Maine Gambling Casinos and Horse Racing

lork · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 8

'm at PP playing $50 NLHE with 2/4 blinds. If I am on the button or before the button and I get a playable hand I always raise 3-5x the blind amount. This includes 77-55, big suited connectors, & Axs. My theory is:
1. I don't want the BB getting a free flop and hitting trips with his 27os
2. If enough players call I am bettering my pot odds/implied odds
3. I could be thinning out the table, putting me in a better position.

I have no problem check/folding if I don't get hit hard on the flop.

My buddy thinks I am crazy. That I should just limp or fold moderately playable hands. That raising puts too much of my initial stack at risk. That I shouldn't do this unless I have built my stack to 2-3x the buy in. And that I should at least play to the turn.

Who is right?

pritz · Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 5

so 5x 4=20, so u're putting 2/3rds of your stack in the middle prelfop w/ 55?

you're sitting down w/ only 12 BB, that's not enough with which to play real poker, u're playing "2 card crapshoot"

razor · Joined: 21 Dec 2005 Posts: 8

"I have no problem check/folding if I don't get hit hard on the flop."

Do you mean hit hard with a bet or hit hard with a set??

If you go past the flop with 55, you are walking on thin ice.

lork · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 8

Hit hard with a set. I won't chase it to the turn or river.

chris · Joined: 13 Jan 2006 Posts: 5

Here's my line on this strategy

If you're making these big raises and then giving up on the flop, then you are throwing money away. Plus, once you hit a hand with this strategy then a knowledgable player will realize what you're up to so you're giving him a license to steal from you. He'll call your raise and then bet into you, knowing that you'll raise if you hit or fold if you miss. You should occasionally play a hand with this strategy(raise with a drawing hand), but you need to fire away at the flop if you do. It'll add a little changeup to your play so people don't know you only raise your premium hands.

These types of hands thrive on implied odds and want cheap flops. Preflop raising severely reduces your implied odds and raising to build a pot to give you odds to chase is just a bad idea.

You should listen to your buddy.

DeepBlue · Joined: 19 Dec 2005 Posts: 9

As much as your theory makes sense, he calls you or even reraises you and you're committed. At 2/3 your stack, this will be a double up or it will be your last hand.

A pair of 5's, whilst reasonable mid-end of a game, not worth you whole stack on just yet.