A Question: What the heck is the "Gap Concept"

[Rusty266]

Yeah well, here's my take. Its true that you need a better hand to call with when someone has raised ahead of you. Big deal, no great relevation there, everyone knows that.

But thats the point.

Everyone does know that. The idea of the gap concept in tournament play is to take advantage of that situation.

The difference between a hand that you would call a raiser with and the hand you would raise yourself with is the "gap".

In a tournament, you should be willing to raise with hands that would be considered inferior, if someone else had already raised.

With a raise and a call ahead of you, you might opt to fold a hand like Qs-Js. But from middle to late position with no one else in the pot yet, it becomes a hand you should raise with.

By being the raiser, the pressure is now on the players left to act, and their requirements for playing their hand have now gone up, because someone has raised ahead of them. Because of the "gap" they may very well fold hands that are superior to yours, K-Q or even A-J for example.

Bacause of the "gap" you avoid confrontations with the players ahead of you that have already raised and shown some strength. Thats a pretty common thought process and common way of playing.

What is not as common is using that information to your benefit by raising with more hands when no strength is shown ahead of you, trying to apply the pressure to the players that act after you. Players who are trying to preserve their chips, and now, because you have raised, must elevate their hand requirements when deciding whether or not to call.