The Helpful Pointer

When playing Texas Holdem, the first two cards that you are dealt are referred to as pre-flop cards. These first two cards are absolutely pivotal to the rest of the round and how you play them determines whether you will walk away a winner or a loser.

In order to help you know what to do with your pre-flop hand, there are a few basic guidelines about when to raise, fold, call, or go all in. The first decision you need to make is whether you are going to play the pokergame at all; basically whether you should fold or not based on the merit of your cards. As a standard rule of thumb you should only fold if you have extremely low numbers like 2 and 3s that are not matched. If you have a high value card, even if it is not a pair or matched in suite to your other card, there is a chance that the flop cards will form a solid hand for you.

After deciding to stay in the poker game, pre-flop strategy relies heavily on the actual cards in your hand. For example, if you are lucky enough to get a pair, you should call if you have a pair of sixes or lower and raise if you have a pair of sevens or higher. If you don’t have a pair you need to guide off of the highest value card in your hand. If you have an Ace or King that is not the same suite as the other card in your hand, call if you Ace or King is paired with an 8 or 10 respectively. Otherwise you should raise.

There is a slightly different set of rules if your high value card is matched in suite to the other card in your hand. If this is the case and you have an Ace, King, or Queen as your high card, you should call if it is paired with a 7, 9, or 10 respectively. If your lower card has a higher value than 7, 9, or 10, you should raise. In no circumstances should you raise if you have two cards that are lower than a Queen and unsuited.