The Big Blind

I've got a couple of questions about BB pre-flop plays in my first shot at 20-40.


I sat down and mucked hands for about two rounds, and then got AKo in the BB. Mid-position player (MP) raised. Solid player to my right in the SB objected for some time that MP was string-raising, then finally three-bets when the dealer kept disagreeing. I called. Should I have capped here?


Later in the night, a live player (LP) who had gone all in with pocket aces, hit a huge lucky streak. LP started raising a lot of pre-flop hands, a disproportionate number (I thought) when I was the BB -- he was one off the button when I was the BB. I generally mucked to his raises, but then got 4s5s and called a raise. Was my hand too weak to make this call correct?

Jen,


With the AK I think it's best to cap it and play the flop fairly hard because:


1) If the initial raiser folds, you're in great shape as last aggressor head up in position.


2) If you've established a tight or timid image, this is how you cash in on the investment.


With the 4-5, auto-muck in my opinion. Doesn't matter if the raiser has raised every hand for a year. There'll be better spots, especially against him.


Tommy

Hey Tommy, I was unsure of calling in both cases, so I thought I'd post. I ended up winning both hands by the turn, pair of aces for the first hand and straight on the second.


On the first, I thought my play was too weak. On the second, I played because I like suited connectors, I'd seen LP raise with 46o, and I was getting tired of him raising me out of my BB. But I questioned the call afterwards.

My thinking would be that you can't get a person to slow down by playing aces and kings in the big blind because they can rationalize your call. By calling with the 4/5, you send a message. The one thing that has to be done in this situation is to play the 4/5 very fast if you have any part of the flop.