[2026 BEGINNER'S GUIDE]Simple modern strategies to beat the lowest stakes online

Some more questions for your LemOn36:

1. Are we really happy to go all-in preflop with QQ? Feels that is behind most player's pre-flop all in range.

2. The 3-bet IP post-flop rules say what we do if the opponent checks to us, but not what to do if they donk into us. Can we use the same principles as for PFA IP, i.e., raise 3x with monsters, call with made hands up to 2/3 PSB, fold weak hands?

3. Also in the 3-bet IP post-flop rules, there is a rule for when the opponent check-raises the flop and checks the turn. What if they check-raise the flop and donk on the turn? We'll be close to all-in if the call or raise, so do we just commit with any made hand (and obviously monsters)? I realise this will be nuanced if we consider their HUD stats and player type, and try to put them on a range, but for the sake of the rule-based beginner's guide, do we just commit?

4. On reflection of Q3 above and the normal turn/river rule for 3-bet IP, why does the flop check-raise rule exist, since whatever the flop action was, if we are still in the hand on the turn, we bet 2/3 PSB on the turn when they check to us anyway? Minor point, but thought I'd check if I'm missing a detail.

Since I just looked in here anyway, I'll answer the questions

Originally posted by SourlyHalf
Some more questions for your LemOn36:

Spoiler

1. Are we really happy to go all-in preflop with QQ? Feels that is behind most player's pre-flop all in range.

2. The 3-bet IP post-flop rules say what we do if the opponent checks to us, but not what to do if they donk into us. Can we use the same principles as for PFA IP, i.e., raise 3x with monsters, call with made hands up to 2/3 PSB, fold weak hands?

3. Also in the 3-bet IP post-flop rules, there is a rule for when the opponent check-raises the flop and checks the turn. What if they check-raise the flop and donk on the turn? We'll be close to all-in if the call or raise, so do we just commit with any made hand (and obviously monsters)? I realise this will be nuanced if we consider their HUD stats and player type, and try to put them on a range, but for the sake of the rule-based beginner's guide, do we just commit?

4. On reflection of Q3 above and the normal turn/river rule for 3-bet IP, why does the flop check-raise rule exist, since whatever the flop action was, if we are still in the hand on the turn, we bet 2/3 PSB on the turn when they check to us anyway? Minor point, but thought I'd check if I'm missing a detail.

1.)
In most cases where the strategy calls for this, yes. There was already speculation in 2008 about whether this makes sense.
But that is mostly a matter of subjective perception. Because people mainly remember the cases where they go all in with QQ preflop and then lose.

You must not forget that the situation where we play a 4bet with QQ and the opponents simply fold brings us variance-free money and should be included in the situations to find out whether it is profitable.

2.)
There is a rule about donk bets and it applies to the raised, just like the 3bet and 4bet pot.

3.)
If your opponent check/raise the flop, he can't donk the turn. Because he has the initiative. It is only a donk without initiative.
If you continue to play strictly according to the beginner's strategy, on the turn you call your made hands further down, or go all in if a call leaves too little remaining stack.
With a monster you raise anyway.

4.)
We have written down how we continue to play on the turn after the opponent checks to us if he played check/raise on the flop, so that beginners can see straight away how to continue.
Otherwise they will have to look up how they should continue to play in the 3bet pot on the turn if the opponent had the initiative.

Originally posted by Paxis
Since I just looked in here anyway, I'll answer the questions

All makes sense and appreciate the response, thank you.

Thanks to the godfather for answering while I was being a live poker donkey ♦

Hi! Thanks for the guide! 👍👍

I have a question, may be a dumb one, but... Do we only get to call an open raise when we are in the big blind and also, according to the special rules, in some situations with pocket pair and suited connectors? Otherwise, we 3bet or fold?

Originally posted by VeniVidiVici
Hi! Thanks for the guide! 👍👍

I have a question, may be a dumb one, but... Do we only get to call an open raise when we are in the big blind and also, according to the special rules, in some situations with pocket pair and suited connectors? Otherwise, we 3bet or fold?

That is correct!

Originally posted by LemOn36
That is correct!

Thanks, Coach!

Hey, a question about post-flop play that is not answered as far as I can tell. Does the flop/turn containing potential for hands that beat us change the way we play monsters and made hands?

