Poker Strategies
After receiving pocket cards, you are immediately faced with a choice: play your cards and either raise or call the blinds, or fold.
Practice Matters
You open raise in MP (or late MP in full ring)
You open raise in MP (or late MP in full ring) with a normal MP opening range of about 20%, and your opponent in the cut-off 3-bets you who has a normal cut-off 3-betting range of about 8%. Comments: Very similar situation, except now your opponent has a tighter 3-betting range. It's a bit more difficult to profitably turn some of your range into 4-bet bluffs, but you still can turn a few. You might think your calling range would need to be tightened up a bit in comparison to the previous example, but it's actually not the case. A lot more of your opponent’s quasi range will turn into a flatting range, and their 3- bet bluff to value distribution will be more evenly distributed. So a calling range of: 99+, AJs+, AQo+, KQs is a good baseline and will give you between 58–60% equity on average versus your opponent’s range Depending on your comfort level with out of position play, eliminating KQs and/or AJs will jump your equity a few more points and eliminate some "trouble hands." Most of the time you'll be 4-betting KK+, AK, but flatting for deception in these situations adds a lot of value to your hand versus your opponent’s range. Again, you will have to mix in a couple of 4-bet bluffs, and you'll have to turn some of your weaker hands into post flop bluffs to make this situation profitable overall. It's a marginal spot for good reason.
You open raise
You open raise a normal range in the cut-off of about 28%, and an opponent on the button with a normal polarized 3-betting range of 13% 3-bets you. Comments: Similar spot to the first example except our opponent’s 3-betting range will tend to be slightly larger in this situation on average, and our opening range is going to be wider. You'll be a slight dog versus his 3-betting range, so folding some of the range without being exploitable, and turning enough hands into 4-bet bluffs is a fine line since your opponent will know that you'll have a wider 4-betting range on average. A baseline calling range would be: 88+, ATs+, AJo+, KJs+, KQo. This would give you between 58–60% equity again, and keep you slightly under 70% folding percent. Assuming you always 4-bet KK+, AK in this spot, with the remaining hands you'll still have between 55–57% equity versus your opponent’s 3- betting range.