Pre-Flop Calling Ranges

Debi

Debi

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We often feel that we either have to fold or re-raise to a pre-flop raise in front of us. But there are times when calling is okay.

Read this article and let's discuss what our ranges are for calling:

Pre-Flop Calling Ranges


Please specify if you are referring to cash games or tournaments because it won't be the same for both.

Do you agree with the article?
 
C

chronical

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I'm not sure about the standart 4-5bb raise thou. the standrat for some time is 2.2-2.5bb. But I guess everything depends on how strong is the field. Most 3bb in many MTTs are concidered weak but if your ops are not looking at that you can raise bigger.
As for me I would concider raise with most stong hands but calling range should be really small. As most hand that are good for flating could be better suited for raising.
 
Edison A

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I agree with this topic !! .. the important thing would always be the position and the size of your stack, the continuation bets are very important because they allow you to keep control of the pot and the size of the bets, the flop is also important, because if it is a flop that does not it favors you and more than 2 players have entered the hand it is best to retire, if only one player has entered the play you can try to make an aggressive play after the flop and if the size of your stack is strong you can do it, but If there are many players in the hand you have to be careful and it is best to retire and not waste chips as long as the flop does not favor you, if you tie something on the flop it is also advisable to make a continuation bet to give value to your hand
 
king11682

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In summary:
One pattern to watch for is a pre-flop raise, C-betting the flop and
then checking the turn.
< 30BBs Protect your chips and focus on playing premium hands.
> 30BBs You can take a few more chances but don't be too loose.
Do you have a large stack?
You can loosen up and take more chances
It is also very important the position and your stack
 
tbdbitl

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I will read the whole article. But it is a little disturbing when the hand comparisons stay the same except the last comparison.
Why was JsJh changed to AK os in the 3rd example? oh because it doesn't support the conclusion that suited connectors fair better. JJ now wins 81% vs 10 9 suited.

Wouldn't it be better to compare equity vs the villain's entire range rather than specific hands?
 
Vorem

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The problem of beginners - they often make Call and then play very passively if they do not get into the flop. Basically I try to do Call only in a position, without an initiative it is very difficult to play.
To be honest, it's sometimes difficult for me to force myself to play more aggressively
 
madjek

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Article did mention suited connectors are still dominated by big pocket pair.

As far as tournament play I disagree that early position raisers means a monster hand. Imo most players know that's the book and try to disguise hands like AA and KK in early position by limping or min raising hoping for a raise. To me a bigger raise from early position could be Ax or smaller pocket pair.


As far as calling raises it seems to me most players like calling small raises with almost any 2 especially early in tournaments. At least where I play live tournaments
 
BigGrayWolf

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We often feel that we either have to fold or re-raise to a pre-flop raise in front of us. But there are times when calling is okay.

Read this article and let's discuss what our ranges are for calling:

Pre-Flop Calling Ranges


Please specify if you are referring to cash games or tournaments because it won't be the same for both.

Do you agree with the article?

I did not understand the question (maybe I did not read it carefully). Against what do we call? Against three bets or just open reys?
 
chicopaw

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the atricle is good, position and stack size is most important, whether your trying to steal with medicore cards you need to beware of the short stack, because they will most likely shove there stack. Watching your oppondents , your opening cards and raising in a hand can vary depending on how strong/weak someone is and the amt of players involved .Knowing ur competition at the table can change the cards you play from a certain position
 
mtl mile end

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Good, thorough article covering the topic. I have just a couple of questions.

What is a raisor? :D

Does "Preflop raise size" as described in the article mean, literally the raise on top of the blind, i.e., 2-3 BB raise means 3-4 BB total bet? I assume that's what it means and this is "standard" terminology?
 
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C

cheeeer

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Not sure that position is important. Many new and not bad players don't care about position and show good results. Of course if they have small stack and play some middle hand like AJ then maybe position is important.
Tourney.
 
Serjo600

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I think call preflop is bad moove if you have get monster hand only whith that hand wait to raise and after go all-in. Or call preflop raise with premium hand. Or adjust under the table with the limpers.
 
Ivansito26

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It is usually advisable to retire when obtaining the rest of the hands that are distributed to you. Playing all kinds of hands is usually a mistake, since most of the time you will not get what you want, even so it is not good to play cards connected or the same suit always,
The key is to always keep the attention on the table, and always look for opportunities to attack even if you do not have a good hand.


and of course the position has a lot to do when you are going to play a hand and it depends on the hand you have
 
PHX

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Good article covers all of the basics. Need to use the information in the article together with what info you get from your opponent on previous hands.

