Preflop cheat sheet for beginners (6-max cash)
A simple preflop plan for 6-max cash games at low stakes, 100bb deep. It’s deliberately tight and easy to follow. Once you’re comfortable, widen it with building ranges and range charts.
Opening (nobody has entered the pot)
Section titled “Opening (nobody has entered the pot)”Raise to 2.5–3bb. See preflop raise size.
| Position | Open with |
|---|---|
| UTG (LJ in 6-max) | 6-6+, A-10s+, K-Qs, A-Q+, K-Js |
| HJ | 4-4+, A-8s+, K-10s+, Q-Js, J-10s, A-J+, K-Q |
| CO | All pairs, all suited aces, K-9s+, Q-10s+, J-10s, 10-9s, 9-8s, A-10+, K-J+ |
| BTN | All pairs, most suited hands down to 6-5s, A-2+, K-9+, Q-10+, J-10 |
| SB | Raise about the cutoff range; fold the rest |
Facing limpers
Section titled “Facing limpers”Raise (isolate) with strong hands: 4bb + 1bb per limper. Don’t limp behind with weak hands. See isolation raise and limping.
Facing a raise
Section titled “Facing a raise”| Hand | Action |
|---|---|
| A-A, K-K, Q-Q, A-K | 3-bet |
| J-J, 10-10, A-Qs | 3-bet against late openers, call against early ones |
| 2-2 to 9-9 | Call in position if stacks are deep; fold out of position to early raises |
| Suited broadways, A-Js, K-Qs | Call in position, fold most out of position |
| Weak offsuit hands | Fold |
3-bet size: about 3x in position, 4x out of position. See 3-bet.
Facing a 3-bet
Section titled “Facing a 3-bet”4-bet Q-Q+, A-K; call J-J, 10-10, A-Qs in position; fold most other hands. See facing a 3-bet.
Big blind
Section titled “Big blind”Defend more against button and small blind raises, less against early positions. See big blind defence.
What raise size should beginners use preflop?
Section titled “What raise size should beginners use preflop?”About 2.5–3 big blinds to open, plus 1bb for each limper.
Which hands should I open under the gun?
Section titled “Which hands should I open under the gun?”A tight range such as 6-6+, A-10s+, K-Qs, A-Q+ and K-Js.
Which hands should I 3-bet as a beginner?
Section titled “Which hands should I 3-bet as a beginner?”A-A, K-K, Q-Q and A-K always; J-J and A-Q suited against late-position openers.
Should I limp behind other limpers?
Section titled “Should I limp behind other limpers?”Usually no. Raise strong hands to isolate and fold weak ones.