See also
How to play when someone else has already raised:
Here you don't have to deal with a chart, because there's a rule of thumb you can apply if you're familiar with the minimum requirements for being the first in the pot.
You need roughly the same minimum hand as the first raiser.
If he raised early and you're sitting just to his left, tighten up a little because not only does he probably have the best hand, there are many players yet to worry about. (You can call even though he probably has the best hand, because the pot is laying you much more than even money.)
If he raised early, no one else played, and you're in a late position, you can relax your standards a bit and play hands slightly worse than his probable minimum. That's because there'll very likely be just the two of you competing for the pot.
Now there's an important concept:
Often you don't need to be the odds-on favorite against one opponent, because you can both be money favorites.
Your strategy, for instance, when 3rd position opens is: If you have roughly what his minimum hand should be, you should play. If there are a lot of players still to act, be slightly more conservative, and if there are few players left to act, play a bit more liberally.
When there are two (or more) active players in front of you, you've got to use a lot of judgment. All sorts of factors are involved here - the mathematically proper hand with which the first raiser should have played (see the minimum suggestions for first player in), what kind of players the callers are and the temperaments of all those involved in the pot (is anyone on tilt?). You're going to have to incorporate much of the poker advice in this article in making play or no play decisions against two or more players.
The really big thing to keep in mind is this:
- When there are no active players except you and the Blind, the most important consideration is your position.
- When there are already other active players in the pot, the most important consideration is the position of the first raiser. (We assume that it was brought in for a raise, which is standard. You should call for one bet with about the same hands you would have called with for two bets.)
- You set your standards by his standards.
And, unless other players are completely oblivious to what's going on, they'll also make some attempt to play or not play according to the position of the first raiser.
Here are some situations which arise again and again in actual play when there's already one or more active players in the pot. But first let me warn you that these are assumed to be players with just average playing habits. You must observe your opponents and make profitable adjustments.
