Open raise

The first preflop raise into an unopened pot

Definition

The open raise (or simply "open") is the first preflop raise, made when nobody has voluntarily entered the pot yet — everyone folded to you. It's the action that structures the entire preflop game: every position has its precise opening range, and that's exactly what you memorize when you study your opening charts. The standard online sizing is 2 to 2.5bb (2.2bb is common in cash games), a bit more live or when deep, and often 3bb from the SB to compensate for playing the whole hand out of position. Range width depends directly on position: roughly 15% of hands UTG in 6-max, ~27% from the CO, ~45% on the BTN. Why raise rather than limp? The open raise stacks three edges: it can win the blinds outright (preflop fold equity), it takes the initiative for the rest of the hand, and it builds a pot you'll often play in position. That's why open-limping is absent from solid strategies in most configurations — the notable exceptions being some SB setups and very short stacks.