For example we have a straight but the turn completes a flush draw, do we still consider our hand a monster and shove to a re-raise?

Sorry that it took so long for a reply. I hope you're still here.
To your question:
It depends a little on the situation. The beginners' course gives a general game plan that is profitable on average. But of course there can be situations where deviating from it increases profitability.

If you have a straight on the flop and a possible flush comes on the turn, you often still have a monster and can continue to play aggressively. After all, your opponent can have many worse monsters. For example, sets, 2 pairs, top pairs with a flush or straight draw, etc.

Not playing the straight on the turn as a monster would be a mistake in most cases. Because opponents at the small limits can raise their supposedly strong hands on the turn and go all in. So it's usually good if you continue to treat your straight like a monster.

If you're not sure in a situation like this, then take the hand, share it with us in the forum and get advice from players who are more experienced

11.11.2024 Changelog updated: the button chart has changed - we are iso raising J9s/Q9s/K9s on the button - same as on CO
New chart:

11.11.2024 Added Note under SB: The hands AJo/KQo are marked green/red because we only play them as a 3bet against a steal in front of us - i.e. when the cut-off or button raises first at the table. We also play Bluff4Bet with these hands when the big blind 3bets are against us.
11.11.2021 new clarification/special rule added: Unraised Pot (Nobody raised before the flop): If we are sitting in the big blind and get to the flop for free because nobody raised before us, then we continue playing from the flop exactly as described in point "Step 2.1.2: You raised before the flop (Raised Pot) and are playing Out Of Position (OOP)"!

Hi guys, thanks for the hard work.
I have a question ‘bout SB chart:
Why is the 3-bet range orange and not light blu..?

Are hands like JTs / QTs / 99 raised vs all position (except LJ) or are these raised only vs a steal..?

I ask because on BB and BTN charts ora he is a 3-ber only vs a steal.

Thanks again for your time, keep up the good work 💪🏻

Can I please get some feedback on this hand? I really feel I'm beat 99% of the time on NL2 when they bet this big on the river.
I didn't bet the turn because I didn't want to create a very big pot with just top pair, but based on the result I guess it didn't really matter.

vs reg i love to slowplay those and flat pre. if you 3bet pre, your hand is pretty much face up (77+, AJs+). i would try to call him down w tptk to make him bluff. that is my personal opinion which i know is not popular to coach.

Well, I’m sure it’s +EV 3-betting AQo on that spot.
But I think we should do some thinking process when we get a 4-bet.

Low Stakes there’s not so much space for a 4-bet bluff in their ranges (unless you have some infos: for sure there are some gamblers among the field)

Anyway you could imagine his 4-bet range is something like JJ+ AQ+.. I mean most of the times you’re not good on this flop when you got called on 7KAr: JJ TT QQ are probably gonna fold.

That said, AA-KK-AK are on the other hand monsters hands that MP wants to check on this board. With a bet you make him call only with better hands that AQ (or maybe AQ as a mirror match if you’re pretty lucky..) and you make fold hands like TT JJ QQ KQs..

So I think you want to check back on that flop, check back turn and maybe you may think about calling one single bet on the River as a bluff catcher vs certain players. That's because the oppo has a range advantage and nut advantage (he has more nuts then you on his range: AA / KK / AK that you shouldn't have because you just called pre flop.

As played anyway, I think it’s a pretty straight forward fold on the River, because I don't think many players would turn hands like AQ /AJ / QQ as bluff pushing river after calling on the flop.

IMHO of course ^^

Plus, sticking to this beginner strategy we don’t have a 4-bet call range.. 🤔

Thanks for the comments!

Sorry that the answer is taking so long again, but Lem0n36 is very busy at the moment and I am not regularly active in the English area. I am actually from the German community.

Originally posted by ZimoAX
Hi guys, thanks for the hard work.
I have a question ‘bout SB chart:
Why is the 3-bet range orange and not light blu..?

Are hands like JTs / QTs / 99 raised vs all position (except LJ) or are these raised only vs a steal..?

I ask because on BB and BTN charts ora he is a 3-ber only vs a steal.

