Why We Raise Pre-Flop
One of the most common questions I get asked by players new to competitive poker (by competitive I mean poker played outside of a casual home game), is why so many veterans like to raise frequently pre-flop when they can just call/check and see a low-risk flop? In theory the question makes sense, after all why would any of us want to add extra chips to the pot when we can wait for the flop to see if we made our hand or not?
Raising pre-flop is done for a couple of primary reasons, which range from table image to card protection. One of the main things that raising does is create an perception of strength. It will tell the other players at the table that you have a premium hand (whether you do or not), and force them to make a decision on how to proceed in the hand. This strength can also help you on the flop if you are heads-up against an opponent and they check the flop. Since you have already raise pre-flop, you can now make a continuation bet on the flop, thus putting more pressure on your opponent than if you had just called pre-flop and then checked on the flop. Most opponents will fold to a continuation bet if they didn’t hit their hand strongly, allowing you to pick up the pot whether you hit your hand or not.
The other main reason players raise pre-flop is to try and protect their hand as much as possible. When you have hands like A-Q, 10-10 and K-Q, you don’t want to simply call pre-flop and see a cheap flop. Why? Well, say five other people limp-in as well and the flop comes Q-J-7 and you have pocket tens. You have no idea what anyone else in the hand has, though you can at least suspect that no one has a premium hand since they didn’t raise pre-flop. However, they could’ve very easily limped with Q-10 or K-J, hands they would’ve folded if you raised pre-flop with your 10s.
It’s almost always better to be the aggressor in a hand than on the defensive, as if you raise, you are giving yourself more ways to win the hand, while if you just check or call your opponents bet, you’re only going to win if you can beat their hand in a showdown. Raising pre-flop is not a guaranteed strategy for winning, but it will help get all of the marginal hands to fold and put you in position to stay in control for the rest of the hand, especially if you are last to act.
By: Chris Iaquinta
