AJ on the button

[Ms 45]

You're on the button with AJ, and there are 3 limpers ahead of you (all 3 play a little too loose). Both blinds are loose and at least one of them is apt to play if you raise. Do you call or raise? Why?

In HEPFAP, the advice is to call in a situation like this and keep the pot small. It seems to me, however, that a raise is a better play because you get more money in with the best hand, and if the flop is an airball you can usually get a free card when they check to the raiser.

Comments?

[4thstreetpete]

[ QUOTE ]
You're on the button with AJ, and there are 3 limpers ahead of you (all 3 play a little too loose). Both blinds are loose and at least one of them is apt to play if you raise. Do you call or raise? Why?

In HEPFAP, the advice is to call in a situation like this and keep the pot small. It seems to me, however, that a raise is a better play because you get more money in with the best hand, and if the flop is an airball you can usually get a free card when they check to the raiser.

Comments?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll have to disagree here. There was a time when I thought this situation requires an automatic raise but now I think my game has matured a bit.

You didn't really specify at what limits this was but I'll throw in my 2 cents for all it's worth.

I think if you raise at this point you're pretty much guaranteed that the three limpers will call and maybe at least one of the blinds will also, if like you say they are loose.

Your AJ may be the best hand going in but it's not a particularly strong hand. Mind you I'm a very aggressive player but in this situation I think you're giving the players pot odds to call you down.

For example, one limper may have KJo another may have 67 suited, etc. By you raising the pot even if some of the limpers missed the flop they may be inclined to call one more bet on the cheap street to see if they will catch something, anything. Because now there's enough money in the pot for them to do so. They may even be right to do so as well.

If say you didn't raise, they 'may' fold their hand if they missed the flop if there was action afterwards. With a hand like AJ you definately don't want so many callers. I say keep the pot small and it gives you a chance to get out without much damage if you miss completely.

[Boopotts]

I raise if I'm pretty sure I can lay down to a check raise on the turn (this assumes I flopped top pair). If I'm against players who I wouldn't feel comfortable making this lay down against, I flat call. The reason has to do with what kind of reverse-implied odds I'm going to give if I hit. Against players whom I can't fold against, I'm giving them excellent odds to chase almost everything if they hit post-flop, since I'm going to pay off like a slot machine when they spike two pair. Against players who will not check-raise me without the goods I really like the pre-flop raise, since I'm getting more money in the pot when I'm ahead, and will in most cases only continue pumping money in when I remain ahead.

[juanez]

With 3 loose limpers I raise on the button. You probably have the best hand preflop. Letting loose limpers in cheap is a bad idea when they routinely limp with any ace, any king, JTo and worse.

[Noo Yawk]

HEFAP was written for games containing better players.

Against the players you describe you should be raising. You don't ever want to give the blinds free or cheap plays when you have a hand that figures to be ahead of the trash most limpers will come in with. As far as suckouts and keeping the pot small go, yeah you'll lose a few, but the ones you win will be a whole lot bigger. Push every edge you have, and don't worry about some garbage hand getting the proper odds to chase.