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An important concept in poker, especially in tournament poker where to go for survival and may induce players not just counting money on the table, is the “Gap Concept”. This approach is described in David Sklansky’s excellent book Tournament Poker for Advanced Players (tournament poker for advanced players). Sklansky describes the ‘Gap’ as “the difference between a hand with oneself, and raises a hand with which one elects to call a raise of an opponent. He also says that the size of the ‘gaps’ (translated, the gap’ or ‘distance’) depends on how tight or loose play your opponent. When playing an opponent of the very loose, for example, it may be that there is no gap at all.
“In tournament play this gap is often quite large. In other words, tournament poker, it is often true with an open hand-raise is much worse than the hand that you need a raise of an opponent to call. “He says the principle behind this is to avoid confrontations with players who already have previously demonstrated strengths and exploit the players sit only on their chips. Sklansky goes on to say that there is an important exception to the Gap Concept, and that is when the players behind you have either a very large or very small bag. In such a case Währe it extremely unwise to adopt a loose style of play.
In this article we will discuss the principles behind the Gap concept of how to apply them, as well as the pros and cons of the concept. We do this with the help of some examples.
So what exactly Sklansky says when he explains what the Gap concept? Read us consider the situation from the perspective of a beginner once. When we look at our programs, our action is determined solely by the strength of our hand. We do not think about our opponents for or what might make the player to the left of us. If we have a pair of 10’s, then that’s a good hand and we play them. Something else we do not know.
The gap approach complements these fundamental strategy by drawing two specific scenarios considered, which depend both on where we are at the table. If you’re not the first turn, asks the Gap Concept … was you raised it in front of you? If yes, then the next step is evaluating the Caesar’s. If it is tight or more loose or something in between? If you are the first in the series you only need to pull the stacks of other players into consideration in deciding whether you can apply the concept.
When was raised it in front of you, it is important to reflect on the tendencies of Caesar and his position. If this is this is a very loose-aggressive player, then a ‘gap’ hardly exists. The reason is quite simple here … your opponent raises with a wide range of hands, so your choice of hands, with which you are calling his raise or re-raises may be too large. A hand like KJ can definitely be playing against such players. However, if the raiser is a very tight player, sees it all again is very different. A hand like KJ, who had just been played, now is not worth much anymore. The ‘gap’ is therefore now become bigger (that is to say, raise the difference between a hand with which you can and a hand with which you can call the raise is that player become larger). If you know of that player that he raises in early position with hands like AA, KK and QQ, you can even go so far and only call if you own one of these hands.
Many players, when they think reflect on the gap concept, not to players who have raised it before them and what can they call for hands. Think about it to raise with any two cards if they are first in line to steal the pot. This is also known as ‘Raising Gap’ and can be quite profitable if properly used. The most important thing you should consider if one applies this move, the probability that a player elects to call after you your raise. When is a good chance that they call, the selection of hands with which you can raise very low. If the chance is very big but fold your opponents, you can turn these applied without really pay attention to your cards.
Read us now consider some examples where the gap approach is applied.
Example # 1: You have A ♠ J ♠ tilt on the button in an online poker tournament at Poker Stars or Full. A very tight player, who has raised so far only 3 times and each time a big pair or a strong ace in hand had increased to 4x the big blind in early position. Many players would call here because they are positional advantage. But if you, the Gap Concept application you should fold here because the hand of your opponent is very likely better than yours. I am not saying that you are always in these situations should AJ suited fold, but at least you should think about it. What do you do when the flop is J-or A-high is high? Problem with hands like this, where the chances are high that you’re lying back with your hand, you stand after the flop is often very difficult decisions that can cost you a lot of chips. The gap approach will help you avoid these situations, thereby by fold tells you “here”.
Example # 2: In the same hand and same position as just, only that the player is now in early position raises a loose-aggressive maniac is the last in the 12 Hands has raised 8 times. Now, a hand like AJ suited suddenly much more valuable as before. If we apply here the gap concept, we should not just call, we should probably raise even possible because the chance is high that our hand is better than our opponent.
Example # 3: You’re sitting in the cutoff and all the players before you have folded. The three players left from you all have average stacks and look more like this when they tried at all costs, the payout to reach places. You look at your hand and find 7-3 off suit. You can use the gap concept and raise here apply, because the chance is small that one of the player you will call your raise. The ‘Gap’ is now, because of the tendencies of your opponents, has become greater.
Example # 4: Same scenario as in example # 3, except that now sits a player with a big stack on the big blind, and has already shown that he elects to call a raise happy times to defend his blinds. This is one of the exceptions to those Sklansky says in his book. Here you would need a better hand to raise, so here goes 7-3 off suit is not and you should fold. Because of the player in the big blind is the ‘Gap’ now become smaller again.
Example # 5: Again, same scenario as in example # 3, only one player on the Big Blind is now a short stack and is located only 2 big blinds in front of him. This is according to Sklansky another exception. Because of its small stacks the odds and gets the player, chances are high that your opponent will call a raise here from you. Therefore, you also need a better hand to raise here, so ranges from 7-3 off suit, and should not be folded. The short stack in the big blind makes the ‘Gap’ smaller.
The main gap in the application of the concept is that you tend to know what your opponents. If you foldes easily without thinking about a hand like AJ suited on the button because a player has raised before you, you make a mistake. If you raises every time when you are first in the series because the gap concept, it requires so that’s exactly the wrong way. We will discuss this concept further in the following articles.
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