Pre-Flop Betting

In Texas Holdem, the first betting round is critical. This is where you get to decide if you'll invest in a hand or not, and your play will contributes to your table image. This article will cover two main topics: how to interpret the bets of your opponents, and how to react accordingly.

Situation #1: With nine players at the table, you are in early position, meaning you are one of the first three individuals to act.

In this situation, you don't get the opportunity to obtain much information from other players, but you get to give them information by checking or folding, by placing an opening bet, or by raising the stakes. What factors do you need to consider before making your decision? The more obvious factor is your cards, but that's not the most critical factor. Start by considering blind levels, especially if you are playing a tournament/sit and go. You have to decide if you'll try stealing the blinds on this hand or not. Early in the game, blinds are so small that they are not worth stealing. The amount of money you have to put at risk far outweighs the benefit you'll get in return.

Next, consider your table image. Are you viewed as an aggressive player or a tight player? A tight and conservative image means that when you come out with a raise, you are taken seriously and players will think you have a good starting hand. That means they'll generally minimize their risk by folding anything that's not considered a descent hand. On the other hand, if you are known to be super aggressive and raise, some people will take more risks because they don't give you much credibility. This can lead to larger pots, but the more people involved in a hand means fewer chances for you to win it, even when you have a great starting hand.

Also consider your chip count, and the chip count of others. If you are the short stack, people will want to put you out and the bug stacks may even call you with absolutely nothing. They'll just gamble and hope to put you out, or worse, they'll put you all-in and then you'll have to decide if you want to fight for your life or if you want to double up. Generally, small stacks should not attempt to bluff on the first betting round when they are acting early. It usually backfires. On the other hand, if you are the chip leader, you'll get a lot more respect. Some people will not want to take you on and will fold, some people will simply call, and few people will raise you. When you get raised, you have a decision to make. Do I call and allow this person to see a flop? Do I fold and get out of this hand completely, or do I put them pressure back on them with a re-raise? What will influence this decision is your cards, the table image of the opponent as well as your own table image, the amount of the raise, and the amount of money in the pot.

Situation #2: With nine players at the table, you are in late position, meaning you are one of the last three individuals to act. In this case, you are either on the button, in the small blind or in the big blind.

The advantage here is that you get to see how people play before you make your move. When you have a bunch of checks in front of you, or when the opening bet is the minimum and you get people to simply call or fold, that tells you that the players generally don't have great cards and they are looking to see a flop for free. I do emphasis the word "generally". There is a saying in poker "beware of limpers" and that's because they may trap you. I learned that the hard way a long time ago while playing at BodogPoker.

Unless the blind levels are ridiculously high, the right play to make in this situation is a small raise, regardless of what cards you have. Make your raise 2.5 to 3 times the big blind. This is considered a feeler raise and it accomplishes three things. First, it will get some people to fold. Second, it will give the message that you have the strong starting hand and it sets you up for a possible bluff and a steal later in the hand. Third, you'll get to see how others react. If most players fold, and the rest call, this is an indication that they aren't feeling that strong about their hand. They probably have a small pair, a suited or unsuited connectors, two high cards below kings, a high card and a low card (like A-5). Of course, there is always the possibility of a trapper, but you'll find that out with subsequent betting rounds.

If someone comes back with a raise, especially with a check-raise, then you have to consider your cards, the table image of the opponent, and your respective chip counts. Based on your analysis, you'll either want to give up this hand folding, see a flop by calling, or butting the pressure back on the opponent with a reraise. The last option is a dangerous play because you could end up loosing a lot more than you bargained for should the opponent not back off. Be sure to have a strong hand, or a strong tight table image vs his loose aggressive image before attempting to pull this off. It's a lot of money in the pot without even a single card on the board. Sometimes, people are too eager and hey get themselves into sticky situations. Remember that there are more betting rounds to come!

The last thing I want to point out is that regardless of your table image, the player who's on the button is always given less credit for a raise, simply because he is in the best possible position. It means he'll see all players will act before he has to act in all subsequent betting rounds. It is an optimal spot to steal the blinds, or steal pots that have grown steadily, and people know it! Again, don't waste your time trying to steal the blinds when they are worth very little. It's just not worth it.

Remember, practice makes perfect! try out a Bodog Poker Download or check out our full list of online poker rooms.