preflop

Preflop is the initial betting round in poker variants that use private hole cards and community cards, most notably Texas Hold'em and Omaha. At the start of a hand, each active player is dealt hole cards, and no community cards are yet revealed. In most games, blinds or antes contribute to the pot before action begins. The first to act preflop is the player to the left of the big blind, and action proceeds clockwise. Players may fold, call the current bet, or raise; a raise must generally be at least the size of the previous bet or raise, and in no‑limit formats players may go all‑in. Open-raises, re-raises (three-bets), and other preflop moves shape the pot and table dynamics.

The preflop stage sets much of the strategic tone for the hand. Position and stack size strongly influence decisions: players in early position typically play tighter ranges, while those in late position can leverage table dynamics to apply pressure or steal blinds. Starting hand selection is core to preflop strategy, with premium hands (such as high pocket pairs and strong broadway cards) favored for early involvement, and more speculative or suited hands considered in later positions depending on action and pot odds. Against multiple opponents, pot control and fold equity become important considerations.

In Omaha and other variants, the same basic mechanics apply, though hand construction differs (for example, Omaha requires exactly two hole cards to be used with three on the board). Regardless of the variant, the preflop decision often dictates postflop efficiency, pot size, and the likelihood of continuing to the flop.