You make money when your opponents make mistakes that you do not make. Most of your profit will come from exploiting your opponents' mistakes. You will not win using a simple system.
This dashboard distills the entire 321-slide preflop masterclass into an interactive study tool. Work through each tab to build your foundation, then test yourself with the quiz.
Think in expected value, not individual results. The average is all that matters.
Chips change value. Adjust risk tolerance at bubbles, final tables, and pay jumps.
Stack-to-pot ratio dictates your entire strategy — from starting hands to commitment.
Roughly 1 in 7 players cash. Everyone else loses their buy-in. While cashing matters, winning is most important — 1st place in a 500-person $100 event pays ~$10,000 vs. $150 for min-cash.
Variance is wild. If you're an average player in 1,000-person fields, you'll make the final table roughly 1 in 100 times. A 50% ROI winner can still have brutal stretches.
Example: Opponent goes all-in for 100 into a 3,000 pot. You win 30% of the time. If called, you win 3,100 when you hit and lose 100 when you miss.
When facing a bet, convert your risk-to-reward into a percentage to see the minimum equity needed to call.
| Bet Size (into pot) | Odds | Equity Needed |
|---|---|---|
| 25% pot | 5:1 | ~17% |
| 33% pot | 4:1 | ~20% |
| 50% pot | 3:1 | ~25% |
| 66% pot | 2.5:1 | ~28% |
| 75% pot | 2.3:1 | ~30% |
| 100% pot (pot-size) | 2:1 | ~33% |
| 150% pot | 1.7:1 | ~38% |
| 200% pot (2x pot) | 1.5:1 | ~40% |
A range is all possible hands someone could realistically hold at a specific point. Ranges narrow as actions are taken.
Your opponent's actual hand doesn't matter — think in terms of their full range. You must be balanced to beat strong opponents.
Unpaired: 16 total combos (4 suited + 12 offsuit). Remove cards visible on board.
Paired: 6 combos per pair. If 1 card blocked → 3 combos. If 2 blocked → 1 combo.
Blockers are cards in your hand that reduce the likelihood your opponent holds certain combos. Having A♠ when 3 spades are on board = opponent can't have the nut flush.
Best hands + slightly weaker hands. Use for initial raises and when opponents call wide with marginal hands.
Premium hands + bluffs that aren't good enough to call. Ideal for 3-betting when opponent will 4-bet or fold.
Mid-strength hands, no premiums, no junk. This is what callers typically have. A condensed range is "capped."
This tells you how often you must defend to prevent an opponent from profiting by bluffing with any two cards. Strive to over-defend.
Adjustments: Tighter opponent = defend tighter. Wider opponent = defend wider. In multiway pots, MDF is divided among all remaining players.
Your strategy changes dramatically based on effective stack size. The lower your SPR, the less implied odds matter and the more big-card strength matters.
Implied odds hands go UP in value: Suited aces, suited connectors, small pairs. Top pair is marginal if lots of money goes in. Unsuited big cards are tricky to play.
Implied Odds Targets:
Facing 3-bets at 75bb: No calling range recommended. Either 4-bet (QQ+, AKs) or fold. No 5-bet bluff range. Defending against 4-bets too often is a HUGE leak.
Medium SPR. Implied odds hands decrease in value. Strong big cards increase. From OOP, you're incentivized to go all-in more to reduce positional disadvantage.
Facing 3-bets at 40bb: You'll often face all-ins. Continue only with QQ+ and AKs against 2+ players. No 4-bet bluff range.
IO at 45bb: Calling a 2.5bb raise = (42.5 + 7.5)/2.5 = 22:1. Calling a 3-bet to 8bb = (37 + 18.5)/5.5 = 10:1.
Low SPR. A 4-bet IS all-in. You should have some 4-bet all-in bluffs. Calling is often only best with premium slowplays or hands that flop amazingly.
Key numbers at 25bb: IO for calling a 2bb open = (23 + 6.5)/2 = 14.75. IO for calling a 3-bet to 5.5bb = (19.5 + 13.5)/3.5 = 9.4. Almost never getting correct IO for speculative hands.
Exploitative Jamming: Shove wide over loose late-position raises. Shove tight over early-position opens. Target players with weak fold-to-3bet stats. If multiple limpers and you have A-10 for 25bb, all-in is the only logical play.
Shove or fold territory approaches. From the SB at 15bb, use a limp-or-jam strategy. No calling range from early/middle position when facing raises. Big offsuit cards prefer all-in or fold.
Facing raises from EP at 15bb: 3-bet range = TT+, AQ+ against TAGs; JJ+, AK against nits; 88+, ATs+ against LAGs.
Follow a Push/Fold chart. From all positions except SB, it's all-in or fold when folded to you. From the SB with 8+ bb you can have a limp range. Adjust wider based on opponents' tendencies.
