Preflop Starting Hand Quiz for Beginners Quiz Answers and Explanations

Here are the answers and explanations for our preflop fundamentals quiz.

Hand #1

The Lojack raises to 2.5 big blinds. Action folds to you in the Big Blind with 22. What’s your play?

  1. Fold
  2. Call
  3. 3-bet

The correct answer is B, call.

This small pair has enough equity to call profitably, but not enough 3-bet for value. It also doesn’t have good blockers to the villain’s range that continues against a 3-bet, so it doesn’t make much sense as a 3-bet “bluff”.

Hand #2

The Hijack raises to 2.5 big blinds. You are in the Cutoff with JJ. What’s your play?

  1. Fold
  2. Call
  3. 3-bet

The correct answer is C, 3-bet.

This strong pair is way ahead of the villain’s raising range and has more than enough equity versus the potential calling range to 3-bet for value.

Hand #3

The Cutoff raises to 2.5 big blinds. You 3-bet to 8 big blinds with KK from the Button. The action folds back to the cutoff who 4-bets to 22.5 big blinds. What’s your play?

  1. Fold
  2. Call
  3. All-In

The correct answer is C, All-In.

This hand was a bit of a gimmie. Of course you should want to get it all-in with the second strongest hand possible. Trying to trap your opponent by calling is inadvisable with KK (but would be reasonable with AA).

Hand #4

The Button raises to 2.5 big blinds. The action folds to you in the Big Blind with 96-suited. What’s your play?

  1. Fold
  2. Call
  3. Raise

The correct answer is B, call.

This suited gapper has enough raw equity against the villain’s likely open-raising range. It also realizes that equity very well, because it is capable of hitting both straight draws and flush draws on the flop, which allows you to see the turn much more often.

Hand #5

The Button raises to 2.5 big blinds. The action folds to you in the Small Blind with 99. What’s your play?

  1. Fold
  2. Call
  3. 3-bet

The correct answer is C, 3-bet.

Playing from the Small Blind is a bit trickier than the Big Blind because you do not have the luxury of closing the preflop action. This means that if you were to just cold-call, the Big Blind could employ a wide squeezing range and deny your share of the pot and put you in tough spots.

For these reasons, we advocate for a 3-bet or fold strategy from the Small Blind. Pocket nines fits very nicely in that 3-bet range for value and protection.

Hand #6

The Hijack raises to 2.5 big blinds. The action folds to you on the Button with AQ-suited. What’s your play?

  1. Fold
  2. Call
  3. 3-bet

The correct answer is C, 3-bet.

Ace-Queen suited is very strong and has more than enough equity against Middle Position’s 3-bet calling range to 3-bet for value.

Hand #7

The Button raises to 2.5 big blinds. The action folds to you in the Big Blind with A7 suited. What’s your play?

  1. Fold
  2. Call
  3. 3-bet

The correct answer is B, call.

A7 suited performs very well as a call against a wide Button opening range. 3-betting wouldn’t be a bad play, but there are enough preferable 3-betting (such as J8s as a bluff or AJs for value) that A7s should fall squarely into your calling range.

Hand #8

The Lojack raises to 2.5 big blinds. The action folds to you in the Cutoff with A5-suited. What’s your play?

  1. Fold
  2. Call
  3. 3-bet

The correct answer is C, 3-bet.

This suited wheel ace has properties that make it a great 3-bet semi-bluff. It has good blockers, good equity when called, and great postflop playability.

Hand #9

The Hijack raises to 2.5 big blinds. The action folds to you in the Small Blind with AT-suited. What’s your play?

  1. Fold
  2. Call
  3. 3-bet

The correct answer is C, 3-bet.

It’s not a clear 3-bet for value, but given that developing a cold-calling range from the Small Blind is suboptimal (as mentioned in the explanation for question 5), 3-betting is the highest EV option. It’s a mergy 3-bet for value and protection, similar to the pocket nines from earlier.

Hand #10

The Cutoff raises to 2.5 big blinds. The action folds to you in the Big Blind with K7-offsuit. What’s your play?

  1. Fold
  2. Call
  3. 3-bet

The correct answer is A, fold.

Even though you’re getting good pot odds having already posted 1 big blind, K7-offsuit is simply too weak of a hand to defend.

It may have enough raw equity versus the cutoff’s range to seem like a worthy call. But, in practice, the gapped and unsuited nature of this hand will make it very difficult to realize that equity. Because it will under-realize a large chunk of its equity, this hand is a clear fold.

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