Thanks again for your time, keep up the good work 💪🏻

1.
To be honest, I don't remember why we suddenly chose orange instead of blue for 3Bet in the SB. But that doesn't change how we play the hands

2.
The hands mentioned are a 3bet against any position (except LJ), regardless of whether it was a steal or not.

Yes, in the BB the hands are not played as 3Bets because it is more profitable to just call them. So they are not folded in the BB either. But in the SB we don't want to call because there is another player coming after us, so we don't finish the action and because we haven't invested as much money as in the BB.

Due to the big blind that we have already paid in the BB, it is more profitable for us to call many hands there.

Originally posted by MeanGreen
Can I please get some feedback on this hand? I really feel I'm beat 99% of the time on NL2 when they bet this big on the river.
I didn't bet the turn because I didn't want to create a very big pot with just top pair, but based on the result I guess it didn't really matter.

Spoiler

I would recommend that you play according to the beginner's strategy. If you had played according to this, you would not have been allowed to call preflop against your opponent's 4bet. Your 3bet was correct, but your opponent will almost only 4bet with better hands, so we just want to fold.
This also makes postflop play unnecessary, because you cannot get into that situation. Everything else is no longer a beginner's strategy.

From an advanced point of view, however, you must check the flop and must never bet it. Your opponent has the range advantage, not you. Your opponent should have AA/KK/AK in the range and thus the monsters on the flop. You should not have these hands in the range, because you usually 5bet them against a 4bet before the flop, or go all in.
So you must check the flop.

Hey, question about 3-betting vs steals and 4-bet bluffs. How do we play these hands when we get called and hit post-flop?

An example of this would be this hand:
GG Poker - $0.02 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

Hero (BTN): 104.5 BB
SB: 110 BB
BB: 100 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 2)
UTG: 102.5 BB
MP: 90.5 BB (VPIP: 50.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 2)
CO: 206.5 BB (VPIP: 33.33, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 3)

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has A:diamond: 2:diamond:

fold, fold, CO raises to 3 BB, Hero raises to 9 BB, fold, fold, CO calls 6 BB

Flop: (19.5 BB, 2 players) 7:diamond: 6:diamond: K:club:
CO checks, Hero bets 6.5 BB, CO calls 6.5 BB

Turn: (32.5 BB, 2 players) 9:club:
CO checks, Hero bets 21.5 BB, CO raises to 191 BB and is all-in, Hero calls 67.5 BB and is all-in

River: (210.5 BB, 2 players) 8:diamond:

CO shows J:diamond: T:diamond: (Flush, Jack High)
(Pre 44%, Flop 22%, Turn 27%)
Hero shows A:diamond: 2:diamond: (Flush, Ace High)
(Pre 56%, Flop 78%, Turn 73%)
Hero wins 206 BB

Playing according to the strategy (if I understand correctly), I have a made hand (flush draw), so I should be calling the turn shove. But I don't think that calling is the correct play here, at least not when thinking the hand trough.

Is playing these hands post-flop too advanced for this beginner strategy or is there a "simple" way to evaluate playing post-flop?

Another example of getting called after a 4-bet bluff for my previous question:

GG Poker - $0.02 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players

BTN: 100.5 BB (VPIP: 33.33, PFR: 33.33, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 3)
SB: 88.5 BB (VPIP: 16.67, PFR: 16.67, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 7)
BB: 410.5 BB
UTG: 101 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 1)
MP: 117.5 BB
Hero (CO): 101.5 BB

SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has J:club: J:diamond:

fold, fold, Hero raises to 2.5 BB, BTN raises to 7.5 BB, fold, fold, Hero raises to 22.5 BB, BTN calls 15 BB

Flop: (46.5 BB, 2 players) 4:diamond: 3:heart: T:spade:
Hero bets 23 BB, BTN calls 23 BB

Turn: (92.5 BB, 2 players) 9:diamond:
Hero bets 46 BB, BTN raises to 55 BB and is all-in, Hero calls 9 BB

River: (202.5 BB, 2 players) 7:spade:

BTN shows K:spade: K:heart: (One Pair, Kings)
(Pre 81%, Flop 92%, Turn 95%)
Hero shows J:club: J:diamond: (One Pair, Jacks)
(Pre 19%, Flop 8%, Turn 5%)
BTN wins 198 BB