Agressive $25 NL games

[aceragclubs]

Hi all. First post over here, I've gone from playing mostly tournaments back to low limit NL, where I started making a little money last year. I normally 4-table on party, with mixed results, although I show a long term small profit. Sometimes the game seems to play itself...and other times I get on aggressive tables. By that I mean that almost every time I limp with 99, AQ, etc....it is raised to $2 or $3 from .50. I normally don't like to raise with these hands myself, because you either win the blinds (.75), or are out of position with a tough hand to play. I guess my question is, what kinds of hands do you call the raise with? Seems like putting 10% of my money in with pairs below 10's or AQ when I might be dominated isn't +EV. But, I really feel weak tight and often dwindle down to $15 or so from my original $25 when i fold lots of these or don't hit the flop. Any thoughts? Thanks,

Aceragclubs

[excession]

The stacks are so short at Party that you can usually count on getting a maniac all-in if you hit your set. Personally with at least $25 stacks I will call up to $3 with these (more if both stacks are deeper or the pot is likely to be multiway at the flop)

On the more standard NL tables, a rule of thumb that I have heard from good NL players is to call with a small/medium pair if both your stack and the raiser's stack are at least 10x the price of a call.

Obviously with a maniac behind who is likely to re-raise, folding becomes more attractive.

Certainly in LP (and sometimes in MP on a passive table) I find medium pairs worth a standard raise pre-flop. If a raise means AA-JJ or AK only I find you get too little action so you have to raise a bit more and medium pairs are ideal candidates.
I will then often bet out irrespective of flop for one just under pot-sized bet.

[aceragclubs]

Thanks. I understand and have heard the 10% rule for trying to flop sets. More often it's calling with hands like 99 and having a flop of 10-5-2 or even 7-3-2, that I'm not sure what to do with. I think I may be ahead, but could very well be dominated by a bigger pair. Do you advocate betting into the raiser in these situations, and folding to a raise? Sometime I will fold overpairs because I don't want to get involved with KK or something and lose my whole stack.

Aceragclubs

[amoeba]

on the flop, if you are in position, I like a bet. If you are out of position, I like a raise as PF bettor almost always autobets the flop.

If you are playing 6 max, I think you should be raising 99, AQ instead of limping. I think even in late position in full ring, you should raise these hands. While limping in will make you feel better about your kicker should you hit a pair with AQ, you are also letting many more limpers in who could hit 2 pair, big draw, etc... and if they don't have anything that beats top pair, they usually won't call your flop bet so you don't make that much. Thats why raising with AQ is a good idea in most positions.

as to calling preflop raises with AQ, its highly dependent on the villain. I only do it if I know hte villain pretty well and that I am in position. For example, if I know that he lays down his AK to a flop bet when he misses the flop or fold his JJ to a flop bet when overs flop, I will probably call with AQ preflop in position. Also remember that with AQ, a Q high flop is your ideal flop.

[aceragclubs]

I have only played full ring $25 NL, so these situations are always 9 or 10 handed, not 6. I would raise 99 or AQ for sure in 6 handed, probably in any position. The problem again is the low stack size compared to the betting. Say you have $25, you limp with 99 UTG+1, and it's raised to $2. One other person calls, and you do too, to see a flop or 10-5-3 or 8-5-2. So the pot is about $7. Mushi said to bet out twice the pot on the flop. Well, that would leave me with $9, which isn't much to work with. I know there are some fish on party, but I can't see AK or AQ calling that bet. Basically, you only get called by a better hand. Check-raising the flop doesn't leave you much to work with either, although you can get a few more dollars out of them with their bet if they have overcards. I guess there's no easy solution to this problem.

[amoeba]

if its fullring and its not headsup to the flop, I go by the set or fold rule with 99.

if its headsup, I need a good read on how villain plays AK, AQ on missed flops before deciding what to do.