The most important move you’ll make as a player in online Texas Hold’em poker game is your play preflop. In football, everything revolves around the quarterback. In baseball, it’s the pitcher. These are the players who initiate every play – the ball is in their hands. What they decide to do with it will determine who wins and who loses the games. It’s the same thing in Texas Hold’em poker. You’re the quarterback now; you’ll get your hole cards, and when it’s your turn, you will initiate by either raising, calling or folding. It’s the ultimate “choose your own adventure” game. We’ll show you how to make the best choices possible during the critical pre-flop stage. The following concepts and strategies will help you improve your poker betting decisions before the flop, giving you the best chance of success on every street that follows. Preflop Play in Texas Hold'em The great thing about pre-flop is that it’s also the easiest street in poker games. Nothing too complicated has happened yet – your “decision tree” hasn’t grown too many branches. This means you can focus on the three things that matter most: Your hand Your position at the table The other players and the way they play Depending on which Texas Hold’em game you’re playing (tournament or cash game, full-ring or short-handed, etc), all the decisions you make pre-flop should boil down to these three essentials. The strength of your hole cards will play the biggest role in determining when to