Preflop Raising Range from the Hijack Position in a Cash Game (100BB Deep)

The Hijack (HJ) position is late-middle, giving you more flexibility than earlier positions like UTG or Lojack. You can start expanding your preflop raising range, taking advantage of fewer players left to act while maintaining a strong and balanced range.

Recommended Hijack Preflop Raising Range

1. Premium Hands (Always Raise):

• Pocket Pairs:
  • AA, KK, QQ
    • Raise to maximize value and control the pot.
• Broadway Combos:
  • AKs, AKo, AQs, AQo
    • It dominates many hands and offers excellent post-flop playability.

2. Strong Hands (Value Raise):

• Pocket Pairs:
  • JJ, TT, 99
    • Raise for value and to build the pot while narrowing the field.
• Suited Broadways:
  • KQs, KJs, QJs, ATs
    • Strong hands with good equity and flexibility post-flop.
• Offsuit Broadways:
  • KQo, AJo
    • Playable from this position but require caution against aggression.

3. Speculative Hands (Range Expansion):

• Medium Pocket Pairs:
  • 88, 77, 66, 55
    • Great for set-mining or playing aggressively on favorable flops.
• Suited Aces:
  • A5s, A4s, A3s, A2s
    • Excellent for flush draws and occasional straight draws.
• Suited Connectors:
  • T9s, 98s, 87s, 76s
    • Provide balanced aggression and potential for well-disguised strong hands.
• Suited One-Gappers:
  • J9s, T8s, 97s
    • Slightly less versatile but can add depth to your range in this position.

Hands to Avoid Raising in the Hijack:

• Weak Offsuit Broadways:
  • Hands like KJo, QTo, or JTo are marginal and better suited for cutoff or button play.
• Low Pocket Pairs (22–44):
  • Risky without sufficient implied odds unless the table is passive or you have a specific plan for post-flop play.

Visualized Hijack Raising Range:

Raise Sizing:

• Standard Raise Size: 5x–6x the big blind.
  • Keep it consistent to avoid giving away hand strength.
• Add for Limpers: Add +1BB per limper to avoid multi-way pots.

Adjustments Based on Table Dynamics:

1. Tight Table:
   • Expand your range slightly to include hands like QTo, 65s, and KJo. Players folding too often give you more room to steal.
2. Aggressive Table:
   • Tighten your range to include hands that can withstand 3-bets, such as premium broadways, pairs, and strong-suited connectors (e.g., T9s, JTs).
3. Passive Table:
   • Add more speculative hands (e.g., low pocket pairs and suited connectors) to exploit players who call too often and don’t raise.

Example Scenarios:

Scenario 1: Raise and Face a 3-Bet

• Your Hand: AQo
• Action:
  • Against a tight 3-bettor: Fold if their range is mostly AA, KK, AK, and QQ.
  • Against a loose/aggressive 3-bettor: Call and evaluate post-flop based on position and board texture.

Scenario 2: Raise and Get Multiple Callers

• Your Hand: T9s
• Action:
  • Look for connected boards to continue aggressively. Be cautious on dry, high-card flops.

Scenario 3: Raise and Everyone Folds

• Your Hand: A5s
• Action:
  • This is a great outcome with speculative hands, allowing you to pick up blinds and antes without post-flop risk.

Key Considerations for Hijack Play:

• Leverage Position: You’ll have a positional advantage over UTG, Lojack, and blinds post-flop. Use this to apply pressure.
• Balanced Range: Add speculative hands like suited connectors and small pairs to make your play less predictable.
• Adapt to Opponents: Be aware of who’s left to act, particularly aggressive 3-bettors on the button or cutoff.
• Avoid Overextension: Don’t raise too many weak hands just because you’re in the hijack; focus on hands that perform well against a range of actions.

Conclusion:

The hijack position offers an opportunity to balance strong, premium hands with speculative ones to keep opponents guessing. Focus on raising with hands that have good post-flop playability, adjust your range based on table dynamics, and use your position to extract maximum value from your opponents.