There is a new trend in online poker: re-raising pre-flop without a big hand.
If a player raises before the flop, he may have a range of hands. But, if a player re-raises before the flop, you would expect the re-raiser to have a hand like Q’s, K’s, Aces or A-K. The result is that the original raiser will generally fold, unless he has a higher premium pair.
The new trend among some players in online poker is to make this re-raise without a top starting hand, as they can take a big pot by forcing an opponent to fold or winning the hand with a bet on the flop.
Let’s review this piece.
Let’s say that a player who has made small preflop raises often does it again. You are on the button with nothing. Make a big re-raise and you will probably force a fold and win a bigger pot.
But let’s say a player who is incredibly conservative raises three times before the flop before you. In this case, the re-raise is more likely to go to a higher starting hand, however, aggressive tournament players can still force a bad decision with a re-raise QQ Online.
The best thing about this re-raise is that it allows you to win more chips preflop without having to see the flop. And you can use it against players who are too shy to risk their chips, as they always fear that an opponent has the nuts.
What if you are facing a player with a re-raise?
You have to take a stand and play against him.
For example, last night I was making frequent minimum raises, as my opponents were playing very tight. If I got a call and the texture of the flop looked good, I would make a continuation bet and take the pot almost every time. If I re-raised pre-flop, I would fold.
This new aggressive player was added to my table and had a big stack of chips. It was evident that he was using the pre-flop re-raise to win and build his stack. I mean, you don’t have those premium hands that often justify re-raising him. In fact, his re-raises worked so well that he built a bigger stack of chips and also made his re-raises more threatening, as he could eliminate players.
I thought I would either double up against him or be knocked out by him. On the one hand, I made a mini raise with A-10 suited. He certainly raised me up. I moved all-in. He instore-called with A-J. I had no help and was out. Doh!
This is another advantage of this style of play. Sometimes, the re-raiser will have a hand and eliminate his opponent – especially since he has built his stack so he doesn’t get hurt so much and / or feels invincible.
Try this piece too and see how comfortable you are using it.
Think about how you feel when you receive a pre-flop re-raise. Because when you raise an opponent again, he is likely to feel that way. It is a feeling that often leads to fold.
Mitchell Cogert is the author of “Tournament Poker: 101 Winning Moves”. It is the only reference book that reveals the moves that pros use to win a poker tournament. These moves are based on a 20-year review of poker tournament strategies and the real game against Daniel Negreanu, Erick Lindgren, David Pham and other top professionals. The book is highly rated 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
