Pre flop check up posts.
I thought it would be helpful to start an ongoing thread where people can post pre flop situations they have questions about. I realize that what once may have been a fold could be a call these days. Hopefully we can hone in on what the winners are doing these days
Provide relevant reads, position, image, number of players, what game etc. If you can explain the reasoning behind your response that would be great.
I'll start with a couple. 8/16 9 handed. My image is tight but capable of opening or isolating lightly.
Hand 1) loose UTG limps, Loose CO calls, I have Kd4d on the button. Blinds are TAGs.
Hand 2) loose UTG limps, tight and st forward post flop HJ raises(88+ AQ+ KJs+ ATs+), very loose and big time calling staton calls in CO, folded to us in SB with Ac6c. BB is tight.
I'm hoping this can be a place where anytime you run into that marginal spot you can post it and learn.
Thanks!
I’d perhaps fold junky offsuit kings and truly weak offsuit connected cards, but I’d still play stuff like A2o, 97o, etc.
Yes this makes sense, I was going to ask in more detail...K4o muck, 95o muck, 63o etc. Thanks too all, I will start a little tighter than this, this will help my postf game get better.
4/8 standard game.
Typical 4/8 player open limps from the CO, you have middle SCs like 56, 78 etc. OTB.
There is a 98% chance the BB will call a raise and about 75% the SB will.
Are you limping or raising?
Is folding an option especially in a high rake game?
I know that sounds very weak but 6 high doesn’t play very well against three players especially sticky ones.
If I was playing 4/8 I’d be raising 100%.
If you can hand read extremely well and know what board textures are good for you to be bluffing (sometimes for three streets), I believe raising is pretty high variance but profitable.
If you are mostly trying to play tight/solid poker and show down the best hand, then folding is the best option.
If I was playing 4/8 I’d be raising 100%.
If you can hand read extremely well and know what board textures are good for you to be bluffing (sometimes for three streets), I believe raising is pretty high variance but profitable.
If you are mostly trying to play tight/solid poker and show down the best hand, then folding is the best option.
+1
Let’s say you have pocket deuces in this same spot. What’s your best play?
If I was playing 4/8 I’d be raising 100%.
If you can hand read extremely well and know what board textures are good for you to be bluffing (sometimes for three streets), I believe raising is pretty high variance but profitable.
If you are mostly trying to play tight/solid poker and show down the best hand, then folding is the best option.
No. Rake always wins when edges are small and when you play 100% of hands you are already giving up a lot if equity preflop even to the 50% of hands players.
I folded 33 in this spot recently.
In a similar spot yesterday had 44 against an unknown player CO limp and tight blinds so I raised, got HU bet the ragged flop and turn only to get CR'd.
Normally an obvious fold but decided I wanted to see what he was limping from the CO so paid him off, he had limped with Q6s and flopped 2p.
Maybe thats a fold PF too even to iso.
Im def raising 66. 55 feels okay-ish. 44 I’m folding.
Normally with 22-44 I’ll fold but occasionally I’ll limp if the lineup is right. If I flop a set great, otherwise I mostly fold. Folding, limping, and raising in this spot is probably pretty close. I think the problem with raising is most of the time the flop isn’t favorable and I of course feel obligated to bet the flop and I’m increasing how much I will lose. These spots don’t come up very often and 4/8 plays differently than the bigger games and the rakes are very different.
I’m not entirely convinced these spots are unprofitable in a 4/8 game but if I were coaching someone I would want them to fold.
I think DC misread your post and thought you were suggesting raising 100% of hands, rather than saying you'd be raising the types of hands described by killians "100%." FWIW I think 76s is close in a high-rake environment and 65s would be a fold. Also agree with folding 44-22.
Normally with 22-44 I’ll fold but occasionally I’ll limp if the lineup is right. If I flop a set great, otherwise I mostly fold. Folding, limping, and raising in this spot is probably pretty close. I think the problem with raising is most of the time the flop isn’t favorable and I of course feel obligated to bet the flop and I’m increasing how much I will lose. These spots don’t come up very often and 4/8 plays differently than the bigger games and the rakes are very different.
Limping on button with one limper with 22-44 is bad. This is not the kind of action we are looking for with small pairs. I’d want to see at least three limps to consider limping along with those hands. Tight-passive is the worst lineup configuration for small pairs. To be clear, even if the game is good, if one person limps in front of you, you should still be folding the smallest pairs.
Small pairs are profitable with 5+ people and unprofitable with less. So yeah that’s a great rule of thumb
I think DC misread your post and thought you were suggesting raising 100% of hands, rather than saying you'd be raising the types of hands described by killians "100%." FWIW I think 76s is close in a high-rake environment and 65s would be a fold. Also agree with folding 44-22.
This is true.
I think we rarely have a chance of getting HU vs limper in a 4/8 game. I can’t remember what was said about the blinds but I generally assume avg player at that level is overdefending.
In my example the blinds were tight(rare in 4/8 game for sure) and I raised with the 44 to get HU. The V was unknown so probably not the best play. Against a known weak player, a maybe?
Typical 4/8 LP game, some(not all) of the players are limping heavy with hands like AKo, AQs, QQ, JJ. One or possibly 2 may even limp AA-KK.
You are in the SB or BB, 3 limps to you-
1. ATs
2. AJo
3. 88-99
Raise
4/8 game with a KILL on. The KILL is SB. You are MP. 8 handed
UTG folds, not terrible player limps, I have KJo.
BTN is laggish and will raise/3 bet somewhat light. If BB has the right suiteds he will raise/3!/cap.
Whats my plan? I limped which I think was wrong based on the table.
Same table a little later, also a Kill- new tighter old guy to my right. Kill is the LAGGY BTN.
I am MP again. Fold, Old guy raises, I look down at 87s.
I folded which I think was correct based on the table.
Thanks for opinions.
