Can someone help me understand the gap concept?

[Kopefire]

Basically I understand that you should have a better hand to call with than to bet initially, but I'm not sure how to apply this in practice.

It also seems counter-intuitive . . since starting hand recommendations tend to get looser as you go further around the table . .. and much of that looseness comes from wanting multi-way action to be able to draw to outs. But if you need a better hand to call with than to enter the betting with, shouldn't you set aside many of these hands?

I know I'm missing something .. or have something wrong . . .so any help with my understanding would be appreciated.

[LokiV]

You hold q/q and are on the button. UTG raises 3x the BB. a MP player reraises 3x that bet. Another player goes all in, which covers you slightly.

What do you do?

You are in the same position but this time, all of the players limp to you.

What do you do?

[Dov]

Basically, the gap concept is predicated on the fact that players in a tournament are playing tighter than normal because if they go broke, they are out of the event.

To take advantage of this tendency, good players will open the pot with a wider range of hands than would be normal in a side game. They assume that since players are playing tighter, they have a better than normal chance of stealing the blinds. This is usually correct, except if there is a large or short stack at the table who is ready to gamble a little.

Since the tendency is to avoid going bust in a tourney, the average holding of a player who opens the pot is typically going to be better than would be in a side game. That means you need a better than usual hand to call with. (The gap is wide)

However, if you are facing an opening raise from someone that you know is familiar with the gap concept, you know they will be opening with some relatively weak hands and you can narrow the gap against these players of the hands you will call them with.

I hope this made some sense to you and that it helped. If not, tell me which part and I'll try again.

Dov

[InfernoLL]

The gap concept applies to all poker games, ring and tourney. In ring games for instance, if some opens in front of you with the same standards you use, you must discard the weaker hands you would have openned with yourself, because on average these will be worse than what the openner has. While the raise from a solid EP2 might be AJs, you should still fold AQo from a later position because the average hand he would play this way is better than AQo (obviously not standard play at all limits). You must be able to beat the average hand (weighted for frequency) that the openner has, or you will be entering - EV situations. Thus it takes a better hand to call a raise than to make a raise.

[pilamsolo]

In any poker game, you need a better hand to call than to raise because raising always has the added potential benefit that you can win the pot right there, while calling never does. This can add a lot, especially in tournament settings where everyone is worried about going broke, because they'll fold a lot of hands. Put in the context of NL, if you call an all-in bet you are going to have to make the best hand. If you make an all-in bet you can still win by making the best hand (if you get called), but can also win if other (and possibly better) hands fold.

Hope this helps.
-Solo

[Xaqery]

When the books talk about having looser hands the later position you are they mean that if folded to you you can then enter the pot with a looser hand than you can in early position. But its not the same if someone in earlier postion than you has raised then you must have a better hand. I think that answers part of your question.
- Dwight

[ZeeJustin]

Simplified: If you have ATo and it's folded to you in late position, you're raising. If UTG raises, and it's folded to you w/ ATo in late position, you're folding.

[jcck]

In addition to preflop play, the gap theory also has applications in post flop play. For example if the board shows 4 suited cards the first player to raise usually will take the hand down. First to bet can open with a lower flush than a later player could call with.