What is Open Raise in Poker? Pre-Flop Guide

The open raise is one of the most important plays in poker. It appears in virtually every cash game, Sit & Go or tournament session and influences all post-flop action. Although the concept seems simple, many players make mistakes when choosing the right hands, bet size, or position to open the pot. Some get into many hands in early positions. Others play overly conservatively when they are in the cutoff or on the button. There are also those who always use the same bet value, ignoring the stack, format and behavior of their opponents. Understanding what an open raise is allows you to build a more organized pre-flop strategy. Instead of deciding each move on impulse, you start working with clear ranges, positions and objectives.

In this article, you will learn:

1. the meaning of open raise;
2. how the position changes the opening range;
3. what sizes to use;
4. how to adapt the play in cash games and tournaments;
5. the most common errors;
6. how to apply the concept directly to the tables.

What does open raise mean in poker?

Open raise is the first voluntary raise made in a betting round.

In Texas Hold’em, before the flop, the blinds are already placed on the table. When all previous players fold and you decide to enter the pot by increasing your bet, you are making an open raise.

Consider a table with 1/2 blinds:

1. the player in Under the Gun quits;
2. the next player also gives up;
3. you are at the cutoff and increase to 5;
4. no participant had voluntarily entered the pot before you.

This bet is an open raise.

The word “open” indicates that you are opening the action. The term “raise” means increase. Therefore, open raise can be understood as “opening the pot with a raise”.

Open raise, limp and 3-bet: what's the difference?

These terms describe different actions.

open raise

The player is the first to voluntarily enter the pot and raises the bet.

Example:

1. blinds 100/200;
2. everyone gives up until the button;
3. the button increases to 450.

Limp

The player only pays the amount of the big blind, without raising.

Example:

1. blinds 100/200;
2. the player in early position pays 200.

This action is called limping.

3-bet

A 3-bet occurs when a player raises after another participant has already raised.

Example:

1. the cutoff opens to 2.5 big blinds;
2. the button raises to 8 big blinds.

The button bet is a 3-bet, not an open raise.

This distinction is important because each situation requires different ranges and strategies.

Why is the open raise so important?

The open raise offers three main benefits: initiative, the possibility of winning the blinds and greater control over the construction of the pot.

Initiative in hand

Whoever raises first usually reaches the flop representing a stronger selection of hands.

This does not mean that the aggressor always has better cards, but he has the so-called initiative. On many flops, this advantage allows you to apply a continuation bet and pressure hands that didn't hit the board.

Chance to win the pot immediately

An open raise can win the hand even before the flop.

When all your opponents fold, you win the blinds and, in tournaments, any Antes. Although the pot is small, accumulating these gains makes a difference in the long run.

This possibility is related to fold equity: the value obtained when opponents abandon the hand.

Building pots with strong hands

When you are dealt hands like aces, kings, queens, or ace-king, you typically want to get more chips into the pot.

Opening with a raise increases the value played and gives opponents the opportunity to call or 3-bet with worse hands.

How does position influence the open raise?

Position is one of the most important factors in preflop strategy.

The more players that still have to act after you, the more likely it is that someone has a strong hand. Therefore, open raising ranges should be narrower in early positions and wider in late positions.

Open raise from early position

At a nine-player table, the starting position is often called Under the Gun, or UTG.

When opening from this position, there are still many players to act. Consequently, you need to select stronger hands.

A UTG range may include, depending on the table structure:

1. medium and high pairs;
2. strong aces;
3. adequate broadways;
4. some aces of the same suit;
5. certain connected hands of the same suit.

The goal is not to memorize a universal list, but to understand the principle: the earlier your position, the higher the average quality of open hands should be.

Opening hands like king-nine offsuit or jack-eight offsuit in early position often leads to difficult situations. You will be called or raised by relatively strong ranges and will often play out of position postflop.

Open raise in middle position

In intermediate positions, fewer players still need to act. This allows you to add some hands to the range.

In addition to open hands in starting position, the player can include:

1. minor pairs;
2. weaker suited aces;
3. additional broadways;
4. selected suited connectors.

The expansion must be gradual. A common mistake is to treat any position other than UTG as if it were the button.

Open raise on hijack

The hijack is two positions before the button on a conventional table.

In this position, it is now possible to adopt a more aggressive strategy, especially when the players on the left are passive or give up frequently.

The range may include:

1. all or almost all pairs;
2. several aces of the same suit;
3. broadways;
4. suited connectors;
5. some offsuit hands with good playability.

