Poker Strategy : The Gap Concept

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First introduced by David Sklanksky in his book, Tournament Poker for Advanced Players, the Gap Concept states that it takes a better hand to call a raise than it does to make the initial raise. It’s a pretty simple concept, but it is one that is neglected a surprising amount because of stubbornness and the “any two cards can win” mentality. The Gap Concept is applicable to all poker games where there is an initial round of betting.

The Gap Concept in action

To employ the Gap Concept, you should have a good understanding of what starting hands are usually played from a particular table position.

Let’s say you’re in late position holding a ‘tweener—K-Q offsuit. A player in early position makes a raise. Although K-Q is generally a good starting hand, it is likely that the player in early position has the best hand.

First, you should understand that a raise from early position shows more strength than a raise from late position. All other factors aside (player type, experience, chip stack, etc), a raise from early position signals that that player holds a premium hand (AA, KK, QQ, AK, AQ). In the case, then you are dominated and should fold.

It’s best to put yourself in your opponent’s shoes in regards to table position. For example, if your opponent raises from early position, you should only call with premium hands that you would play from early position. If your opponent raises from middle position, you should only call that raise with a hand that you would play from early or middle position.

Use the Gap Concept to your advantage

The Gap Concept should be employed as an offensive weapon as well. If all other players call or fold before you, now your have the opportunity to raise, which means the players behind you must have a better hand in order to call. Often, you stand to take the pot without a fight, especially if you are in late position.

Put your opponents on a range of hands

In order for the Gap Concept to be effective, you have to put the raiser on a range of starting hands that they might raise with. This mainly depends on your opponent’s:


• Table position
• Table image/player type

Like I explained previously, it’s important to know which starting hands are typically played for a raise from various table positions. Likewise, if you know the type of player you are up against, you can make better assumptions as to their range of hands.

For example, if you are up against a player with a tight table image, the range of hands that player is raising with is smaller, and thus there is a greater gap between the value of his hand and the value of the hand you need to call with. If you are up against a loose player, there is a smaller gap in terms of starting hand value. Basically, this means that you’ll need a stronger starting hand to call a tight player’s raise, but you can afford to open up your range when faced with a raise from a loose player.

To a lesser extent, you might also factor in:

• Chip stack, specifically in relation to the blinds. For example, if you are playing in a MTT (multi-table tournament) and there is a player at your table who completely dominates everyone in chips, he might be throwing his weight by making loose raises. Conversely, if you are in middle position and the players behind you are short stacked and on the cusp of making the money, their hand range will tighten considerably.
• Experience. A newbie or fish might not even have knowledge of the importance of table position, let alone the Gap Concept. They could be raising with a wide range of hands.
• Tilt. If a player recently took a bad beat, they might be on tilt and play a variety of drawing hands out of position.

Beware of small and medium pocket pairs

Many players tend to ignore the Gap Concept simply because they have a pair in their hand. Falling in love with a pocket pair can have disastrous consequences. If your opponent makes a raise from early position and you have pocket 9s, you have to understand that you are at best against two over cards. Yes, you are a slight favorite (55% to 45%) in that situation, but do you really want to hope you are against over cards and not something better? Play poker on your terms.

Applying the Gap Concept to online tournament play

If you’ve played online tournament poker, you know many players are playing a wide range of hands from any position. Say a player in early position makes a raise and the action folds to you on the button. You have A-J. Following Sklansky’s concept, you should fold this hand. But you also have to realize you are playing online tournament poker. Players play faster and looser online, especially in the early stages of the tournament when the blinds are low. Players will raise with a wide range or starting hands with little regard for table position. Likewise, players will call your raises because of the relatively small price in regards to their overall stack size. Consider this before you throw that A-J into the muck.

Conclusion

The Gap Concept states that it takes a better hand to call a raise than it does to make the initial raise. Pay close attention to your opponents’ position and table image when considering a call. Remember that you need a stronger hand to call a tight player’s raise, but you can widen your range when faced with a raise from a loose player. Take other factors into consideration as well, especially if you are playing in online tournaments. Players play fast and loose in the early stages of the game. By playing tighter you’re more likely to advance into the latter stages.