Open Range, also known as Opening Range, refers to all starting hands a player would be willing to open raise pre-flop if no one has raised. Different positions have different open ranges; the closer to the Button, the wider the open range can generally be; the closer to the UTG, the tighter the range needs to be. This article will provide a complete overview of the definition of Open Range, positional differences, GTO opening range, exploit adjustments, and how professional players improve their long-term EV through a reasonable opening range.
Resteal (or counter-stealing) is a pre-flop strategy where a player proactively counters a steal raise from a late position (usually a cutoff or button) by using a 3-bet or all-in. Since stealers typically have a wide opening range, restealing effectively utilizes the fold equity to force opponents to fold and protect one's own blinds. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of the definition, appropriate timing, common hands, all-in restealing, and how professional players use restealing to improve long-term EV.
Stealing the blinds, also known as blind stealing, refers to a player raising pre-flop using their positional advantage, aiming to win the small blind (SB) and big blind (BB) directly, rather than relying on hand strength. Because there are fewer players remaining after the cutoff (CO) and button (BTN), these are the most common positions for blind stealing. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of the definition, purpose, suitable positions, range, defensive strategies, and how professional players use blind stealing to improve their long-term EV.
Squeeze play, also known as squeeze raise, refers to a strategy where, after one player has opened raise pre-flop and at least one player has cold-called, the next player raises significantly (3-bet). Since the player opening raises usually doesn't have the strongest range, and the cold-calling player often lacks top-tier hands, squeeze play can exert immense pressure on two or more opponents simultaneously, making it one of the most important pre-flop offensive weapons in modern Texas Hold'em. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of the definition, purpose, suitable hands, bet sizes, and how professional players use squeeze play to improve long-term EV.
A cold call is when a player, without having invested any chips pre-flop, calls a raise from the player in front of them instead of 3-betting or folding. Cold calls are a common pre-flop strategy in Texas Hold'em, but if used improperly, they can easily put the player in a passive position. Therefore, it's crucial to make judgments based on position, the opponent's range, and the starting hand. This article will provide a comprehensive overview of the definition of a cold call, suitable starting hands, its advantages and disadvantages, and how professional players use cold calls to improve long-term EV.