Preflop Calling Decisions

In this column I am going to discuss some of the important factors you should consider when making preflop calling decisions when someone has raised. Let’s begin by looking at the most basic factor: How big was their raise? Normally this is measured by how many big blinds their raise is equivalent to. In high stakes games or tournaments, normal raises are 2.5-to-3.5 times the big blind. In smaller games, raises tend to be relatively bigger, usually 4 to 7 times the big blind. Thus, in a cash game with blinds of $100-200, the first raiser will normally make it around $600. In a cash game with blinds of $1-2, the first raiser frequently makes it $10 or $12. This implies you need a relatively better hand to call a raise in a small game than in a big game. In reality, players call more frequently in small games, which is what makes them easier to beat. It also makes them more volatile.

The next consideration is the preflop raiser’s range. This consists of two elements. They are his position and his degree of looseness. A tight player in an early position will have a narrow range, consisting of mostly very good starting hands. A loose player in late position will have a much larger range, perhaps as much as the top 35 to 45 percent of hands. Obviously you need a better hand to contest the pot against the early position, tight player, than against the late position, loose one. Their range may also depend on whether there were limpers before the raise. They usually wait for better hands to raise with limpers than without. Their range may also vary with the how they are doing. Many players have wider ranges when losing than when winning.

The number of players who might take an aggressive action after your call is a very important factor. Anyone who limps ahead of the raiser or who has not yet acted is a potential threat. Nothing is worse than making a loose call, only to have tight player behind you reraise. This forces you to fold after putting money into the pot, and never gives you a chance to see if could connect with the flop. Therefore, be more cautious (wait for better hands) to call when there are a lot of live players behind you.

So far the factors we have looked at tend to make calling a less desirable option. What makes calling worthwhile is the potential to win a big pot. This is technically known as implied odds. Pot odds are based on comparing the amount in the pot to the amount you have to put into the pot. If there is $300 in the pot and it costs $100 to call, your pot odds are 3-to-1. Implied odds compare what you are risking to what you might win. To continue the example above, assume you feel that, on average, you will win another $700 if you hit your hand. This means that you are risking $100 to win $1000 (the $300 already in the pot and the additional $700.) Suddenly you are getting 10-to-1 odds. Be careful not to let inflated implied odds creep into your calculations. It might cost more than just that one bet to hit your hand or you might hit your and hand and still lose (these factors make up negative implied odds). Your opponent or opponents are a big factor in deciding what you might win. Opponents who can’t get away from a hand or who will call large bets suspecting a bluff are ideal when you are making a speculative call.

Another big factor is stack size. Winning your opponent’s stack is a rare occurrence.
When it happens, you want to win a big stack. If both you and your opponent have 40 big blinds, then all you can win is 40 big blinds. But if you both had 200 big blinds, then winning is his stack is a lot more valuable. So both your opponent’s stack size and potential to lose his stack have to be factored into your thinking. You can calculate your potential win (the smaller of your two stacks) exactly, but unfortunately there is no exact way to calculate his propensity to lose his entire stack. This may also depends on what image you have with this opponent. (I previously wrote a series of Card Player articles that cover image in some depth.)

As a final, simple aid to making calling decisions I will suggest a method that Paul Magriel uses with some of his students. Consider the amount of the call and compare it to the number of hands you can see for that amount. For example, you are playing a $1-$2 cash game. Someone raises to $12. You are thinking about calling $12 with a moderate hand like 8-7 suited. In this game it costs you $3 per round. So for $12 you can see four rounds of cards. Four rounds of cards are equivalent to roughly 40 hands. It is virtually certain that in 40 hands, you will find a better spot than this. Therefore it is clear to fold. ♠

Steve “Zee” Zolotow, aka The Bald Eagle, is a successful games player. He currently devotes most of his time to poker. When escaping from poker, he hangs out in his bars on Avenue A — Nice Guy Eddie’s at Houston and Doc Holliday’s at 9th Street — in New York City.