This guide aims to outline the strategies we can employ while playing from the early positions of a full ring (FR) table. Although our examples will primarily be drawn from No-Limit Hold'em cash games, many of these strategic concepts are applicable to other game formats like tournaments or Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO).

full ring

In a standard ten-player table, the early positions are defined as UTG (Under the Gun), UTG+1, and UTG+2. For the purpose of our discussion, we'll also consider the MP1 position, even if it's more accurately classified as

While there is not a significant strategic difference among these four positions, we are able to open our ranges a bit more in the later spots. All four of these positions carry their own unique considerations.

UTG

Sample Ranges for EARLY POSITIONS

middle-position ).

Let's summarize the essential characteristics of early positions in full ring play.

positions are unique to FR games.

Table of Contents

The Early Positions – An Overview

This scenario is quite optimistic, especially with 6-9 players seated before us.

• We are up against some formidable open raising ranges.

• Expecting to steal the blind

  There’s a high likelihood that we will find ourselves out of position after the flop.

• Simply put, players should not anticipate making substantial profits from these seats. The primary goal here is to bide your time for premium hands only.

• When we do have the chance to open-raise, the frequency of our raises will vary depending on our specific position. For MP1, a typical opening range would be around 11% of hands, while UTG would generally look to raise closer to 7%. Playing more aggressively is challenging due to the constant threat posed by

When in the most advantageous early position, we have the opportunity to respond to open raises from these earlier spots through cold calling or 3-betting. However, it's also crucial to note that being too aggressive can backfire since –

Our cold calls can get squeezed or overcalled by players acting after us.

3bets and cold calls

Should we choose to 3-bet, anyone in a later position could opt to cold-4-bet before the flop.

Although open raising

As we are contending with players in UTG+2 and earlier, we typically confront a very strong opening range.

1. Therefore, cold calling and 3-betting will not make up a significant part of our overall strategy.




2. It is important to understand that we won’t engage unless we receive a premium hand.  




3. Recommended average cold call frequency:  Approximately 3%




4. Recommended average 3-bet frequency:  Approximately 3%

Strategic Outlook in EP

Recommended raise first-in frequency:  Between 7% and 11%

Stats:

This graph represents a sample range for defending against someone in an early position.

If an opponent raises smaller, we should adjust our defense and protect wider, but we'll delve into that more later. It's important to note that our 3-bet range is primarily focused on high equity hands. Generally speaking, we should avoid 3-betting with speculative hands, as players tend not to fold adequately when confronted with a 3-bet.

EP Defence vs EP Open

Purple: Re-raise (3bet) range
Blue: Cold calling range

The term 'raise first-in' refers to the act of opening the betting preflop when it has folded around to us. It's crucial to keep in mind that we are aiming to play only premium holdings from this position.

This raising range equates to around 11% of our total holdings. If we exceed this level of aggression, savvy players positioned after us may find ways to exploit our approach.

3bb open-raise

Assuming we are in UTG, we will adopt an even more restrictive range of hands. Meanwhile, UTG+1 and UTG+2 will operate with ranges that fall between these two extremes.

bluff

When we raise from an early position, we can expect to confront 3-bets due to the numerous players yet to act behind us. Our reaction will vary depending on whether the 3-bet comes from players in the blinds or from the Button (BTN), Cutoff (CO), or Hijack (HJ). The suggested sample range provides guidance on what hands we should be calling or re-raising (4-betting) against a 3-bet originating from the blinds.

MP1 Raise First In Range

We’ll only defend with high equity hands at this stage. Bluffing with a 4-bet isn’t encouraged in most situations, as average opponents do not fold as often as they should when responding to 4-bets. This range represents about the tightest we will defend. If we are situated in MP1 rather than UTG, we can afford to open our range slightly.

When a player on the Button or Cutoff makes the 3-bet while we are opening from UTG, we should respond with a tighter selection of hands.

UTG Raise First In Range

It’s essential to note that these sample ranges should be treated more as a general guideline rather than rigid rules. In practice, we will need to adjust these defensive ranges based on multiple factors. An informed understanding of these factors will aid us in making effective decisions as situations unfold.

When a player on the Button or Cutoff makes the 3-bet while we are opening from UTG, we should respond with a tighter selection of hands.

LJ vs Blinds 3bet

Opponent’s sizing

– The larger the size of our adversary’s open raise (or 3-bet), the tighter our defensive range should be.

Blue = Call vs 3bet
Purple = Re-raise (4bet) vs 3bet

Note that we tend towards re-raise ( 4betting

Formation

– The later our opponent's position, the wider our defense can be. Regardless, we’ll be defending a relatively tight range in early full ring positions.

Player reads

– For example, if an opponent folds frequently to 3-bets or 4-bets, it might allow us to 3-bet or 4-bet with greater aggression.

Blue = Call vs 3bet
Purple = Re-raise (4bet) vs 3bet

Relevant Adjustments

Opponent skill level

– If we’re up against a less skilled player, we can expand our hand range overall. Nonetheless, expansion from early full ring positions remains significantly constrained.

Open raises

– If players behind us are prone to folding excessively or exhibit weak play, we can consider slightly broadening our first-in raise range. However, the impact of this adjustment is minimal when playing from early positions at a full ring table.

Iso-raising

– This occurs when we raise from early positions in response to a limper. Since there are still several players yet to act after us, we need to be cautious in extending our range, even if we believe the opponent provides a highly profitable target.

Our iso-raising ranges will closely resemble our first-in ranges from these positions, albeit slightly skewed toward high equity holdings (i.e., premium cards instead of suited connectors).

Other Scenarios

Overcalling/Squeezing

– These terms refer to scenarios involving three players. When facing two opponents, we typically prefer a 3-bet (or squeeze) using speculative hands with good potential connectors.

iso-raising

Note: Overcalling and squeezing from these early positions is ONLY valid in full ring games.

Overcall

– A call made after a player has acted before us on the same betting round.

Squeeze

– A 3-bet that occurs after there has been at least one caller following an initial open raise.

In contrast to later positions, the overcall/squeeze ranges we use from early positions will generally mirror the 3-bet/cold-call ranges we adopt when dealing with a single opener. Such situations are somewhat uncommon, making it unnecessary to develop different strategies for most games.

Timothy \"Ch0r0r0\" Allin is a seasoned professional player, coach, and author. Since he began his journey in 2006, he has advanced from the lowest stakes online without ever needing to make a deposit. After engaging in many of the toughest competitions globally (and emerging victorious), he now shares his knowledge and strategies through the 888poker magazine.

squeeze ) a tighter range and weight our calls ( overcall

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