What Is Preflop in Poker?

Why Preflop Strategy Matters

A strong preflop strategy is the foundation of winning poker. The decisions you make before the flop determine the strength of the hands you enter pots with, how often you control the action, and whether you face profitable or difficult situations later in the hand. Good preflop play helps you avoid marginal spots, maximize value with strong holdings, and maintain a long-term edge over inexperienced opponents.

What Hands to Fold Preflop?

Folding is one of the most important poker preflop skills. Many hands may look tempting but lose money over time, especially from early or middle positions. In most games, you should routinely fold:

• Off-suit low cards (e.g., 7♣2♦, 9♠3♥)
• Weak, unconnected hands (e.g., 8♦4♣, 6♠3♥)
• Unsuited aces with poor kicker value (e.g., A♣5♦, A♥7♠)
• Weak kings and queens like K♦7♣ or Q♥8♠
• Most hands with significant gaps (e.g., J♦6♣, 10♠5♠)

These hands often create reversed implied odds – situations where you hit a pair but are dominated by a better kicker. Folding them preflop avoids costly mistakes later.

Key Preflop Concepts

To play the preflop stage effectively, you need to understand several strategic principles that guide when to fold, call, or raise. These concepts help you build strong starting ranges and navigate different table situations with confidence.

Starting Hand Selection

A disciplined starting-hand strategy helps you maintain a long-term advantage. Focus on playing:

• Premium hands: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK
• Strong broadways: AQ, AJ, KQ
• Pocket pairs: From 22 to 99 for set-mining or raising opportunities
• Suited connectors: Like 10♠9♠ or 8♥7♥ for multi-way pots
• Suited aces: Useful for flush draws and semi-bluffs

Good players avoid entering pots with too many speculative or weak hands, especially from poor positions.

Position at the Table

Position is one of the most powerful factors in poker strategy. Your seat relative to the dealer button determines how much information you have before acting. Here are some general guidelines for how you should act relative to your position:

• Early position: You act first, so you should play only strong hands.
• Middle position: Open up your range slightly.
• Late position: You act last, so you can play the widest variety of hands.
• Blinds: Special considerations due to forced bets and out-of-position play.

Being in late position allows you to control the pot size, apply pressure, and make more informed decisions based on other players’ actions.

Stack Sizes and Pot Odds

Your stack size relative to the blinds and antes can change how you approach poker preflop play:

• Short stacks: Tend to shove or fold, focusing on maximizing fold equity
• Medium stacks: Must balance aggression with caution
• Deep stacks: Allow more speculative hands, like suited connectors or small pairs

Pot odds also matter. When calling, compare the cost of the bet to the potential reward. If the odds are favorable and the hand has strong potential, calling may be justified.

Common Preflop Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced players fall into bad habits during the preflop stage. These mistakes can quickly lead to losing pots, difficult post-flop situations, and inconsistent performance.

Playing Too Many Hands

One of the biggest leaks in beginner play is entering the pot with too many weak or marginal hands. Hands like 9♦4♣ or Q♠7♥ may look playable, but they rarely win in the long run. Overplaying these hands leads to getting dominated by stronger kickers, losing chips with weak pairs, and difficult decisions on later streets. Disciplined starting hand selection is key to long-term profitability.

Ignoring Position

Position determines how much information you have before making a decision. Many players lose money by playing too loosely from early position or failing to take advantage of late position. In early position, you should play tight and only enter with strong hands. In late position, you can open your range and apply pressure. Acting last gives you a significant strategic edge – don’t waste it.

Inconsistent Bet Sizing

Your raise size tells a story. Beginners often telegraph their hand strength with bet sizes that vary widely, such as raising large with strong hands, limping or min-raising with weak hands, or overbetting out of fear or uncertainty. Standardizing your poker preflop raise size (commonly 2.5 to 3 times the big blind) hides information and keeps opponents guessing.