Ready for your championship run? LearnWPT is here to help with a free, six-part tournament preparation series built to sharpen your skills and build your confidence before you ever sit at the table.

In this post, we dive into Preflop Strategy, one of the few elements in poker you can control absolutely, and arguably the most important.

Your preflop decisions set the stage for your entire stack. Knowing which hands to raise first-in with and how to adjust based on stack depth and position is the bedrock of winning tournament poker.

Let's get started building a winning preflop game plan ...

Preflop Strategy Warm-Up Session

Knowing how and when to make moves preflop is essential to building a chip stack in tournament poker. Relying on “feel” alone when deciding to bet, raise, or call is not a reliable path to long-term success. Your decisions need to be grounded in proven strategy.

In this session, LearnWPT Instructors Eric "Rizen" Lynch and Michael "Gags30" Gagliano focus on the one decision you must make in every hand you play - what to do when the action is on you preflop. They’ll also break down how to apply pressure with 3-betting and give you tools to gain a skill edge on your opponents.

💡Member tip: Watch all previous study sessions anytime from the Webinar Dashboard.

Have preflop strategy questions? LearnWPT Members can talk directly to the LearnWPT Pros in our Ask a Pro Discord!

Know The Basics: Start With The 5 Keys 🔑

Strong preflop play isn’t just about memorizing hands, it’s about mastering the why behind your decisions. To play optimally, you should think about these 5 Key Factors every time you act and they will guide your decisions on later streets:

1. Always be aware of your and your opponent's Position
2. Know the Effective Stack in terms of big blinds
3. Assign Preflop Ranges (not just a specific hand) based on each player’s position and how they entered the pot
4. Note the Number of Opponents seeing the flop
5. Understand the Board Texture and how it affects your next move

Get these 5 Key basics down pat by watching these four episodes:

The 5 Keys Of Poker Tournament Strategy Quick Tips:

To build mental muscle memory for these concepts in real-time, focus on the 5 Key Factors even when you are NOT in the hand. Notice hands that were shown down, you’ll find an interesting trend...

• The more players that see the flop, the stronger the average hand will be at showdown
• The more coordinated a board is, the more likely it is someone has a strong draw or made hand as more chips go into the pot
• Multiway and Coordinated? You’ll likely see the strongest possible hands in a player’s range at showdown

🛑 Know Your First-In Hand Ranges

Tournaments force you into dozens of stressful decisions, and staying present while focusing on the 5 Key Factors can be the difference between a deep run and an early exit. Remove distractions by reviewing GTO-based first-in hand ranges daily. As you build muscle memory and quickly know which hands to raise with from different positions, your preflop decisions become easier, reducing decision fatigue and keeping your mind sharp for tough postflop spots.

Watch this Episode from Nick Binger as he gives you a detailed breakdown of which hands you should play from each seat position when raising first-in to the pot. Knowing what hands to act with preflop from early, middle, or late position is crucial to your success!

Here are a few points from this Episode to remember...

Think in Hand Ranges:

• A range includes all hands a player may have in a given situation
• Avoid trying to put your opponent on a specific hand
• Position, action, and stack depth help determine ranges
• Analyzing hand ranges is best done away from the table

➧ Download a copy of the GTO First-In Hand Ranges

Use these rock-solid GTO hand ranges and you'll be well on your way to a deep championship run. These charts will tell you what hands to play when you are the first person to put money into the pot at the poker table. They'll keep you on very solid, profitable ground.

Quick Tips For Using the First-In Hand Range Charts:

• Use the Position Graphic to determine your position at the table and reference the appropriate range chart for your seat. Tip: Count backwards from the Button to determine your position.
• Raise with all hands highlighted in PINK. Do not call the minimum bet amount - RAISE!
• Your raise sizing should be between 2.3 and 3 times the big blind amount depending on stack depth.
• Be consistent. If you raise a larger amount with a specific hand and smaller amounts with others, you will be easier to read at the table (IE don't raise to 600 with AA, but 400 with 99)

You'll develop muscle memory for preflop play by simply reviewing the charts and putting them into practice at the table!

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