CO Cold Call

Concept Analysis

CO Cold Call is a description of an action in Texas Hold'em, combining position (CO) and the calling method (Cold Call).

• CO (Cutoff): The first position to the right of the button (Dealer), generally considered one of the most advantageous late positions, second only to the button.
• Cold Call: In preflop action, a player directly calls a raise (or multiple raises) from an earlier position without having posted any blind or made an active bet.

Strategic Implications

A CO cold call often conveys specific information:

• The player holds a medium-strength hand, such as medium pairs, suited connectors, or Axs (Ace with a small suited card), but is unwilling to 3-bet (re-raise) to confront a potential strong hand or force opponents to fold.
• Choosing to cold call instead of 3-bet is typically done to control pot size, entice later players (such as the button or blinds) to join, creating a multi-way pot.
• Since the CO position itself is favorable, if the cold caller hits the flop, they can leverage their positional advantage to take more profitable actions on later streets.

Notes

• Cold calling carries certain risks: the original raiser may hold a strong hand (e.g., big pocket pairs, AK), and if the cold caller misses the flop, they can easily become passive.
• In games with many aggressive opponents, a CO cold call may invite a squeeze from the button or blinds, so this action should be used cautiously based on opponent tendencies.
• Generally, the CO is better suited for cold calling with playable hands (e.g., suited connectors, small pairs), while strong hands like AK or high pairs are more often 3-bet or folded.