Here are the answers and explanations for our “Do You Know How to Play vs an RFI” quiz.
Each answer shows the solver-generated preflop range for the given situation. These charts were taken straight from the Elite Cash Game Exploits course.
Hand #1
You are in the Big Blind with 9♣ 9♦ at a 6-handed table. The Hijack raises to 2.5bb and the action folds to you. What’s your play?
A – Fold
B – Call
C – 3-Bet
The correct answer is B. Here’s the chart for this spot and raise size from the Elite Cash Game Exploits course:
Against a later position, this hand would start to 3-bet at some frequency. Against this position, though, it’s a clear call unless you have a good exploitative reason to 3-bet.
Hand #2
You are in the Small Blind with T♣ T♦ at a 6-handed table. The Button raises to 3.5bb and the action folds to you. What’s your play?
A – Fold
B – Call
C – 3-Bet
The correct answer is C. Here’s the chart for this spot and raise size from the Elite Cash Game Exploits course:
Playing 3-bet or fold is oftentimes the best way to approach playing from the small blind. That’s true even when getting good pot odds versus smaller raise sizes. Against this chunky 3.5x open, you’re even more incentivized to 3-bet.
Why play a 3-bet or fold strategy? When playing from the Small Blind, you are in an awkward spot because the Big Blind has position on you and can squeeze you out of your profits if you cold-call. This is why, especially in high-rake games, it’s better to play a 3-bet or fold strategy. In this case, you should be looking to 3-bet a linear range consisting of about the top 12-15% of hands. Pocket Tens easily fall into that range.
Hand #3
You are on the Button with A♠ T♣ at a 6-handed table. UTG raises to 2.5bb and the action folds to you. What’s your play?
A – Fold
B – Call
C – 3-Bet
The correct answer is A. Here’s the chart for this spot and raise size from the Elite Cash Game Exploits course:
The UTG open-raising range is pretty tight, somewhere around the top 16% of starting hands. Against such a range, Ace-Ten offsuit has a good amount of equity (~47%) and could call given the pot odds. However, you have to keep in mind that even though you are on the Button, offsuit hands tend to under-realize their raw equity.
Furthermore, you will get squeezed out of the pot around 14% of the time or so by either the Small Blind or the Big Blind. In this case, you should be looking to play a mixed strategy (cold-calling and 3-betting) or a 3-bet only strategy. In either case, you should be looking to play a relatively tight range — Ace-Ten offsuit falls outside of it.
Hand #4
You are on the Button with K♥ 8♥ at a 6-handed table. Cutoff raises to 3bb and the action folds to you. What’s your play?
A – Fold
B – Call
C – 3-Bet
The correct answer is A. Here’s the chart for this spot and raise size from the Elite Cash Game Exploits course:
Even though the Cutoff open-raising range is made up of roughly the top 25% of hands, K8-suited is not strong enough to call. In addition to this, there are better 3-bet bluff candidates. Cold-calling with such a hand is losing you money because you will often either get squeezed or be dominated by better Kx hands.
Hand #5
You are in the Big Blind with Q♣ 7♣ at a 6-handed table. UTG raises to 2.5bb and the Button calls. What’s your play?
A – Fold
B – Call
C – 3-Bet
The correct answer is A. Here’s the chart for this spot and raise size from the Elite Cash Game Exploits course:
Unless one or both of the players who open-raised is a relatively weak player, you should play tighter against raises when there is a cold-caller in between and you are in the Big Blind.
Hand #6
You are in the Big Blind with T♥ 7♥ at a 6-handed table. UTG raises to 2bb and the Button calls. What’s your play?
A – Fold
B – Call
C – 3-Bet
The correct answer is B. Here’s the chart for this spot and raise size from the Elite Cash Game Exploits course:
As just mentioned, you should play tight from the big blind when faced with a raise and cold-caller in between. Against this min-raise with a solid suited-gapper, however, you can make a profitable call.
Hand #7
You are in the Small Blind with K♣ J♦ at a 6-handed table. The Button raises to 3.5bb. What’s your play?
A – Fold
B – Call
C – 3-Bet
The correct answer is C. Here’s the chart for this spot and raise size from the Elite Cash Game Exploits course:
As explained earlier, playing a 3-bet or fold strategy is usually best from the Small Blind. Even if you did decide to have a calling range for some (hopefully good) reason, KJo makes more sense as a 3-bet because it isn’t particularly great in multiway pots while having solid playability heads-up. Plus, it has great removal versus 3-bet calling ranges. Even versus this large size, it’s worth that 3-bet.
Hand #8
You are in the Hijack with KJs at a 6-handed table. UTG raises to 2.5bb and the action folds to you. What’s your play?
A – Fold
B – Call
C – 3-Bet
The correct answer is C. Here’s the chart for this spot and raise size from the Elite Cash Game Exploits course:
You have to play tight in this spot since you’re in the second earliest position up against a raise from the earliest position, but KJs should be included in that tight range.
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