14/01/2012 PKR Preflop ranges in six-max cash
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Preflop ranges in si -ma cash
Alex Martin talks about the need to establish your preflop range when playing
six-max cash games.
By Alex Martin on Wednesday 1 Jul 2009 09:00
Part of the following series: Six education playing six-max ring games
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Position is crucial in si -ma cash games. Get the edge ith our guide
to si -ma raising ranges
Position is incredibly important in six-max cash games, and you need to
approach every seat very differently. Obviously there are no absolutes in
terms of what hands you can raise from each position preflop, but here we've
given some suggestions for typical small and mid-stakes cash games.
UTG and UTG+1
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14/01/2012 PKR Preflop ranges in six-max cash
Because of the positional disadvantage, you should be more inclined to fold
than do anything else in the first two seats. There are subtle differences
between an under-the-gun (UTG) and UTG+1 range, but in general opening
the pot in early position will lead to problems unless you are an exceptional
post-flop player.
Bad opening bets are often the start of compound errors down later streets.
You can ensure better and more consistent results by only playing your
strongest hands out of position. Voluntarily entering pots out of position makes
it harder for you to know when to value-bet or bluff correctly. Being first to act
amplifies your own mistakes while making it easier for your opponent to
reduce theirs. Out of position you have less control, less information and
fewer options than your decent opponents. In most reasonably tight six-max
games you should be opening a relatively tight range.
Earl -position ranges
Your standard UTG and UTG+1 raising range should generally include all
pocket pairs. At the really loose tables ditch the small pocket pairs that will be
tough to play post-flop against multiple players. A-K and A-Q offsuit are the
daddies of the unpaired world and you should open with these on every online
single six-max cash game from under the gun. K-Q and K-J suited can also be
opened on a vast majority of tables. You would need to be playing tough
opponents to warrant folding these holdings preflop.
Open-limping is nearly always a mistake as is varying your bet-sizing against
decent, regular players, although you can normally vary your bet sizes against
fish and bad regulars. You want to avoid setting yourself up with hands that
have negative implied odds (i.e., they could easily be dominated and lose you
a big pot). Even though I think domination is generally overrated, hands like Q-
J and K-J unsuited are junk in early position and should be treated as such. If
they are suited you can open with them but only if you are confident in your
post-flop reads and skill advantage. You should also be aware of the table
dynamic. If you are being three-bet a lot of the time then you should not open
the betting. Also if you are getting called every hand by loose-aggressive
post-flop players then don t open the betting.
In the blinds
When considering big blind hand ranges you will be thinking about the range
of hands with which you will defend against a steal with – walked pots are
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14/01/2012 PKR Preflop ranges in six-max cash
ome ha of a a i in i -ma . I i diffic l o a ign a ange o ha ill be a
call, o e call o a h ee-be , b he e a e ome idea abo ha ho ld
infl ence o deci ion on he hand o pla f om he blind .
Gene all in he blind e ill be facing a ai e f om a a ie of po i ion .
Yo e pon e o each of he e open ill be ba ed on he pecific illain and
hi po i ion. If a loo e-agg e i e pla e open he b on, o can h ee-be
2-2 f om he mall blind. Ho e e , if a good igh -agg e i e pla e open
f om nde he g n and i i folded o nd o o in he big blind folding mall
pocke pai i fine. In gene al, I like o pla ela i el igh f om he blind ,
balancing a h ee-be ing and calling a eg .
Fo e ample, if a igh pla e open in ea l po i ion and he po ill be head -
p, I o ld ad oca e fla -calling an pocke pai abo e e en , and K-Q i ed
and abo e. If he pla e a pe igh hen all pocke pai and ome i ed
connec o o ld be fine a o ha e e implied odd a he ill of en ha e
a big pocke pai .
Big blind con ide a ion
If o e e in he mall blind and he big blind a a h ge loo e fi h hen o
o ld call i h he pai al o, kno ing ha he po ill be h ee- a a lo of he
ime. The p e ence of he fi h fo ce he p eflop opene o pla mo e hone
and gi e o be e -implied odd .
In he big blind, if he mall blind comple e and no one el e ha en e ed he
po , o effec i el ha e he b on i h le pla e in he po , o o can
pla a imila l ide ange (ob io l i h a ai e).
If he e a e m l iple limpe , ai ing f om he blind i ob io l an op ion.
Gene all , I like o ha e a e igh ange fo he e po . Pla e ha limp-
call p eflop of en p o in ma ginal i a ion . I o ld ad oca e a e igh
ange like pocke eigh and abo e and i ed ca d of A-J and highe fo a
ai ing ange. Al o c ank p o opening be i e o ome hing like fo big
blind , pl one big blind pe limpe in an effo o na o he field o ake he
dead mone p eflop.
C off and b on
The c off and he b on a e he po i ion f om hich o ill make he
majo i of o inning . Objec i e f om hi po i ion a e o eal blind ,
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14/01/2012 PKR Preflop ranges in six-max cash
isolate limpers and isolate bad players that open before you. Because you
have position throughout the hand you can open a very wide range of hands. If
you raise, you will be playing a raised pot in position, which is a surefire way to
make money. A good continuation-betting strategy will also ensure you a lot of
winnings without a showdown. People generally play worse against aggressive
opponents in raised pots when the opponent has the initiative. They make big
errors like running huge dumb bluffs, let their opponent control the pot size
and often fold the best hand.
The button and the cutoff should be played aggressively provided the right
conditions are in place. Firstly, the table cannot be full of bad players.
However, the button can be abused when you are playing weak-tight regulars
at 100/200 no-limit, who won t give you too much grief post-flop and have
easily identifiable betting patterns. Be wary about playing too loose on the
button if the blinds contain good aggressive players who will three-bet with a
very wide range. From the cutoff, be especially wary of opening a wide range
if the button is a good aggressive player who abuses position. Playing against
a regular three-bettor out of position is a real headache.
Sof able range
The following gives a rough idea of a decent range at a soft table. By no
means is this the type of range you should have 100% of the time. You should
identify the player types and tweak your strategy based on the various factors
in play.
You should be looking to play all the hands you would open in early position
from this stronger position as well as A-x suited, K-x suited, Q-x suited and
occasionally any two suited cards. Suited hands allow you to put pressure on
weak tight opponents. Often you will flop hands with reasonable equity with
which you can apply pressure. You would also be looking to play all Broadway
hands, most suited connectors and gapped suited connectors from 4-6 suited
and higher. Your range should also include most decent connecting cards
from 8-9 offsuit and above.
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14/01/2012 PKR Preflop ranges in six-max cash
Commen
I can onl talk micro-stakes here but here's m opinion..
1. OK the straight is hidden and dangerous but how often is this hand going to
hit the flop that hard?
2. If ou hit the flush and bet, onl better flushes (with position on ou) are
reall like to be calling the turn and river
3. If ou're a weak post flop pla er ou could get sucked in with a low top pair
if our 7 or 8 pair on the flop - Be honest how would ou pla a 8 5 3 flop -
read to waste mone on it?
Comment b step7 - 15/07/09 (Report)
Wh not open sometimes hands like 87s from UTG? When ou hit big on the
flop, our hits are well covered in most cases and our opponents might
easier call our cbet and ou get good value to our hand.
Comment b Frande1982 - 09/07/09 (Report)
Edited on: 09 Jul 2009 12:58
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