The Strategy of Preflop Folding in No-Limit Hold’em

No one enjoys the act of folding in poker; it's far more thrilling to take risks and discover what cards our opponents might hold at the same time. However, learning to fold at appropriate moments is often what separates average players from those who win significantly.

In the nascent stages of online poker, it was a typical strategy for players to defend their big blind positions by adopting notably strict hand ranges. Any professional looking back at those customary defending strategies might find it comically excessive and unfeasible, with most players holding only pocket pairs or stronger cards. broadway hands only.

In this section, we will examine four prevalent situations where players often overlook the chance to make advantageous plays. preflop folds .

1. Defending the Big Blind

The poker community gradually came to the realization that expanding our range when in the big blind position became essential.

This trend of adjusting has progressed to a point where today's strategies for defending the big blind have shifted dramatically.

Currently, many players are employing strategies that involve astonishingly broad hand ranges. big-blind defending ranges in several spots.

Take a look at the following range:

Picture a scenario where we defend our big blind against a 3bb raise from the button in a low-stakes online cash game, where players have 100bb effective stacks. The strongest hands on the chart are advised for 3-betting, while hands of intermediate strength are suggested for calling.

The weakest hands should only be called under specific conditions; otherwise, they should be folded.

To begin with, any hand not classified in the grid provided above should not be defended preflop as a default strategy.

It's essential to keep these key points in mind:

1. The rake is significant. Just because a hand appears to be worth defending preflop in theory, that doesn't imply it should be defended in actual play. The weakest hands in a theoretically sound defending range should probably be folded due to the impact of rake costs.
2. We are at a positional disadvantage. Historically, players tend to give too much weight to pot odds when making preflop choices. In reality, pot odds hold less importance when dealing with 100bb stacks. A greater concern is how well our hand can be played after the flop. postflop .

Given that we will be out of position when we choose to cold-call from the big blind, many of our hands may perform below expectations compared to their basic equity. For example, although a hand like K2o might present favorable pot odds against an opponent's opening range, it doesn't necessarily mean it's wise to defend it (and I will cover the issues surrounding preflop pot odds later).

1. We must be realistic about our skill level. Many players neglect to consider this critical aspect. It’s a common assumption that if a hand is theoretically appropriate to defend, then we should be able to defend it ourselves. The more expansive our defensive range becomes, the more complicated our postflop decisions are likely to be, often resulting in diminishing returns on our winrate. Players with the weakest and strongest hands within a theoretically sound defending range may find themselves making significant mistakes postflop.

Frequently, these postflop pitfalls can obliterate the meager profitability that might have been anticipated from defending those weaker hands. In essence, extending our preflop defenses as far as possible demands a high skill level, a skill that many ordinary players may not possess. Cultivating a degree of humility can allow us to generate profits with somewhat tighter defending ranges instead of losing our winrate by defending hands we struggle to support postflop.

2. Defending vs 3bets

Game theory solvers generally suggest quite broad defending strategies against aggressive plays. 3bets Attempting to mimic these ranges poses challenges, as solvers don't account for the reality that the average opponent, or Villain, might not 3-bet as often as the theory suggests. While theoretical frequencies generally sit around 8-10%, the average opponent usually only 3-bets 5-6%.

So, how should we adapt when facing opponents who aren’t as aggressive with their 3-betting as one would anticipate?

The solution is simple.

We must fold more often to compensate for our opponent's lack of aggression.

Consider the defending range we would adopt if faced with a 3-bet while defending the blinds after an open-raise from the button.

Choosing this defensive range might technically lead to folding more frequently relative to theoretical standards. However, that's precisely the point. We aim to defend more conservatively than theory dictates to take advantage of our opponent's insufficient 3-betting aggression.

3. Defending vs 4bets

In a manner similar to 3-betting ranges, the typical 4-betting range utilized by players is far more conservative than it ought to be. We can exploit this tendency by folding more often against 4-bets than what is theoretically advisable.

4-betting situations also provide clarity on the issue of making preflop decisions solely based on pot odds.

Imagine the following scenario.

Hero is dealt KsQs.

Villain BTN open-raises to 3bb.

Hero BB 3bets to 10bb.

Villain BTN 4bets to 20bb.

Hero?

Imagine a scenario where a player opens for 3bb on the button in a low-stakes online cash game, and we, from the big blind, decide to 3-bet to 10bb. Our opponent then responds with a 4-bet to 20bb. In this case, we hold KsQs, with our opponent's potential 4-betting range including QQ+/AK. Should we call or fold? (Hint: we would be committing 10bb into a total pot of 40.5bb).

We can deduce the pot odds We calculate this by figuring out the percentage of the total pot that we are investing.