However, the presence of aggressive players in the cutoff and on the button may require more careful selection. If they make a lot of 3-bets, opening hands that are unable to continue against pressure can become unprofitable.

Open raise at cutoff

The cutoff is one of the best positions at the table.

Only the button, small blind and big blind still need to act. Because the blinds play out of position postflop, they are often forced to defend cautiously.

At the cutoff, the player can open a significantly wider range, including:

1. pairs;
2. aces;
3. many kings of the same suit;
4. broadways;
5. suited connectors;
6. some hands with a high card and good connectivity.

The open raise at the cutoff also works as an attempt to steal the blinds. However, the objective should not be to simply “raise with any two cards”. The hand still needs to have some combination of value, playability and ability to generate folds.

Open raise on the button

The button is the most profitable position in poker because it allows you to act last after the flop, except when the hand ends early.

With only the blinds left, the player can open his range wider.

Hands that would be clear folds in early position can become profitable open raises on the button, especially against blinds that defend little.

Still, it is necessary to observe the opponents:

1. against very passive blinds, increase the opening frequency;
2. against players who make a lot of 3-bets, prepare a response plan;
3. against opponents who pay too much, prioritize hands with better playability;
4. against recreational players, consider larger sizes for value.

Open raise from the small blind

When everyone folds to the small blind, only the big blind is left.

The dynamics are different because you will be playing out of position the entire hand. For this reason, some strategies use a combination of raises, limps and folds.

For beginners, a raise or fold approach may be simpler. However, advanced players often limp from the small blind, especially in tournaments or matchups against aggressive opponents.

The bottom line is that the small blind should not be treated like the button. Despite there being only one opponent, the positional disadvantage is significant.

How big should the open raise be?

There is no single correct size for all situations.

The value depends on the format, effective stacks, position, presence beforehand and opponents' tendencies.

Size in online cash games

In online cash games, openings of between 2 and 3 big blinds are common.

Examples:

1. 2 big blinds;
2. 2.2 big blinds;
3. 2.5 big blinds;
4. 3 big blinds.

Smaller sizes allow you to open more hands without risking as many chips. Larger sizes extract more value from overcalling players, but also increase the cost of bluffs.

At regular tables, many players default to around 2.5 big blinds. This is not a mandatory rule, but a functional starting point.

Size in live cash games

In live games, players often pay larger bets.

On a 1/2 table, for example, raises to 6, 8, 10 or even more may appear frequently, depending on the table's behavior.

If five players call any opening to 6, raising only to that amount may not accomplish the goal of reducing the number of opponents. In this situation, a larger size may be more appropriate.

Adaptation must be done carefully. The goal is not to create a huge pot without planning, but to charge a consistent price to opponents who enter many hands.

Size in tournaments

In MTTs and Sit & Go, stacks decrease in relation to blinds throughout the match.

Therefore, open raise sizes tend to be smaller:

1. with deep stacks, openings between 2.2 and 2.5 big blinds can work;
2. with medium stacks, 2 or 2.2 big blinds are common;
3. With short stacks, the player needs to evaluate whether to open small, go all-in, or fold.

The presence of ante also increases the value of the pot before the action. This creates an incentive to steal blinds, but also improves the price offered to defending players.

Should the size change depending on hand strength?

In general, it is not recommended to use one size with strong hands and another with weak hands.

Imagine a player who opens to 4 big blinds with aces and kings, but uses 2 big blinds with speculative hands. Attentive opponents will notice the pattern and adjust their strategy.

The ideal is to maintain a coherent structure for the entire range of the same situation.

This does not mean using exactly the same size in all positions and formats. You can, for example, open it a little bigger in the initial position and smaller in the button. The important thing is not to reveal the strength of the hand through the bet amount.

How to build an open raising range?

An open raising range is the set of hands you choose to open in a given position.

Construction must consider four factors:

Hand strength

Strong hands, such as top pairs and strong aces, are part of virtually all opening ranges.

Postflop Gameplay

Suitable and connected hands can form strong straights, flushes and draws.

Seven-eight suited, for example, has greater playability than jack-four offsuit, even though the jack is a higher card.

Domination

Hands like ace-eight offsuit can be dominated by better aces when given action.

This means that by forming a pair of aces, the player can still lose a sizable pot to ace-king, ace-queen or ace-jack.

Position

A hand can be a fold on UTG and a raise on the button.

The value of the cards does not change, but the strategic situation changes completely.