Me personally I love to call in position if oop I tend to raise if I am playing. I also love to call if getting a great price. I mean who doesn't like a bargain.
 
zam220

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The good, article and I agree with those that written. A good strategy game preflop helps a lot.In any case,we must continually look for ways to improve the game.
 
bablovod

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everything is clear. I would like to add another dangerous moment when the opponent after the pre-flop raise has a very good arm, makes check. by this action, it provokes me, provided that I also got in on the flop, to make a long rates, causing it to reset. I can take that as a weakness, and I'll be aggressive, and he'll just call. I can lose most of my stack, with the confidence that I can take the Bank, while he calmly takes it to himself. to avoid this, you must also use the free view without suspicion on the turn or river.
 
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I would say I have to agree with the article. In particular regard to tournament poker because that is what I prefer. The article mentions chip stack. Chip stick is the biggest factor for my range . That and position. But typically speaking, at least in tournament poker, having a bigger chip stack allows me to play hands in position that I normally wouldnt play. And I by in position I mean later position bcuz being able to act last is always favorable. So a combination of chip stack and position will loosen up my range. In my playable range from early position it is very dependent on chipstack at well. If I am in early position with say 5 BB and get dealt pocket nines I will push when first in the pot. However, lets ssay I'm under the gun with 10bb and get dealt the same hand. I most times will through it away. Why? Because after careful inventory of my fatal mistakes for tournament life, it always end because I play a hand that I should've left out my range. Usually overplaying a pocket pair. Now same hand, under the gun, but I have 50 bb, now I can comfortably raise my typical raise and not have to worry to me. I can comfortably through the hand away if I sense danger
 
pr0serbian

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My calling range to 2.5x or 3x opens is pocket pairs for set mining,brodway cards but sometimes i find fold with easily dominated offsuit brodway cards especily out of position,if i have good stack from position i will go to the flop with suited connectors and sometimes with some small suited ace...
 
makisaa

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The games I play more are tournaments. The preflop situation is getting more and more critical as the game goes on and the blinds raise. I agree with the article, because every player must choose carefully his next move and study the maths!
 
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Playing in tourneys, the single biggest thing that progressed my game was learning about position and the importance of ranges when being raised early vs late position. All of the info in the guide is spot on and great for everyone to learn. I like 2.2-2.75 BB as standard raise and once in a while flatting to keep my range open. The article doesn't get into amount of standard 3 betting but I would assume it would be the next article. Great resource!
 
CRStals

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I'll answer for cash games

I prefer having my bet sizing slightly smaller raising pre-flop from UTG and MP, raising it up a bit towards 3BB on the BTN, and 3 - 4BB from the blinds. I'll also increase the raise if there are limpers in front of me as well.
Playing suited connectors is great - but suited one gapers can flop just as well and should be included especially in ranges on or near the button

Weak aces can flop OK but I find a lot of the time a lot of players will roll with any ace, so it can become easy to spot when they are sticking around on an ace high dry board.

One aspect that is key is to be somewhat unpredictable - players that stick to the same hands time after time become easy to put on a range and easier to gauge actual strength on later streets, and making it harder to make money on hands.
 
Tulipaneiro

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Position is very important also in cash games as in tournaments. I hate Agressors who play most hand's allin at pre-flop. I always told: They can't hit monster all time's! Wait for your good hand and call them! That's my advice =)
 
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i think the article is ok. it is pretty open and standard. you mentioned to think about opening ranges and that you should think about your calling range, if it is dominated and so on, so yeah...
most important thing will be to correctly adjust in the right spot to the right opponents. :)
 
whiskers77

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Very good article again. I agree to the most things. But there is one thing that made me wonder somehow, that you shall not call with less than 30 BB. I am playing usually tournaments. For me it sounds surprisingly high, but well yeah, it is already 10%, as you say. Usually I was thinking like this with 10BB there is no call. There is only push or fold. Honestly I thought, with 30 BB there is still some room to act somehow. Now I am curious how others think about this.
 
Andrew Popov

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I think that to make the right decision we must be attentive to the field. There are no universal recipes yet. Somewhere it will be correct to do and take a bet in 4-5 BB, somewhere in 2-2.5 BB. Somewhere the range of hands for the call will be already, somewhere wider.

You should know the field on which you are playing, and adjust your strategy accordingly. The article mentioned in the first post is very useful for understanding the meaning of the problem. However, you should understand that the exact ranges can be chosen only for yourself, for a particular poker room, even for a specific table and a set of opponents.
 
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