There is an important preflop raising formula that I teach to my students.
In most situations, you should raise 3x the big blind and add one big blind for each limper in front of you. If you're out of position, you add another big blind.
Let’s start with an example preflop, imagine that three people limp in front of you. Using the formula, you move from a base of 3x to 6x the big blind (3x + three limpers) for a raise.
Adjusting for position, tournaments, and cash games
Let’s choose a scenario where you are out of position in the same preflop hand example. You now add another big blind, so you raise 7x the big blind. If you were in the small blind raising with blinds at 50/100, you would raise it to 700.
In these two examples, I am starting with the baseline of raising 3x the big blind.
But let’s say now you’re in a tournament and the stacks are shallow. The baseline preflop raise is 2.5x or even 2x.
Now, instead of starting from a base of 3x per big blind for your preflop raise, you begin that base at 2x.
On the flip side, let's say you're playing a cash game that's 300 big blinds deep. You should start that base at 4x.
This isn't a strict rule. It's a structured baseline that helps you logically scale your raise based on limpers and position.
Faraz Jaka is the founder and head coach at Jaka Coaching, as well as a member of the PokerOrg Player Advisory Board. He has 18+ years on the circuit, made 8 WSOP final tables, racked up over $15 million in winnings, and has been coaching everyone from aspiring grinders to seasoned high rollers.
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