Real example of a cash game table

Consider a six-player online cash game, with blinds of 0.50/1 and effective stacks of 100 big blinds.

You are at the cutoff with A♠ 9♠. Everyone gives up until you.

This hand has:

1. a high card;
2. potential to form nut flush;
3. good gameplay;
4. possibility of winning the blinds;
5. favorable position if the button gives up.

The open raise is a natural option. You raise to 2.5 big blinds.

The button folds, the small blind calls, and the big blind folds.

The flop comes A♦ 7♣ 3♠.

You hit top pair and have a range advantage in many scenarios. As a preflop aggressor, you might consider a small bet for value and protection.

Note that the postflop decision started with the quality of the open raise. The hand was chosen in a suitable position and created a manageable situation.

Real example of a tournament table

The blinds are 1,000/2,000, with ante. You have 50,000 chips, equivalent to 25 big blinds.

The action folds to you in hijack, with K♣ Q♦.

King-queen offsuit is a strong enough hand to open in this position. A size of 4,000 or 4,400 chips may be suitable.

You don't need to raise to 6,000 or 8,000 just because you have a good hand. With 25 big blinds, preserving chips when facing a 3-bet or all-in is important.

By opening smaller, you:

1. risks less;
2. maintains space to give up in some situations;
3. presses short stacks;
4. dispute the blinds and Antes;
5. preserves the consistency of your range.
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Example of an open raise on the button

In an online cash game, everyone folds until you hit the button. Your hand is 8♥ 6♥.

The small blind is conservative and the big blind folds a lot of hands.

While eight-six suited is not a premium hand, it has playability and is in an excellent position. Open raising can be profitable because:

1. there is a good chance of winning the blinds immediately;
2. you will play in position when called;
3. the hand can form straights and flushes;
4. opponents defend less than they should.

The same hand in early position would likely be discarded.

This contrast demonstrates why position is more important than an isolated assessment of the cards.

Common mistakes when opening raise

Opening your hands too much in the starting position

Beginning players often get carried away with weak aces, offsuit kings, and connected cards.

The problem is that these hands face many opponents yet to act. When called, they can reach the flop dominated and out of position.

Opening few hands in late positions

The opposite error also happens.

Some players use practically the same range in UTG, cutoff and button. This wastes opportunities to steal blinds and play pots in position.

Using excessively large sizes

Opening to 5 or 6 big blinds in a medium stack tournament usually compromises too many chips.

The bet may even generate folds, but the risk assumed increases unnecessarily.

Vary the size depending on hand strength

This pattern delivers information to adversaries.

Attentive players will start to fold against large bets and attack small openings.

Ignore those in the blinds

The open raising range doesn't just depend on the cards and position.

When the blinds are very conservative, you can widen the openings. When defending or making a lot of 3-bets, it is necessary to adjust.

Open without plan against 3-bet

Before increasing, ask:

1. Which hands will I call versus a 3-bet?
2. Which hands will I use to 4-bet?
3. Which players should I give up the most against?
4. what is the effective stack?

Performing the open raise and only then thinking about the answer usually leads to hasty decisions.

Good practices used by winning players

Consistent players work with reference ranges, but do not follow charts blindly.

They combine structure and adaptation.

Study ranges by position

Having a basis reduces errors and speeds up decisions.

You don't need to memorize all the combinations right away. Start by separating your hands into groups:

1. pairs;
2. aces of the same suit;
3. offsuit aces;
4. broadways;
5. suited connectors;
6. marginal hands.

Look at the players on the left

Opponents at the cutoff, button and blinds directly influence the profitability of the open raise.

An aggressive player on the left can reduce your ability to open marginal hands. An overly passive player allows you to increase the frequency.

Consider the stack effective

In poker, it's not just the size of your stack that matters. The effective stack corresponds to the smallest stack involved in the hand.

If you have 100 big blinds, but your opponent has 20, the strategy should consider 20 big blinds as the effective stack between you.

Plan the postflop

A hand should not be opened just because it appears on a table.

Consider how it behaves on the flops:

1. forms dominated pairs?
2. Do you have strong draws?
3. Can you bet for value?
4. Can you continue against pressure?
5. Do you play well in position?

Review results without depending solely on the immediate result

Losing a hand after an open raise does not mean the play was wrong.

Likewise, winning with a bad opening does not make the decision correct.

The analysis must consider the strategic quality of the action, not just the specific pot.

How to adapt the open raise in online poker

Online poker offers more hands per hour and greater access to statistics.

This allows you to quickly identify patterns.

