Pre-flop: Fundamental concepts

1. Strategy: Fixed Limit Pre-flop: Fundamental concepts

2. Introduction • Tight is right • Properties of non-pair starting hands • Domination • Advantages of the late position • Advantages of suited starting hands • Three categories of profitable starting hands

3. Tight is right • Important notes: • Only the best hand wins • Wait for your opponent’s mistakes • Only play select starting hands with a high EV • EV – Expected value • Indicates the average profit / loss of an action

4. Properties of non-paired starting hands • Main difference • Probabilities for top pairs, straights and flushes • The important properties of a starting hand • High card strength • Suitedness • Connectedness • When is a starting hand strong? • 2 or 3 of the properties should be fulfilled • High card strength is very important • Advantage of two high cards: - larger chance of hitting top pair - Good kicker

5. Domination • Domination • Top pair witha bad kicker – often dominated • For example AK vs. A8 • Often the second best hand– expensive • Less of a chance of a top pair • Not as dangerous in multiway pots • Examples • vs 79.7 : 20.3 • vs 74.4 : 25.6 • vs 90.9 : 9.1

6. Advantage of the late position • Information is crucial • More action before you – more information for you • Meaningful particularly for speculative starting hands or starting hands that are often dominated

7. Advantages of suited starting hands • Chances of a flush are only about 6% • However: normally a large pot • Particularly profitable in multiway pots • Increase from 16% to 20% is not 4%, but rather 25%! • Strong hands on the flop, for example a pair + flush draw allows for aggressive play • Often without showdown winners

8. Three categories of profitable starting hands • Top pair hands • Two cards that are ten or higher– Broadway hands • Most top pairs – small and middle-sized pots • Aggressiveness on the flop against speculative hands • Not as dangerous in multiway pots • Speculative hands • Above all, small pairs and suited connectors • Seldom a good hand • But large pots • Strong in multiway pots • Powerhouse hands • Advantages of top pair hands and speculative hands • AA, KK, QQ, but also Aks and AQs

9. Summary • Strength of the hand • Card value • Connectivity • Suited / offsuited • Tight is right Good luck!