The High Stakes Poker Club

No limit hold’em is a complex poker game, and one in which fortunes can be won or lost. Each stage of a no limit hold’em hand may be played differently.
Savvy players will know what they want to do in each hand from beginning to end. The beginning of each no limit hold’em hand is of course pre-flop, where each player has only his two starting cards to work with. When you learn to play poker, it’s crucial that you get a grip of the strategy for this part of the game.
Hand Selection and Position Pre-Flop in No Limit Hold’em

In general, it’s a good idea to only play big starting cards pre-flop. However, if you are in late position, you may want to try to limp in with a small pair or a suited connector like 4s 5s, hoping to flop a well-disguised big hand. If no one has called yet, or one player has limped in, you may even choose to raise with such a hand, which will give you many chances to win: You can win outright if they all fold, you can hit the flop, or you can win with a continuation bet on the flop.
In early position though, you rarely have enough information to make this kind of play. If it has been raised before you, you should be wary of playing hands like AQ, AJ, KQ or KJ, as there is a decent chance that you may hit your flop and be dominated by a hand like AK, which can be extremely costly.
Small Ball vs. Long Ball Pre-Flop in No Limit Hold’em

You should have an idea whether you wish to play “small ball” or “long ball,” before you start. This will be based on both your style and your assessment of the table. Taken from baseball terminology, small ball means that you are trying to play small pots, chipping away at your opponents’ stacks when you have an edge without ever putting your whole stack at risk, while long ball means that you will be very aggressive, trying to build pots from the outset, and are unafraid to put your whole stack in.
Long ball tends to be indicated if you believe that your opponents are capable of outplaying you, although some players simply adopt it as their general style. If you are playing small ball, you should be more inclined to limp or make small raises pre-flop; with long ball bigger pre-flop bets or raises are indicated.
All-in Pre-Flop in No Limit Hold’em

If you are playing a cash game, you should be reluctant to get all your chips in (unless you are short stacked) before the flop. Only aces and kings are an automatic call. If an opponent raises you all-in pre-flop in a cash game and you both have decent stacks, you should probably lay down pocket queens, ace king, and worse hands.