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The Difference between Pre Flop Poker and Post Flop Poker

• 30.06.2025 6:57 pm
• Helen
• 0 Comments

The way you play pre flop poker is very different from the way you play post flop poker. Pre flop and post flop play are common in hold'em games, however, one of these two will dominate play and will therefore require you to focus your skills on it.

It is important to understand which of the two is more important than the other when it comes to the game you are taking part in and you need to make sure that your play relates to it. You need to remember that if a game's most important decisions happen in the pre flop, then you are most definitely playing poker at the pre flop. The same is true for post flop; if you find that you have to make most of the decisions at post flop, then it is a post flop game.

The table below will show you the different types of poker situations and how you ought to play them.

Play in accordance to your strengths

If you are an elaborate bluffing player, of it you are the players who has the ability to make the most of value and lessen loses, it is best if you played post flop poker.

Small ball players who take advantage of other players' weaknesses as they make use of their perfect poker math should play poker at pre flop.

This is the real reason as to why there are players who make more profit when they are playing sit and go games while others make more money when playing games with deep stacks. There is no playing style between the two that is more profitable than the other.

You are required to understand the kind of play that suits you so that you can only take part in games that suit your style of play in order to make profits.

The player or the cards

Remember that short stack games equal to pre flop poker. When you are playing the pre flop style, you are to determine when to make the move, but your fate is determined by your cards. This is the reason why most players will call, or make pot limps during pre flops. This way, they make the choice to take advantage of their skills to play in post flop.

The value of your hand will not matter if the skill gap between you and your opponent is wide apart in post flop. You should not allow your opponent to out play you at post flop if you suspect you are not as strong as they are. You need to make them play pre flop poker against you.

This only means that you are supposed to raise instead of limping, re raise as opposed to calling, as well as fold any bad hand that you may have to play when at post flop. This is essentially so when you are playing out of position.

Choosing your play

It is normal for every poker player to be well aware of their strengths. This is why every player does what they can to try manipulating the game to suit their style of playing, regardless of the side the game may be leaning on. The problem is you cannot always make this choice.

When you decide to play your usual pre flop poker in a situation where you should play post flop poker, you are bound to get into deep trouble and the opposite is also true.

The kind of games you select can be a determining factor on the kind of play you should involve. There are also other cases where you are at liberty to choose the kind of play you incorporate while at the table.

You have to make note of these different situations and try to manipulate the game to suit your preferred style. You can also manipulate the play to one which your opponent finds uncomfortable.

For instance  

In a buy in live game worth $1000, there are only 200 players left on the table. You happen to have a 250bb pot. You have been observing your opponent for the last two hours and you are therefore feeling that you know their play. There an online grinder with a 100bb stack in mid position makes a raise as the rest of the table folds back to you.

You have to remember that this is a large stacks game and you should therefore play post flop poker.

You have hand. In such as case, a 3 bet is the only choice, but you understand that you are playing against a veteran tourney player and the average stack is a fraction of what you have.

Instead of 3 betting, you decide to call a flat, and force your opponent to play out of position in post flop. 3 betting would have given your opponent the chance to play most hands at pre flop and this is where his confidence lies. This means that you have gained the winning edge against your opponent.

Selecting the best games 

It is ok to be a pre flop player, you need to accept that you are a pre flop player and use it to win pots. In case you find that you are not ok with pre flop playing and you prefer waiting for the board, it is also fine. The whole idea revolves around understanding your preferred style of play and getting into games that suit your style of play.

In case you find yourself in a game that does not suit your style of play, you need to come up with a way to play the game.

For instance

In case you prefer playing pre flop games but you get caught up in a deep stacks game, it is advisable to buy in short. This way you will limit the number of chips you have and you will make the other players to play at pre flop.

He key is to know your weaknesses and strengths and make your play suit the game.