Preflop betting

If you’ve played online poker you’ve probably already been in the situation that you found it extremely difficult and costly to see flops because of all the action the other players generate.

Naturally, we all want to see flops as cheap as possible, but good poker players have a far bigger goal before the flop. They don’t care about seeing the flop cheap. They are out to improve their pot or implied odds from the very beginning of a hand.

There are two different things, preflop betting is aimed at: limiting the number of players who make it to the flop in order to decrease the competition and to kill rookie-schooling. People (especially rookies) are likely to fold when faced with a solid raise. Letting rookies go about their business is never a good idea. There’s nothing more frustrating than getting outdrawn by a fish on an abysmal call. This is why low limit Texas Holdem has such a great variance, and this is why aggressive preflop betting is one of the best ways to curb schooling and limit variation.

The other thing that preflop betting is aimed at, is dead money. All too often, rookies won’t be deterred by a hefty raise and they take a look at the flop nonetheless. These same people find it perfectly normal to fold their hand if they see the flop has missed them, leaving dead money in the pot.

Acquiring dead money is one of the best ways to increase the pot odds for those who stay in the pot.

Next time you are confronted with aggressive preflop betting, be aware what it’s done for. You’ll find it much easier to counteract, if you know the motives behind the aggression.