Tap a seat to learn about that position
Each player receives 2 private hole cards. SB and BB post forced bets. Action starts left of BB — fold, call, or raise.
Three face-up cards shared by all players. Betting starts left of the button. No pre-flop bet? You may check.
A 4th card is dealt. Pot is larger — every decision carries more weight. Marginal draws become expensive to chase.
Final card dealt — your hand is made. Last betting round, then showdown if multiple players remain.
Remaining players reveal their hole cards. Best 5-card hand from 2 hole cards + 5 community cards wins. You can use both, one, or none of your hole cards.
When action folds to you in the Cutoff or Button, you have only the blinds left to beat. Raising with a wide range here forces them to defend or fold — either outcome is profitable for you.
The SB acts before you post-flop (disadvantage for them). The BB has already invested 1BB so feels pressure to "protect" it. Both players' ranges are capped — they didn't raise pre-flop, so they rarely have monsters.
You've already posted 1BB — this gives you pot odds to defend wider than any other position. The key is understanding when to call, when to 3-bet, and when to fold based on who raised and from where.
If someone raises 2.5x from the BTN, you're getting roughly 3:1 odds to call — you only need to win about 25% of the time to break even. That justifies calling with many hands you'd fold from other positions.
As the pre-flop raiser you have range advantage — your hand range is generally stronger than your opponent's. A c-bet continues the story of strength you started pre-flop, regardless of whether you connected.
The flop misses most players most of the time. When you bet, your opponent must decide if you hit. If they also missed, they'll often fold rather than face further bets on the turn. You win the pot without needing a hand.
You opened the pot and someone 3-bet you. You now face three choices: fold, call (defend), or 4-bet. The right answer depends on your hand, position, and the 3-bettor's tendencies.
Most players 3-bet too infrequently — meaning their range when they do is very strong (AA, KK, QQ, AK). When someone 3-bets you, give them credit. Don't call off your stack with TT just because you "feel like" they're bluffing.
A value bet is a bet you make when you want to be called — because you believe you have the best hand and your opponent can call with worse. The goal is to build the pot, not protect it.
Players who miss value bets leave enormous amounts of money on the table over time. If your opponent will call a 75% pot bet with a weaker hand, betting 30% "for safety" is a massive leak — you're choosing the smaller payout for no reason.
Set mining is calling a pre-flop raise with a small pocket pair (22–77) with the specific goal of hitting three-of-a-kind on the flop — a "set". Sets are disguised and win massive pots.
You'll hit a set roughly 1 in 8 times (12%). That sounds low, but sets are so strong and well-disguised that when you hit, you often stack your opponent. The math works when effective stacks are deep enough to justify the call.
A draw is a hand that needs one more card to complete (e.g. four to a flush). Draws have significant equity — a flush draw on the flop has ~35% equity. You can play them two ways: call for pot odds, or semi-bluff raise.
Semi-bluffing (raising with a draw) is powerful because you can win two ways: your opponent folds now, OR you hit your draw. You don't need to bluff successfully every time — just often enough to be profitable given your equity when called.
Position is the single most important strategic concept in poker. Acting last means you have information — you see what everyone else does before making your decision. This advantage compounds across every single street.
In position you can call more, bluff more accurately, value bet thinner, and control pot size. Out of position you're guessing — you bet into the unknown and face check-raises without a plan. Same hand, different position = completely different EV.
You'll be dealt random hole cards and placed in a random seat. Identify your position, stack depth, equity estimate, and the GTO-correct action. Instant feedback after each hand.