How to play in early position?

[J Chap]

I'm not content with how I play postflop when I'm acting first. I'm WAY less comfortable than I am when I play in late position, and I feel like I should only be somewhat less comfortable.

I end up checking way too often, because I'm afraid of everything.

Any good threads on this? Any mantras or basic rules to live by?

Somebody please knock some sense into me.
J Chump

[Mercman572]

Don't build huge pots OOP (checkraising huge for example with one pair).

Be more selective with starting hands.

If you enter a pot planning to call a raise, it's very often right to open the pot with a raise yourself (exceptions being low PP in full ring, and sometimes in 6m).

Okay, I know a ton of people will disagree with this: For now, play weak tight from early position. It is way too easy to be trapped in early position. Once you get more confident in your game, then you can become more aggressive. Weak tight will not earn you the most money, but it will keep you from losing significant amounts of money.

[DoomSlice]

Whenever I check-raise in EP with a one pair hand it is with the intention to end the pot immediately.

If you happen to be called, SHUT DOWN.

[trevor]

Eliminate the big, offsuit broadways from EP. Make up that lost VPIP by playing some trash errrr I mean suited connectors in LP.

[Andrew Fletcher]

Try to get your entire stack in the middle as soon as possible. That way, you might win the hand without any more rounds of betting and if you don't you can't act anymore. Problem solved.

[Andrew Fletcher]

Please don't insult my favorite hands like that, they have feelings too.

[Andrew Fletcher]

[ QUOTE ]
Okay, I know a ton of people will disagree with this: For now, play weak tight from early position. It is way too easy to be trapped in early position. Once you get more confident in your game, then you can become more aggressive. Weak tight will not earn you the most money, but it will keep you from losing significant amounts of money.

[/ QUOTE ]I know I said something snarky above, but I think this is the best advice. Once you feel more comfortable playing post-flop, you'll be less concerned about playing in early position.

I would love to play a small stakes or play money heads-up session with someone and always fold pre-flop when I was in position. We'd be playing half as many hands, but I think it would be a great learning experiance for me. We could switch half-way through and have the other person fold all the time when they were in position.

[Mercman572]

[ QUOTE ]
I know I said something snarky above, but I think this is the best advice. Once you feel more comfortable playing post-flop, you'll STILL be concerned about playing in early position.



[/ QUOTE ]

FYP. There are good reasons to be unconfortable. It's not a bad thing. Not seeing your opponent act before you puts you at a disadvantage

[Andrew Fletcher]

Yes, but you'll have a better understanding of this concept and therefore make fewer mistakes. Still, thanks for clarifying my post. Being uncomfortable is not necessarily bad.