Texas Holdem Hands: Pre-Flop in Middle Position

After discussing starting Texas Holdem hands from early position we now move on to middle position starting Texas Holdem hands.  

If you’re seated in the fourth, fifth or sixth seat to the left of the big blind – you’re in the territory of ‘pre-flop middle position’. Starting your Texas Holdem hands from this position is similar to early position: pot limit and no limit poker strategy dictates playing cautiously, since there are still several players yet to act.

The main difference between early and middle position is this: from middle position you can add a few more starting Texas Holdem hands to your betting arsenal. You can also be more aggressive, especially if the players seated to your left are ‘tight’.  

When we say tight we mean they play few Texas Holdem hands and fold very often. Tight players will fold your raise more often than not, so you can take the risk and raise with weaker starting Texas Holdem hands. Over time you will make your money back.

Betting Texas Holdem hands from middle position 

Apart form the starting Texas Holdem hands you can play from early position, you can now comfortably:

* Call with 77, 87s, Q9s, T8s, KJ, QJ, JT, 76s, 97s, Axs, 65s – provided no one has raised from early position
* Raise with the following Texas Holdem hands: T9s, KQ, 88, QTs, 98s, J9s, AJ, KTs
* Call with these Texas Holdem hands: 66, AT, 55, 86s, KT, QT, 54s, K9s - provided no one seated to your right has called and the game is ‘passive’.

* s indicates two cards of the same suit; x stands for any card

Advanced no limit poker strategy for betting Texas Holdem hands 

If no one to your right has called or raised, entering the pot from middle position with an aggressive raise is often viewed as an attempt to steal the blinds by getting the rest of the players to fold. You will most likely be called by a player to your left, even if he is holding a relatively weak Texas Holdem hand.  

In most cases, a good Texas Holdem betting strategy in this situation is to raise with the following hands:

AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs, TT, AQs, AJs, KQs, AK, 99, JTs, QJs, KJs, ATs, AQ

This no limit poker strategy is also effective in pot limit games.  However, the no limit game comes with an advantage: you can keep re-raising if you have a very strong hand. When you feel you’re under attack from middle position simply because the late position players believe you’re trying to steal the blinds, consider playing aggressively and re-raising with

AA, KK, AKs, QQ, JJ, TT, AQs, AJs, KQs, AK

The above works better as a no limit poker strategy.  If you’re playing pot limit Texas Holdem, betting aggressively may not be enough to knock out players with weaker pre-flop hands.  More opponents will opt to stay in the hand if they can meet the bet limit.

Once the flop comes out, chances are that your strong pre-flop hand will be weakened.  In consequent betting rounds your weak position will come into play, and you may be forced to fold.  Return to our guide on playing Texas Holdem positions to better understand this concept.

Pocket Aces: Texas Holdem Hand Betting Tips 

Our Texas Holdem betting guidelines are not written in stone.  This is a situational game, after all, and you must adapt to the situation.  

A great example is the best possible pre-flop Texas Holdem hand - pocket aces. Texas Holdem rewards aggressive play, but how aggressively should you play this hand?  That depends not only on your position, but also on your opponents.

Up to this point, you can summarize our pocket aces Texas Holdem betting guidelines as follows: always raise regardless of your position – early or middle.  

However, if you simply follow the guidelines above, chances are your opponents will catch on to your strategy and see your aces coming from a mile away.  Every time you raise from early or middle position, your opponents will fold, assuming you have a monster Texas Holdem hand.

One solution is to occasionally slow play your aces and your other strong Texas Holdem hands.  On the other hand, by simply calling your aces, you risk allowing many poker players to limp into the pot and see the flop.  This will considerably weaken your pre-flop Texas Holdem hand strength.

The best solution, therefore, is to mix it up.  If you sense your opponents are treating your raises with too much respect, you should occasionally raise from middle position with these Texas Holdem hands:

77, 87s, Q9s, T8s, KJ

Even if you end up losing these hands, in the long run this strategy will pay off.  It will allow you to comfortably raise your aces from middle position and still get some action.

Check out the next chapter of our guide: pre-flop Texas Holdem poker hands – late position.