Here, we are putting 10bb into a pot totaling 40.5bb, offering us pot odds of about 22.22%.

Next, let's assess the pot equity of KQs against the Villain’s range of QQ+/AK.

Hero’s hand: KQs à Equity 25.08%
Villain’s range: QQ+,AK à 74.92%

If we relied solely on pot odds for our decision-making, it would seem like a straightforward call since our equity surpasses the pot odds.

But let’s take a moment to reflect on the matchup of our hand against the opponent’s range.

What kinds of flops would favor us, and why might that be?

If our intuition is fine-tuned, the challenge should quickly become evident.

Many of the flops that seem favorable for us simultaneously enhance our opponent's potential for stronger hands.

For instance, hitting a King pair on the flop could mean our opponent has AK or AA. If they specifically have QQ, we hold the best hand, yet the payout is limited. If we hit a Queen pair, our opponent could have QQ, KK, or AA. If they have AK, our potential payout would yet again be restricted. Even if we were to flop two pair, the possibility remains that our opponent possesses sets in their hand.

Given the risk of being outclassed, the playability of our equity is diminished. Poker isn't merely about assessing our preflop equity and deciding if the pot odds justify a call.

In the scenario just mentioned, we may have the direct pot odds for a call, yet it’s likely wiser to fold due to reverse implied odds. This concept can often be misunderstood, even among seasoned players. Many believe that every time they receive pot odds, their hand must result in a call.

4. Defending vs 5bets

Numerous misconceptions persist regarding how to approach defending against 5-bet shoves when working with 100bb effective stacks.

For instance, consider the common myth -

This idea can be easily dispelled. Imagine an opponent who responds to 4-bets very lightly but only 5-bet shoves pocket Aces for value; in such a case, we could 4-bet frequently for value but would generally find ourselves folding all other hands against a 5-bet.

How can we determine which hands are appropriate for calling a 5-bet?

The straightforward answer is that we base our judgment on pot odds.

But didn't we establish that pot odds don't tell the whole story preflop?

That's correct, but we were focused on situations where there would be more chips on the line postflop.

In preflop scenarios where any call would mean going all-in, pot odds reveal everything we need to know.

Now let’s break down a frequent scenario that many players mishandle in low-limit online settings.

Hero is dealt AcKh.

Hero BTN open-raises to 3bb.

Villain BB 3bets to 10bb.

Hero 4bets to 22bb.

Villain BB 5bet shoves for 100bb.

Hero?

We open with AKo on the button at 3bb. The Villain 3-bets from the big blind to 10bb. We then 4-bet to 22bb, and the Villain pushes all in for their entire 100bb stack.

Call or fold?

At first glance, this appears to be an easy decision. We’ve made a 4-bet for value and hold one of the very best preflop hands.

Yet many players make the call without further scrutiny.

Let’s delve into the math. We’d be committing 78bb to the pot, requiring us to obtain more than 39% equity to make our call profitable.

Assuming our opponent is pushing with a range of JJ+/AK.

Hero’s hand: AKo à Equity 39.79%
Villain’s range: JJ+,AK à 60.21%

Initially, it seems clear we should call. After all, we’ve stated we need 39% equity, and we do possess 39.79%. Nevertheless, it is vital not to rush to judgment. First, this situation is exceptionally close to the break-even point. It’s not a guaranteed preflop call with a great deal of profit. If our opponent's range tightens even slightly, we could start incurring losses.

However, this scenario isn't the complete picture. Considering we are in a low-limit online environment, there is a reasonable amount of rake to factor into our decision. If we're playing at 30nl, we can expect that around 10bb will be removed from the overall 200bb pot.

Instead of investing 78 big blinds into a pot of 200 big blinds, we are now committing 78 big blinds to a pot worth 190 big blinds. This adjustment changes our pot odds, meaning we now require approximately 41% equity to justify making a call. The presence of the rake has created a situation where folding our Ace-King hand becomes the better option, even when facing a range that includes pocket Jacks and higher or Ace-King. This implies our opponent must be willing to shove with a wider range for our call to be the right decision.

Overview – When to Consider Folding Before Flop

Here are the main points to keep in mind when deciding if a hand should be folded before the flop:

1. Pot odds are generally not a significant factor unless we are confronted with an all-in bet (or something very close to that situation).

2. It is important to take the rake into account when making all-in calls, particularly at lower stakes.

3. We should consider how playable a hand is and the position we hold at the table.

4. We need to show restraint by not extending our defending ranges right to the theoretical limit without a compelling reason to do so.

5. It is crucial to identify instances when the player pool is playing too conservatively, which may lead us to fold too often.

Relying on sound reasoning is essential rather than merely following trends, such as the current tendency to defend the big blind very broadly.