You play wider ranges from in position. From the blinds you act last preflop but have the worst position postflop. Click a seat to see strategy notes.
TAG: Play fundamentally. Follow the charts.
NIT: Fold dominated offsuit big cards. Call more implied odds hands. 3-bet bluff much less.
LAG: Fold less. Call more offsuit big cards that are ahead. 3-bet bluff more (polarized).
Calling Station: Fold less. 3-bet big cards for value (linear). Use pot-sized raises.
Facing 3 limpers: 3×1 + 1 + 1 + 0.5 + 1 + 1 = 7.5bb
Facing a 4bb raise + caller: 3×4 + 4 + 0.5 + 1 + 1 = 18.5bb
| Stack Depth | Open Size | 3-Bet Size (IP) | 3-Bet Size (OOP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75bb+ | 2.5–3bb | 3× open | 3.2× open + extras |
| 40bb | 2–2.5bb | 2.5–3× open | 3× open |
| 25bb | 2–2.2bb | All-in | All-in |
| 15bb | 2bb or all-in | All-in | All-in |
Critical Rule: If a raise would put in more than 30% of your stack, just go all-in instead. Add 1 additional "unit" for each caller already in the pot.
Against strong players, use consistent sizing. Against weak players:
→ Raise LARGER with your best hands against calling stations
→ Raise LARGER with your bluffs against habitual folders
Limps premium hands to trap. Usually only capable from EP. Limp behind with flop-well hands. Raise or fold with others. When limp/3-bet, fold unless you have correct IO.
Junky range, no premiums. Raise with your normal open range or wider. Fine to limp behind with small pairs, suited connectors, suited gappers.
Always ask these 4 questions:
1. What is their raising range?
2. How likely am I to get 3-bet if I call?
3. How many players will see the flop?
4. How will they respond to aggression?
EP raisers: Assume strong. Bluff less than charts say. If they 4-bet, assume the nuts.
LP raisers: Get out of line. Many raise too wide and defend poorly.
No calling range below 75bb. You'll get 4-bet often enough to destroy your IO. Can't profitably call with most pairs and suited connectors.
| Stack | 3-Bet from EP → Continue | 3-Bet from LP → Continue |
|---|---|---|
| 75bb | QQ+ only | JJ+ only |
| 40bb | QQ+ | TT+, AK+ |
| 25bb | TT+, AK | 88+, AQ+, AJs+ |
| 15bb | TT+, AQ+ | 88+, ATs+ |
"Good price" and "closing action" are NOT great reasons to defend your big blind multi-way. You'll realize your equity poorly. Postflop playability is king.
→ Don't play junky offsuit cards (K6o, Q7o, J5o = fold)
→ Fold Axo, Kxs, Qxs against tight raisers or many opponents
→ Call implied odds hands and suited big cards
→ 3-bet bluff with offsuit big cards, value with premiums
In the same spot where you normally need ~44% equity to call, on the bubble you may need 53%. If there are multiple 1bb stacks at the table, you may need 75% equity — and even then it's close.
Apply pressure: As the big stack near the bubble. As the medium stack against other medium stacks. Even as the short stack — pay attention to payout pressure on your opponents.
| Situation | Key Question | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Folded to you | Is my hand in the open range for this position/depth? | Raise standard size or fold |
| Facing a raise | What's their range? Am I getting 3-bet behind? | Call, 3-bet, or fold based on position + depth |
| Facing raise + call | Is this hand playable multiway? | Need strong equity or great playability; fold junk |
| Facing a 3-bet | What are my pot odds? Is 4-bet all-in viable? | Continue only with premiums at most depths |
| Facing a 4-bet | Am I getting the right price? | QQ+/AKs at 75bb; wider as stacks shrink |
| Facing limper(s) | Tricky or straightforward? | Raise linear vs straightforward; limp behind vs tricky |
| <12bb | Push/fold chart says? | All-in or fold (except SB with 8bb+ can limp) |
If a raise would put in more than 30% of your stack → just go all-in. If facing a raise and you have ≤10× the open, all-in is reasonable.
| Hand Type | Min IO Needed | 75bb Open | 45bb Open | 25bb Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Pairs (22-66) | 10:1 | 34:1 ✅ | 22:1 ✅ | 14.75:1 ✅ |
| Suited Connectors | 20:1 | 34:1 ✅ | 22:1 ✅ | 14.75:1 ❌ |
| Suited Aces | 20:1 | 34:1 ✅ | 22:1 ✅ | 14.75:1 ❌ |
Hands that tend to be dominated (AJo, KTo, QJo vs tight ranges) have reverse implied odds. Fold these to 3-bets, or use them as 4-bet bluffs. As stacks get shorter, RIO hands become more playable because you commit fewer chips postflop.