This forum has a lot of threads that are over my head, so I find myself reading a lot of em, but don't comment as I'm not really sure what a lot of them are saying, or the answers I've read are way better than I could answer myself.

#5 14th March 2011, 10:47 PM

Nice guide. Am I the only one who attempted to apply this to microsoft hearts?

Haven't won a game yet!

#6 18th March 2011, 11:33 PM

Thank you for the greeat posts. I have a hard time with maniacs in low stakes s&gs. I will be trying this strategy. IMaybe I will move out of the nit stage.

#7 18th March 2011, 11:41 PM

hey guys,

i am new to this forum. i just started to play online poker and i would like to deposit 50 dolars. Anyone can tell me what the best way is to grind your money up without loosing my entire roll?

Thanx guys

#8 18th March 2011, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cishlego

Anyone can tell me what the best way is to grind your money up without loosing my entire roll?

Building from a baby bankroll
5 Rules for Beginners who want to Make Money Playing Poker

#9 19th March 2011, 2:11 AM

in before "fold to 3bet" replies from nits

good poast

I think we get into more interesting spots when we miss and get called on flop by a tighter player. Hands like KJs are good to double-barrel because we're going to pick up some equity on a ton of turn cards and can represent every scare card.

#10 19th March 2011, 3:30 AM

Good info. Im a newbie and tend to play the hand i have. need to remember to pay attention to my opponents - thanks

#11 19th March 2011, 4:28 AM

This is an awesome post C9.
Thank you for taking the time to put it together, I know it will help me.

#12 25th March 2011, 8:12 PM

Outstanding article. Thank You. - JACK WELCH

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