Quick facts by PokerStrategy
- The poker gap concept implies you should call with a tighter range than you would raise in the same spot.
- The gap concept was first popularised by David Sklansky in his book Tournament Poker for Advanced Players.
- The gap between raising and calling hands widens or closes depending on factors like opponent type and position.
- The poker gap concept is still useful, but only when used in combination with modern poker theories.
What Is the Gap Concept in Poker?
The gap concept in poker is an early strategy used to describe the difference between raising ranges and calling ranges. Simply put, you’ll need a stronger hand to call a raise than you would need to open-raise from the same spot.
For example, you have A♣ 4♥ on the button. If the action folds around, you can easily open-raise this hand, as you would have fold equity against the blinds and are playing against random ranges. However, if an opponent open-raises first, your hand is not strong enough to call with, and you’ll usually have to fold. The size of the gap depends on various factors, including the type of opponent and their position.
Many players first practice these concepts at low-stakes games on online poker sites, where they can safely test different preflop ranges.
The Origins of the Gap Concept
The poker gap concept was one of the first to illustrate the difference between hand strength required for raising vs calling. It was first popularized by David Sklansky in his groundbreaking strategy book, Tournament Poker for Advanced Players, first published in 2002.
At this time, many players were still using a loose-passive style, limping and flat-calling bets, seeing as many flops as possible to try to hit their hands. The gap concept poker strategy sheds light on why an aggressive approach is more profitable than a passive one.
How the Gap Concept Shapes Preflop Play
Gap concept suggests that you should open-raise quite wide compared to the tight, solid ranges that you’re willing to call a bet with.
The player who open raises has already shown strength and taken initiative, whereas when you are faced with a raise, you’ll need to factor in your opponent’s hand strength, creating the gap in requirements.
The Gap Concept and Aggression
When Sklansky introduced the gap concept in poker, he placed particular emphasis on adapting to your opponents according to their level of preflop aggression.
In short, the gap between raising and calling hands is bigger when faced with a raise from a tight opponent because they are likely to have a strong hand, and smaller when raised by a loose opponent because their range is weaker. So, you can call bets lighter against aggressive players.
In other words, you need to adapt your calling range to how wide your opponent’s open-raising range is.
The Role of Position in the Gap Concept
The poker gap concept’s underemphasis on position is arguably one of the early theory’s biggest flaws.
If you are in an early or middle position, you’ll need a much stronger hand to call a preflop raise than you would from late position, because you still have lots of players left to act who could wake up with a strong hand. Likewise, the gap is smaller when you are faced with a late position raise, because the opponent’s range is wider.
Flat calling on the button, meanwhile, guarantees you positional advantage postflop and can be enough to justify marginal calls with speculative hands. This idea has been proven by modern GTO theory.
The Gap Concept in Tournaments vs Cash Games
The gap concept in poker was originally developed as a theory for tournament play, although the general idea remains applicable in cash games. The main difference is the stack depths of the two formats. Tournaments tend to have relatively shallow stacks in the mid to late stages, whereas stacks are consistently deep in cash games.
When stacks are deep, concepts like implied odds become more important, making it profitable to flat call bets with hands like small pairs and suited connectors in the hope of connecting on the flop and winning big pots.
Practical Examples of the Gap Concept
Here are some practical gap concept examples that demonstrate how the gap concept influences decision-making in poker:
1 Flat calling vs raising
You’re on the button with A♠ 8♣ in a poker tournament with a 25 big blind stack. You would have open-raised to apply pressure to the blinds, but a tight player raises first from middle position. Your hand is behind your opponent’s range and easily dominated, so you fold.
2 Folding the small blind
You’re in the small blind with Q♦ T♦ with a 30 big blind stack in the late stages of a tournament. If the action had folded around, you could easily raise. However, an early position opponent open-raises, forcing you to fold.
3 Closing the gap
You’re on the button with K♥ J♥ with a 40 big blind stack. This would be an easy raise if the action folded around. However, a tight opponent raises from the hijack. Under the gap concept alone, this would be a fold. However, you’ll have a position postflop with a playable hand that flops well. Your opponent is tight, so you may have a chance to bluff or semi-bluff. You decide you can profitably make the call.
Modern Views on the Gap Concept
While the gap concept is a key idea in poker history, it’s no longer treated as a hard rule. Factors such as position, stack sizes, and player tendencies now play a greater role in decision-making. Skilled players use dynamic strategies, such as widening their calling ranges in position, floating the flop, bluffing, or 3-betting light against aggressive opponents.
Solver-based GTO theory has shown that defending with wide ranges is not always a bad play, particularly on the button and in the big blind.
Key ways modern strategy differs from the original gap concept:
- GTO suggests flat calling wide in position.
- The gap concept underestimates how often players should defend their big blinds.
- Deep stack players know that it’s profitable to flat call with speculative hands.
- The gap concept only covers calling raises, while modern theory focuses on building a 3-betting range.
Common Misunderstandings About the Gap Concept
Here are some of the common misunderstandings and mistakes players make when it comes to the gap concept in poker:
- Overusing the gap concept: Using the gap concept as a strict rule and not considering other factors.
- Ignoring opponent type: Applying the gap concept as a one-size-fits-all poker strategy and failing to adapt to opponents.
- Missing spots: Playing too tight and missing spots to flat in position, float, or 3-bet.
- Reverse gap: Not accounting for the “reverse gap” in which your opponent’s range, combined with other factors, allows you to call very wide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who introduced the gap concept in poker strategy?
The poker gap concept was first introduced by David Sklansky in his strategy book, Tournament Poker for Advanced Players, first published in 2002.
How does the gap concept affect calling ranges?
The poker gap concept suggests that you should have tighter calling ranges than your raising range in the same spot. The size of the gap between ranges depends on factors such as position and the aggression level of your opponent.
How do aggressive players affect the gap concept?
If the player who open-raises is very aggressive, the gap between raising and calling hands is smaller. In other words, you can call lighter against a loose opponent according to the gap concept.
How does position interact with the gap concept?
Although it was arguably understated at the time, position has a massive impact on how you should apply the gap concept in poker. You’ll need a much stronger hand to call a bet out of position or in early position than you need to call a bet in late position, such as the button.
Does the gap concept apply in cash games as well as tournaments?
The gap concept in poker is primarily a tournament concept. Although the basic premise still applies, stack sizes tend to be much deeper in cash games. This means concepts like implied odds become more important, and speculative hands become profitable to play.