Confused about SSH recommendations + cold calling

[Dondo]

I'm reading the Miller/Sklansky/Malmuth book now, and I'm a bit confused on the pre-flop loose game recommendations on page 82 with regards to their cold-calling suggestions. I'm not sure if I just don't understand the concept of cold calling or if I'm misreading the pre-flop recommendations, or both.

In particular, it says under Against a Raise in early position to play "any pocket pair." But it does not suggest to reraise with "any pocket pair." To me, "play" would mean to call the raise with my pocket pair, but this seems like cold calling since there would be two bets (big blind and the raise) that I would be calling. Perhaps it is assumed that the raise happens to my left?

thanks!
Dondo

[RiverTheNuts]

I think theyre just trying to kick us noobs out of cold calling habits... but for online play lots of people have said to go more along the lines of the tight game preflop outlines, if that helps or makes sense more

[Dondo]

sort of.. but even then, it says to play AKs-AJs in early position in the tight games recommendations, but only says to reraise AKs. Does that mean we cold call with AQs and AJs?

[Wright Patterson]

You've got it right - you are cold-calling in this case.

Perhaps you're confused because you remember reading elsewhere in the text that you should rarely cold-call an early raise (p. 61, "Cold-Calling Raises with Mediocre Hands").

The distinction in the chart on p. 82, however, is that you're playing in a game where from 6 to 8 players regularly see the flop even with an early raise. Now you cold-call with any pocket pair, knowing that it will likely be a multiway pot and flopping a set will on average be very profitable.

If it were a tight game, then your cold-call with any pocket pair would be wrong and the advice on p. 61 would apply.

[Dondo]

yes, that was exactly my confusion.. the p. 61 advice..

thanks for the clarification!