Some relevant information is:

1. blind folding frequency;
2. 3-bet frequency;
3. call tendency;
4. postflop aggressiveness;
5. stack sizes.

Against a big blind who folds frequently, opening more hands on the button can be profitable.

Against a player who makes a lot of 3-bets, you can:

1. reduce part of the marginal hands;
2. calling with hands that play well;
3. add 4-bets for value or as a bluff;
4. adjust the size of the opening.

Adaptation must be based on a reasonable sample and consistent observations. Few hands are not enough to conclude that a player always acts in a certain way.

Practical application: how to use the open raise during the game

Before increasing, follow a simple sequence.

1. Identify your position

Are you in early, middle, cutoff, button or small blind position?

2. Evaluate your hand within the range

Is the hand strong enough to open in this position?

3. Observe who will still act

Are there aggressive, recreational players, short stacks or very conservative opponents?

4. Check the effective stack

The strategy for 100 big blinds is different from the strategy for 15 or 20 big blinds.

5. Choose a consistent size

Use a size compatible with the shape and maintain consistency between strong and weak hands.

6. Prepare a response to the 3-bet

Decide in advance which actions make sense against different opponents.

7. Plan your first post-flop steps

Consider which flop types favor your range and which require caution.

Open raise and bankroll management

The open raise is a technical decision, but the quality of the decisions can be affected by bankroll management.

A player who performs at limits above his financial capacity tends to feel more pressure. This can generate two bad behaviors:

1. opening few hands for fear of losing;
2. force aggressive plays to recover losses.

Proper bankroll management allows you to execute the strategy with more discipline. The bank does not change the theoretically correct range, but it influences the emotional capacity to apply it.

Open raise and poker psychology

Pre-flop aggression needs to be controlled.

Raising does not mean trying to dominate the table in every hand. It also doesn't mean defending your ego when someone makes a 3-bet.

Winning players are able to open a hand and fold when the situation is no longer favorable.

They avoid thoughts like:

1. “I’ve already put chips in the pot, so I need to continue”;
2. “He’s trying to kick me out of my hand”;
3. “I can’t let the table think I’m weak.”

Previously invested chips no longer belong to your stack. Each new decision must be analyzed based on the current expected value.

Conclusion

Open raise is the first voluntary raise made when no previous player has entered the pot. Despite the simple definition, its application involves position, range, bet size, effective stack and reading opponents.

In early positions, the player must open stronger hands. At cutoff and button, you can increase the frequency and exploit the positional advantage. In cash games, sizes may vary depending on the behavior of the table. In tournaments, smaller openings help preserve the stack and compete for blinds and Antes efficiently.

The best way to develop an open raising strategy is to work with reference ranges, review hands, and observe players who still need to act. With practice, the decision is no longer based solely on the cards and starts to consider the entire dynamics of the table.

Mastering the open raise creates a solid foundation for studying 3-betting, blind defense, continuation betting and post-flop strategy. In other words, improving this single preflop decision can elevate the quality of your entire game.

FAQ

What is an open raise in poker?

Open raise is the first voluntary raise made in a betting round. Pre-flop happens when all previous players fold and you enter the pot by increasing the size of the big blind.

What is the best open raise size?

The size depends on the format and the table. In online cash games, amounts between 2 and 3 big blinds are common. In tournaments, openings between 2 and 2.5 big blinds appear frequently, especially with medium stacks.

What hands should I use to open raise?

Selection depends on position. In the starting position, use a stronger range. On the cutoff and on the button, expand your range with pairs, aces, broadways, suited connectors and other hands with good playability.

Is open raise the same thing as 3-bet?

No. Open raise is the first voluntary pot increase. A 3-bet happens when a player raises after another participant has already raised.

Is it better to limp or open raise?

In most common situations, opening with a raise offers more advantages because it creates fold equity, builds the pot with strong hands, and grants initiative. However, limping strategies can be used in specific contexts, especially in the small blind and in certain tournament stages.

Summary of Key Points

1. Open raise is the first voluntary increase made to the pot.
2. The range should be tighter in the initial positions.
3. Cutoff and button allow you to open more hands.
4. The bet size depends on the format, stack and table profile.
5. Don't change the size just based on the strength of the cards.
6. Note the players who have yet to act.
7. Plan your response to a 3-bet in advance.
8. Consider postflop playability, not just absolute hand strength.
9. In tournaments, stacks and Antes influence opening strategy.
10. Reference ranges must be adapted to the characteristics of the table.

Upcoming Recommended Content

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