A Simple Introduction to the Gap Concept in Texas Hold'em

Texas Hold'em poker is a positional game. What this means is that players act in a fixed turn, and their position in the game (which turn they are) have implications in poker strategy. The gap concept is one of such consequences of position.

The gap concept is fairly simple to understand. It simply states that when a player has already raised or opened the betting round, the players that will succeed that player needs to have a better hand to compete. And vice versa: if a player acts after an opponent who opens or raises, then that player needs to have a better hand than the one who opened to compete.

This is because any opens or raises are equivalent to certain hand strength, and require you to place a bet and react to that strength. Simply speaking, players who open and raise evoke an image of a strong hand, and those who act after them should be wary of a match-up against them.

Let us take the player under the gun as an example. If that player has a mid-range hand and opens, opponents that will act after them will most likely think that they are holding a superb hand. This is especially so because a mid-range hand is often seen as too weak to be viable in an early position.

Late position players will thus think twice about even bluffing, since the player under the gun has indicated strength. If that player continues to raise and play aggressively, then even drawing hands have a tendency to fold.

This, of course, is only true if the board is ideal for an early position player. The gap concept should not be abused or misrecognized as a license to play in an overly aggressive manner. One should still play tight by playing the best hands.

The gap concept is the principle behind some poker plays, such as aggressive protection plays. Raises make the pot odds unfavorable for some hands. Thus, a hand that would otherwise be beaten with a drawing hand could win by simply raising and increasing the amount needed to stay in hand..

The gap concept in Texas Hold'em is one principle that any person interested in poker should understand. It is a great principle that will help you comprehend aggressive poker strategies and poker plays. Once you become more familiar with the consequences that the gap concept introduces, you will easily create strategies and plays on your own, especially when in the early position.