Preflop raise

[limodude]

I have read the SS book three times now and I have a question. Obviously the book promotes a tight/aggresive style. But at my local card room it seems like every hand that I should preflop raise with does not get people to fold. So in the later rounds of betting it now gives people the proper pot odds to draw out on me. What am I doing wrong? And I am following the starting hand requirements to a T.

[Entity]

[ QUOTE ]
But at my local card room it seems like every hand that I should preflop raise with does not get people to fold.

[/ QUOTE ]
Then you have great game selection, and a slightly malformed understanding of why you raise preflop.

I'd recommend rereading SSH.

Rob

[chief444]

Read the book a fourth time. In the meantime keep raising.

[limodude]

Am I wrong to believe that I am PF raising to build the pot while weeding out draws and therefore buying outs?

[Entity]

[ QUOTE ]
Am I wrong to believe that I am PF raising to build the pot while weeding out draws and therefore buying outs?

[/ QUOTE ]
You are preflop raising because:

1) You think you've got the best hand, and some of them will call with much worse hands (value).

2) You would like to limit some hands that thrive on limplied odds (56s and the like) to either pay too much, killing their implied odds, or fold.

I'd say #1 is much more important than #2, but they both come into play. If they call with worse hands, fine -- you're happy. Just remember that you aren't going to win every hand you raise preflop.

Rob

[carlo]

TP,good kicker plays well against a small field which is the reason for the raise and works better against a tight game(4 or less to the flop). That is why you raised but your game sounds like loose/passive in which case your raise offers no relief. Raising requirements have to increase in this game and playing drawing hands is important. Also small pocket pairs in hopes of hitting a set is a good play.

NOt only the raising requirements but the timing of the raise is important(position,# of callers, flop,turn,river,etc.). Raising by rote is never a good idea and you have to adjust to the specifics of your table.

Forget the book if its rote and think about the position and your understanding of what will happen. The book is a guide but most authors state things like"if you feel you're ahead then do this". Of course, but you have to obtain your own "feel".

regards,
carlo

[carlo]

By the way, Ed Millers Small Stakes Holdem book speaks specifically to your game. I'd read this and see how it fits but you'll have to find your own way no matter what.
Modifying it to your specifications will make you a much stronger player rather than attempting to do everything you "THINK" he says.

regards,
carlo

P.S. I believe SS relates to Doyle Brunson's Super System in which Bobby Baldwin speaks to Limit Holdem. If you were relating to Ed Millers' book then disregard this post but not entirely. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ErrantNight]

if you're raising in the right spots but having trouble post flop.... reread the postflop sections :-) and go back and work on the theory BEHIND when to raise and why you're doing it in those situations...

I'm not saying the next reading will make you "get" it, but go back to the book. see what it says about games where lots of people are seeing the flop for multiple bets. hint: you're in a loose game, and you're dealing a lot with big pots. how do your opponents play after the flop? are lots of other people raising? after you raise preflop, is your postflop play totally predictable, so that even poor poker players that see you play a lot pick up on your habits?

etc. etc. etc.

good luck

[Stork]

[ QUOTE ]
I have read the SS book three times now and I have a question. Obviously the book promotes a tight/aggresive style. But at my local card room it seems like every hand that I should preflop raise with does not get people to fold. So in the later rounds of betting it now gives people the proper pot odds to draw out on me. What am I doing wrong? And I am following the starting hand requirements to a T.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't get how you could have read the book 3 times, and every time missed the section that dealt specifically with this exact question.

[Monty Cantsin]

[ QUOTE ]
TP,good kicker plays well against a small field which is the reason for the raise...

[/ QUOTE ]

Not exactly. This is the same basic misunderstanding as the original poster.

I agree with your comments about not playing by rote.

/mc

[carlo]

Not to be difficult and I certainly can misunderstand but would you clarify? Exactly please. I will state that the reason for the raise can be multifaceted and my post stated that clearing the field is the only reason and I stand corrected. All in all, please edify.

regards,
carlo

[Monty Cantsin]

[ QUOTE ]
I will state that the reason for the raise can be multifaceted and my post stated that clearing the field is the only reason and I stand corrected.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's exactly what I meant. Saying the reason for raising pre-flop is to limit the field is misleading. You shouldn't mind people calling with worse hands because this makes you money. You also shouldn't mind if they fold, which also makes you money. What you don't want is to have them pay the minimal amount to see a flop. There can be many additional advantages to raising a strong hand pre-flop - buying the button, taking control, gaining folding equity, etc - but the primary reason is this: to make other hands pay double or fold, not simply to make them fold.

/mc