How to Avoid Pre-Flop Errors in Texas Hold’em
Although Texas Hold’em poker is an easy game to learn, it can take several years of practice before players truly get to grips with it.
One of the key things that causes newer players problems is understanding how they should play their hands before the flop comes down.
To save you time and effort, we take a closer look at how to avoid making costly pre-flop mistakes to take your play to another level.
Playing Too Many Hands
It might seem counter-productive to say this, but playing too many hands is a recipe for disaster in Texas Hold’em poker.
Generally speaking, if you are playing more than one-quarter of your starting hands it is highly likely you need to analyze the decisions you are making.
This point is particularly pertinent during the early part of tournaments, as playing too many hands can quickly eat into your chip stack.
Many rookie players make the mistake of getting involved in nearly every hand during one round of betting – it is a strategy that is doomed to fail.
Playing Premium Hands Weakly
Anyone who wants to be successful at Texas Hold’em poker must ensure they play aggressively pre-flop when the opportunity arises.
For example, let’s say you are in position and there have been some calls or raises in front of you. If you have a premium hand, you should raise or re-raise.
If you think your hand does not warrant such an aggressive move, then you should throw it away and wait for a better opportunity.
When you have premium hands, it is imperative to narrow down the field to prevent players who limp into pots from improving their hand on the flop.
Playing Hands Out of Position
One of the easiest ways to improve your pre-flop play is to reduce the number of times you get involved in pots out of position.
The game is much easier to play after the flop if you are in position, so be highly selective about the hands you play when you are not.
In simple terms, if you are first act rather than on the button, you need to be sure that your starting hand is strong enough to hold up post-flop.
Repeatedly playing weak or semi-weak hands out of position destroy your chip stack and make it difficult for you to win consistently.
Avoid Weak Aces
While it is exciting to be dealt an ace pre-flop, you should always consider the strength of your kicker before getting involved in pots.
AA, AK and AQ are hands that you should be looking to play, while most-suited aces make sense to see the flop as your flush will be the nuts if it hits.
However, off-suit hands such as A6, A7, A8, and A9 should largely be avoided to keep yourself out of trouble.
The exception to this rule is in heads-up situations, where any pre-flop ace is likely to be in good shape against your opponent.
