The ability to fold marks one of the most important aspects of a winning poker strategy. In Texas Hold’em, playing 💵 too many hands preflop, or moving forward with too many marginal hands post-flop, can end up as a major detriment 💵 to your win rate.
Knowing when to fold in poker is arguably the most critical skill in the game. The world’s 💵 best players know this, and fold often.
When to Fold Before the Flop
In Texas Hold’em, the best poker players fold 75 💵 percent or more of all starting hands before the betting even begins. A fundamentally sound preflop strategy sets you up 💵 for success in all subsequent betting rounds.
Even the loosest preflop players (if they’re winning players) fold before the flop around 💵 70 percent of the time. To figure out when to fold before the flop, you need to establish a set 💵 of hand ranges that you’re willing to play from each position at the poker table.
Hand range charts (like the Upswing 💵 Poker free preflop charts) represent the best way to establish a solid preflop strategy. Preflop hand range charts dictate what 💵 hands to open raise with from each position, as well as which hands to call or raise with against a 💵 player who has bet before you get to act.
A good starting hand chart will have you doing a lot of 💵 folding preflop. A good preflop strategy involves playing tighter in early position, then adding more starting hands to your range 💵 in the later positions.
Premium hands, like pocket aces, kings, queens, and ace-king, can be open raised from any position. As 💵 you get closer to the button, you can add more hands like low suited connectors (5♠ 4♠, 9♥ 7♥) or 💵 small pairs like pocket threes and twos.
When to Fold After the Flop
Once the flop hits the board, the game dynamic 💵 from the preflop round completely changes. Getting too attached to a hand in certain situations can spell disaster, as the 💵 pots can escalate dramatically after preflop play.
Signs that you should fold facing a postflop bet include:
When your preflop hand isn’t 💵 strong after the flop
When a player who never bluffs is betting big
When you’ve played a pocket pair preflop, and two 💵 or more overcards hit the board
When you have no pair or drawing potential with your hand post-flop
When you do have 💵 drawing potential, but don’t have the right pot odds to call
When a very tight player is betting or raising big
The 💵 world’s best poker players find their way to the highest stakes by folding in the right spots. You’ll need to 💵 do the same to work your way up in poker stakes.
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