Avoid 'Auto-Pilot' and Learn to Vary Your Open-Raise Sizing
How do you size your opening raises in no-limit hold'em?
You may have previously heard advice always to open-raise the same amount so as not to give away anything about the strength of your hand. That may well accomplish that goal, but it doesn't necessarily allow you to adjust your preflop actions according to the players your opens target — in particular those in the blinds still to act.
Peter "Carroters" Clarke of PokerStars School is an advocate of varying your bet sizes when open raising — of avoiding "static open sizing."
In a new strategy video, "Poker Pitfalls - Episode 1, Static Open Sizing," Clarke spells out the reasons why varying your sizing is a good idea. He also addresses factors you should consider when you do vary the size of your opens.
It's the first of a new series of strategy videos in which Clarke be addressing one-by-one many of the common mistakes no-limit hold'em players make.
The most important lesson here is for players to avoid playing on "auto-pilot" when making these opening raises, but rather to think consciously about the situation — in particular your opponents' skills and tendencies as well as other "metagame" considerations — before you act. Take a look:
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