Video to the Article

Introduction

• why you should never play a made hand passively after the flop
  
• why you need a strong hand to play for a big pot
• why you should never bluff on the river
  

Whenever a player raises before the flop, that player has initiative going into the next round of betting - a strong advantage. It is often the case, however, that no one chooses to raise before the flop is revealed. This article will teach you how to play when no one shows aggression before the flop.

You can expect to find a wide variety of hands on an unraised flop. Players are often looking to see a cheap flop with weak hands, such as suited hole cards.

The Big Blind can have any combination of cards, since he can simply check to see the flop and has no reason to fold.

Usually several players are involved in such hands. Once the first player limps in, others tend to follow the lead for a cheap look at the flop.

You will usually be facing several opponents with a wide range of possible hands, none of whom have initiative. The most important reason why you need a strategy for unraised pots is the size of the pot. Since there was no raise, the pot is significantly smaller.

Before the flop - NL25 Blinds: $0.10/$0.25

You are on the CO

UTG1 calls $0.25 UTG2 and UTG3 fold MP1 calls $0.25 MP2 and MP3 fold You raise to $1.50 BU, SB and BB fold UTG1 and MP1 call $1.25 Pot Size: $4.85.

Before the flop - NL25 Blinds: $0.10/$0.25

You are on the CO

UTG1 calls $0.25 UTG2 and UTG3 fold MP1 calls $0.25 MP2 and MP3 fold You call $0.25 BU and SB fold  BB checks Pot Size: $1.10.

As you can see, the pot in the first example is more than 4 times as large as the pot in the second example. The size of your stack in relation to the pot is different, as well. Whereas you have app. 5 times the pot size left in your stack in the first example, you have app. 22 times the size of the pot left in your stack in the second.

It should be obvious enough that you need a different strategy in the two example hands. You need a very good reason to increase the size of an unraised pot. You've only invested a minimal amount of your chips, the only reason why you should risk more: you have a good hand.

There's an old rule in poker: Never go broke in an unraised pot. It may only be a rule of thumb, but the point is clear enough: You need a very strong hand before you turn a small investment into a big one.

This article will explain why this is and which hands you can play when no one raises before the flop. This article will often refer to material found in the articles on the mathematics of poker, so it is important to read those articles before continuing to read this one.

Go to this article: Mathematics of Poker - Odds and Outs

Go to this article: Mathematics of Poker - Implied Pot Odds

In the next section we will take a look at the following: how an unraised pot develops, what kind of hand you need to get involved in the pot, and what you are hoping to hit.