Poker Strategy A Simple Tip For Unprofitable Poker Players URL has been copied successfully! If you are someone who is still putting the pieces of your poker strategy in place, and have not yet turned the corner as far as long-term profitability is concerned, I’m going to share with you one simple tip that has transformed my own poker game and helped simplify my process in a spot that is notorious for its unprofitability for newer poker players. Here it is: Never Flat A Raise Out Of The Small BlindOne of the biggest, most common, and most easily corrected mistakes that unprofitable poker players make is spending too much time (and money!) playing out of position. This is especially true when it comes to the small blind – the worst position of all as it is guaranteed to have to act first at every point of the hand. Consistently forfeiting the positional advantage that makes up so much of a poker player’s edge is a massive leak and one that often leads to destructive results. A simple way to visualize the power of position is to ask yourself how much easier it is to get to showdown with a middling hand such as 2nd pair when acting last vs when having to check to the preflop aggressor 3 times. The amount of information that can be utilized and weaponized against your opponents increases by an uneven degree when you have the luxury of sitting back and observing each of their actions before having to take your own. Thus, this tip is simple yet effective: Never flat a raise out of the small blind!Instead, when facing a raise while playing out of the small-blind in a 9 or 10 handed poker game, make it a personal rule to either 3-bet or fold. Once you internalize this idea the obvious next question become: which hands should I 3-bet?Although that is somewhat of a complicated question that depends on various factors including the stack sizes, the position and the skill-level of your opponents (among other things), a good starting point for unprofitable poker players is to 3-bet a merged range made up of the top 15-20% of hands.The more you know: In poker, a “merged range” refers to a strategy where a player combines both strong and medium-strength hands into their betting or raising range. This concept is often contrasted with a “polarized range,” where a player would bet or raise only with very strong hands and bluffs, effectively dividing their range into two distinct categories: the best hands and the weakest hands.By utilizing a merged “3-bet or fold” strategy out of the small blind, we accomplish a number of things that will be crucial to increasing our bottom line: A sample merged 3-betting range We take control of the hand early. Rather than passively responding to our opponent’s aggression by flatting their raise in a situation where our positional disadvantage is certain, we shift the dynamic in our favor by becoming the aggressor ourselves. This often leads to one of two favorable outcomes: either our opponent folds and we take down the pot uncontested or we head to the flop with the betting lead, which can be a powerful advantage.We simplify our decision-making process. By adopting a 3-bet or fold strategy, we eliminate (or at the very least reduce) the need for all the complex in-game decisions that are necessary when playing a wider, less aggressive out of position range. This enables us to focus on a narrow strategic approach that requires far less study and experience to optimize and ultimately master.We maintain a balanced range. Since a merged range incorporates both strong hands and middling hands that retain good playability, we make it much more difficult for our opponents to exploit us. If we were only to 3-bet our very best hands and flat the rest – as many unprofitable poker players do – perceptive opponents would have much easier decisions to make at every point of the hand against us.We put the fear of the poker gods into our opponents. By consistently 3-betting out of the small blind, we put our late-position opponents on notice that our blinds are not to be messed with. Once we’ve established a tight-aggressive image, and supported it with solid post-flop play manoeuvring (which will be much easier for us to do with our simplified merged range), we will inevitably face less late-position stealing, giving us the opportunity to exert maximum pressure on the big blind’s weak range.By adopting this ‘3-bet or fold’ strategy from the small blind you can dramatically improve your poker results. This simple yet effective approach not only strengthens your positional play but also empowers you with a more focused and aggressive strategy, ultimately enhancing your overall performance at the poker table. Don’t forget!