03-22-05, LearnTexasHoldem:
Raising More In Loose No Limit Games
My question is whether I should change my strategy when it comes to the money I am betting. For example, a starting hand in a normal game that would be a fold I might try and limp with in the loose games, however I don't know whether I should similarly upgrade other starting hands. By using the same logic, if I get a marginal hand I would limp with on a normal table, I should raise at the loose table; a big hand I would normally raise with, I would come in with a huge raise.
I can see the logic in this - if I'm going to be loose, I should be loose consistently - but then I think - they're still the same cards, still with the same chance percentages to get beat. So the best thing is to see every flop as cheaply as possible except for the really huge hands - Aces, Kings, Queens, Slick - where I bet extra big to get people to fold crap.
Which strategy makes the most sense?
Brian O'Neill
Top 3 Beginner Rooms
Answer: First of all, you raise preflop in no limit holdem for a number of different reasons. Obviously you want to up the stakes when you have a good hand, but just as important, you want to limit the competition so it suits your hand better. A hand like AA does very well against 2 or 3 opponents. Any more than 3 opponents and you are asking for trouble since their collective drawing power will give you a run for the money.
You mentioned that even raises or 4x the blind amount aren't treated with any seriousness and 6 or more people still take the flop. If that is the case, do what you said and up the amount you are raising. Some games are so loose that you can raise far more than 4x and still get a couple callers. Don't be rigid in your betting and raising amounts, always try to adjust them to the players. I read all the time in poker literature how raising the same amount everytime is best since your opponents will have a harder time getting a read.
I don't agree. If you know that Player A is an idiot an you can milk him for more money, then you would be stupid for not betting more. I don't see anything wrong with "giving" away information to my opponents since I am fully aware of the signals. I like mind games. Most people are used to being faced with the same size bet each time. Compare their thought process when faced with a standard bet to when I make a weird sized bet.
Now they have a new host of things to think about in addition to whether they want to call, raise or fold. The more variables in the mix, the more confusing it is and the more likely they are to make mistakes. Then when I go back to making a standard raise or bet, it that has a new context too that they have to try to figure out. So raise amounts that will get the results you are looking for.
As for raising with non-premium hands too because you assume they are ahead and everyone else has trash, you might. When I play in no limit cash games and I have a hand in the back (late position), I'll often at least double the size of the big blind. That does a number of things. First of all, it sometimes works as a filter for slow players. They are hoping someone will raise behind them so they can spring the trap with AA, KK, etc. By raising just a little preflop (even with crappy hands), I can dodge their bullets.
Secondly, when you raise a little in the back often, people lose respect for you, which obviously has advantages when you actually do have a good hand. Next, in no limit holdem there is the concept of "building a pot." The more money that goes in preflop, the larger the subsequent bets on the flop, turn and river will be. Since you have the best position and can make good decisions later in the hand, giving up a little money early on is worth it. Do I do this every hand? No. Don't take anything you read, here or else where, and apply it to every situation. It's just another thing you can add to your arsenal. So to finish up, yeah I would raise them with some other hands too for the reasons above.
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