12 pre-flop mistakes to avoid as we move up the limits [2]

Mistake 7 – Calling raises too infrequently when you are in the BTN position

Most players tend to call too infrequently from the BTN position. Due to the value that comes from acting last post-flop, you can play widely from the BTN when given a good price. This is especially important in live poker, as players from SB and BB rarely play aggressively.

Mistake 8 – Constantly calling raises from the SB position

Playing too passively from the SB is a mistake that is very easy to make. It often seems that just calling is a good decision because we have good pot odds, but this should not become a habit for the following reasons:

You commit yourself to playing out of position against an opponent with a better range;
BB noticing this tendency can 3-bet because your range is almost always only moderately strong.

SB should 3-bet the entire range from which we expect to get value, with the goal of inflating the pot or isolating the player who raised. By just calling, we reveal that we have a weak or medium-strength hand. This is a fundamental reason why we should avoid just calling from the SB and instead choose to 3-bet.

When you try to construct your 3-betting range from the SB, include a few suited connectors. This aggressive strategy has several advantages:

With 3-bets, you put a lot of pressure on players who open, especially when they do so from late positions, i.e., widely, with hands they cannot defend against a 3-bet.
If you construct a good 3-bet range, opponents will be less likely to try to steal your blinds.
When you 3-bet, BB cannot see the flop cheaply; if you don't, BB realizes their equity very cheaply.

Mistake 9 – Overvaluing offsuit broadway cards

Tony-G once said very well after knocking a player out of a tournament: “If you read my poker strategy, I'll tell everyone, never overplay KJ.” Of course, he also said a few less appropriate things.

Although this is a somewhat drastic and exaggerated simplification, Tony's idea is good. Players often overvalue offsuit broadways. This is especially dangerous when you are in middle positions (MP), as players who raise before you play tighter and may have better broadways than you. If you play too much with such cards, you will often see the dealer pushing your chips to the opponent, as you encounter situations where your top pair loses to the opponent's top pair with a better kicker. For this reason, it is better to play with 98s in such situations, as such hands are rarely dominated and can catch very strong combinations that will bring you big pots.

Mistake 10 – Calling very large 3-bets

This mistake is more often seen in live games, where larger opening sizes provoke large 3-bets, sometimes even 18-20BB (online 10-12BB). We often call such large 3-bets because we have ego problems; players at the table do not want to appear weak.

Against huge 3-bets, you have terrible pot odds to call. Let's look at the pot odds calculation against a 10bb 3-bet when we open 3bb:

We have to call 7bb to win our raise (3bb) + opponent's 3-bet (10bb) + dead blinds (1.5bb), we need 32.6% equity.

Another example, when the 3-bet is 18bb:

We have to call 15bb to win our raise (3bb) + opponent's 3-bet (18bb) + dead blinds (1.5bb), we need 40%.

That's almost an 8% difference. Add the fact that most live poker players 3-bet only with the strongest hands, and it becomes clear why calling such 3-bets is very problematic.

The best strategy against particularly large 3-bets is to fold everything except very strong hands, and 4-bet the best hands.

Also, if you notice that your opponent tends to call very large 3-bets, you should increase your own 3-bet size.

Mistake 11 – Not having a plan

All the previously mentioned mistakes culminate when you do not have a good plan for what you will do next, or when you do not have a clear idea of what you are doing pre-flop at all. The first step towards good poker is to figure out your pre-flop strategy and think ahead. Before starting your next poker session, answer these questions:

With which hands and from which positions will you open if all players before you fold?
With which hands will you limp, and with which will you raise?
With what range will you continue playing if a player before you raises?
When you open, how will you respond to 3-bets from each position?

Most players do not have answers to these questions. So, if you think about your weak spots in pre-flop strategy and have a plan, you will be a head above your opponents.

Mistake 12 – Constantly changing strategy

Constantly changing strategy is worse than having no plan at all. I often see players doing this, and they are usually punished for their foolish pre-flop decisions.

Adaptation is important. We try to maintain balance and exploit opponents' weaknesses based on tendencies. However, every change in our game must have a purpose. We never choose to just call with AA simply because sometimes we need to change strategy. Of course, you will often confuse your opponent by just calling with AA, but that does not mean good play.

Mathematics is more important. Even when you can outsmart your opponent, you will not achieve as much value as you would by 3-betting. In the long run, you will earn a lot from 3-betting with AA, and it is almost impossible to compensate for that by confusing opponents with just calling. If we decide to change strategy, it should be due to some given choices. We should not change something just to make a non-standard move.

12 pre-flop mistakes in brief

Let's recap, it is very important to make sure there are no mistakes in your pre-flop game. If you have a solid strategy for playing the start of the hand, you will create much more favorable conditions for post-flop play. Once again, we remind you of the 12 mistakes and brief tips on how to address them:

Limping – avoid limping first, it is better to raise.
Lack of understanding of positions – always consider how position affects your opponent's range.
Playing too passively against raises – construct a well-thought-out 3-betting range. Be careful, do not call raises too often.
Playing too narrowly from the BB position – take advantage of the very good pot odds and see the flop – you might catch something.
Raising with too wide (or too narrow) a range from the BTN position – open 40% – 70%, depending on how the blinds play.
Playing too narrowly from the SB when players before you fold – open a sufficient number of hands and steal the dead money.
Calling raises too infrequently when in the BTN position – take advantage of the positional advantage, call with a wide but well-playing post-flop range.
Constantly calling raises from the SB position – punish those who open, do not let BB see the flop cheaply, protect yourself from 3-bets from BB.
Overvaluing offsuit broadway cards – evaluate hands like KJo or QJo cautiously. Before continuing to play, consider how often your hand will be dominated.
Calling very large 3-bets – fold everything except very strong hands, 4-bet the strongest ones.
Not having a plan – think about your pre-flop strategy before the session.
Constantly changing strategy – when making each move, think about its purpose.