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A good pre-flop strategy is the key to your success in Texas Hold’em for low limit games on short-handed tables. With the right pre-flop strategy you will minimize possible problems later in the game. You also will be able to systematize and simplify your play.

Tight-Aggressive Pre-flop Strategy (TAG).

Pre-flop strategies may vary widely depending on the level of contenders playing and their style and. If most opponents at the table play tightly (only with strong hands) you may play more aggressively on the pre-flop. Tight opponents pay less and rarely get in the game. Aggressive play means using half-bluff and winning more pots on the pre-flop without waiting for a good hand. If you want to play aggressively, your pre-flop statistics according to Poker Tracker should be 20/15. When you are at a table where the majority of players have a loose style of play, in other words, when they get into the game with marginal or weak hands, it will be hard for you to play aggressively on the pre-flop and even harder on the post-flop. For instance; a raise with low pocket pairs (22-66) in an early position on a tight table is, of course, a profitable game because you can often take blinds or have only one opponent on the flop and win the pot by continuously betting. If there are many loose players at the table, you are called more often. So, playing low pocket pairs in a bad position against a number of opponents is not profitable. The best advice is to limp low pocket pairs if you are in an early position at such tables. In a situation like this your pre-flop statistics should be 20/10 according to Poker Tracker. How aggressive your opponents are also influences the pre-flop strategy. If the table consists of many aggressive players even if they are loose players, raises on the pre-flop are very common. You shouldn’t limp often when getting into the game.

So, your position plays a key role in determining your pre-flop strategy in Not Limit Hold’em! Don’t underestimate the importance of your position. When you play in a good position you earn the [basic money]. Good positions for a short-handed game are the cut-off and the button (CO and BTN). You will win more with strong hands in a good position and lose less with weak hands. Drawing a combination from a weak position is very difficult. So, you should play tightly in a weak position and loosely and aggressively in a good position. Next we’ll discuss various pre-flop games depending on opponents’ style.

There tend to be many limpers at a loose-passive table. So, many players get into the game to see the flop.

Raise in an early position having AK, AQ, AJ, KQ, AA-99, limp with 88-22, if you have Axs and suited connectors beginning with 89s and higher, raise approximately 4 BB (Big Blinds). If several players have already limped, use the following formula to raise: 4BB + ХBB, where Х is the number of limpers. You should exclude suited connectors and suited aces if somebody often raises from late positions. If you are already in the game with these hands, lay your cards down after somebody’s raise, because it is not profitable to draw a combination from a weak position.
In a middle position you may add 88, ATs, KJs to the range of hands you may raise with. If nobody has gone into the game before, you may also add 77, ATо, KJо. If you have low pairs, suited aces and connectors, you could limp.

In the cut-off and button positions, if nobody has gone into the game before you, you shouldn’t limp at all. You can raise with any hand. If you have Axs, 56s+, 68s+, AT, KT, QT, JT, QJ make an open raise. The same goes for the hands you raised in the early positions. You could also make an open raise if you’re in the button position and have Ахо.

You should tightly play blinds because for the rest of the game you will be in a weak position.

If you are a small blind. play 99-АА, АК, АQ,AJ, KQ. If nobody has gone into the game, play all pairs and Axs, A8o+, 89s+, KT, QT, KJ, QJ. Play carefully with suited aces and connectors. Complete the blind with them only if there are two or more players in the game. Fold if there have been any raises. You may also complete the blind with the other cards from the middle range KJ, KT, QJ, QT, AT, Don’t forget about the vulnerability and domination of these hands, especially when you are in a weak position.

If you are the big blind, the range of cards you may raise with is the same as in the small blind position. When all the players have folded and the small blind has completed the blind, you have nearly made an open raise. Play the same hands as from the small blind position with an open raise.

If there has been a raise before you, play tightly in the blind position. Raise with low and marginal pocket pairs (22-TT) in hopes of hitting a set. But, don’t forget that drawing a set should be profitable. So, your stack and your contender’s stack should be 15 times larger than the raise, minimum.

Re-raise. You should re-raise with AA-QQ (3.5 - 4 times). If you have JJ - marginal hand, you should call or re-raise depending on the contender’s raise range. If your contender is aggressive and raises with a wide range of hands, for instance: 88-AA, AK-AT, KQ-KT, you should re-raise with jacks. But if the range is tight: AA-JJ, AK, AQ, KQ, the best is to call and waiting for the set. Don’t forget to take into consideration the position of the person raising. The later position has the wider range of cards to play. The same strategy is applied to AQ. You may also call and re-raise with this hand. If you have АК, you should always re-raise. You should fold all other hands in the blind position. If you are in the early or middle position and there has been a raise before you, play the same way as in the blind position. If you are in the late position and there has been a raise, you should call if you have suited connectors, suited “Broadway” (AJs, ATs, KTs, QJs, QTs) and sometimes even with suited aces. You need a number of players who have called the raise in the pot and, of course, your stack and the stack of the aggressor should be rather “deep” in comparison with the raise.

The strategy described above is good for loose tables. There are some differences in the strategy for the tables that are tight. The best idea is to raise with all pairs here. If you are in the early or middle position, you should fold suited aces and connectors (or raise). It is not profitable to limp on these tables. Play tightly in the blind position. You may complete the small blind with low pairs 22-66. You should fold suited aces and connectors if you are in this position, but not when you are playing against the other blind.

When you play a short-handed game, you should clearly realize the range of hands your contenders may raise or call with. For viewing the statistics while playing, programs like Poker Ace Hud or Game Time+ are very good. The second program is free but the first has more options. You can get more profit playing marginal hands if you know the statistics.

Good luck!