Raise, call or fold preflop with this hand?
I played a hand tonight where I was on the fence about what the optimal plays was and I kept wondering what others out in forum-land would do. It doesn't matter to me how the hand ran out, but I'm just curious as to how a lot of people would play this hand preflop.
I'm in a 1/2 game that plays more like a 2/5. It's a 9-ring table with stacks ranging from $200-$800. I have around $600 behind.
I'm dealt Ad9d in the BB.
UTG+1 makes it $20
LJ calls
CO calls
The remaining players fold to me.
With three other players in the hand and the original bet coming from a fairly early position, I didn't like this situation. On the other hand, part of me was thinking that the pot odds were decent for my suited ace.
Thoughts?
15 Replies
Pot odds are decent, and furthermore you have good relative position on the raiser, so you can check to him and see what he and everyone else does, then make your move.
This is a call as long as you don't fall in love with an A-high board with no diamonds.
Arguments for all three options here and it's probably not a huge deal either way. If +1 is either somewhat reasonable or somewhat tight then I'd default to a fold. You're getting almost no discount to call and are only really comfortable if you make the nuts, everything else you're are on thin ice.
UTG+1 made it $20 with no limps and no straddle? I would fold this hand to that raise size, even if it was the standard size at the table. It's a gargantuan raise, and technically you only need to defend your strongest hands here. If it's not a standard raise size, UTG is more likely to be strong, and A9 is more likely to be dominated. Plus, it just sucks to give action to the types of nits who raise to $20 with JJ/AK+ and $12 with everything else.
This is a really big sizing from EP. You can just fold everything marginal and flat 22-QQ and 3b AA KK AK. Any reads on UTG1 would be useful, if we had say JJ or QQ, specifically if he uses multiple sizings pre. A9 is a fold.
A2-4 and A6-9 I will limp from an early position so that I can hopefully get a cheap look at a flop. From late position it's a raise or a reraise, but in this case I elected to fold it. Had the initial raise been less, had it come from a later position or if there were only one or two in the hand I probably would have called.
Of course what happened is the flop comes 5d Ac 10d. Turn comes Qd so I would have done a lot of damage had I stayed in, but I was curious as to what everyone else's preflop decision would have been. It seems for most it's a judgement call and could go either way.
10x raise, no thanks. Yeah I know the "pot odds" look decent but you have $2 invested and will be out of position.
Aside from this being a huge raise, you haven't told us the stack sizes of the opponents in the hand.
Likely folding.
Oop 3b or fold vs huge sizing.
Most likely fold, never calling.
In btn we can think about calling/3betting. It also depends on initial raiser stacks.
If initial raiser stacks are 300 or less always folding no matter position.
If initial raiser covers, then we can think about playing poker.
Fold > 3! > call.
3! would be more of an exploit against the players for having weak ranges and overfolding.
One thing I should emphasize from my original post is that this game plays bigger than a 1/2. A $15-$20 raise is fairly standard for this game so it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
Had I held A5 or A10 suited, then I would have 3b.
One thing I should emphasize from my original post is that this game plays bigger than a 1/2. A $15-$20 raise is fairly standard for this game so it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.
Had I held A5 or A10 suited, then I would have 3b.
That doesn't really matter though. What matters is the sizing relative to your stack, creating lower spr and you're oop the entire hand. This is a very common spot even some tryhards miss (vloggers, etc.). This is just a very standard fold PF. I don't think 3betting A5s or even ATs is going to be very good given the stack sizes and overall massive opens, either. Maybe ATs is borderline OK.
I'm just folding. BTW there's no material difference between calling here in BB vs. SB.
I guess it depends on your relative skill level.
At 1/2, with this many people in the hand you know some will be terrible and it is unlikely any one is very good.
Most players even at mid stakes are worse multi way. So if you are good multi way Folding here is pretty bad.
As someone pointed out, we have good relative position. We also have the widest range and a wider perceived range if anybody actually thinks about the fact we are the bb.
We also have a good nut making making/cooler hand.
If you think calling here is good idk what else to say to you.
