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maldini
02-22-2005, 05:22 PM
i play mostly $10 SNGs on PS. I've noticed that my biggest issue lately is the following situation: when the game is 4-6 players and the blinds are large relative to stacks, i often predict that a certain player is going to raise b/c he is on Button or SB with limpers in front and a small stack size. I cannot tell you how many times i've been correct and repop with A-x or K-face only to lose a big pot when i'm shown a good hand by the original raiser.

Question: in your opinions is this short term variance or am i giving players at this level too much credit for craftiness? I'm certain that this is not a case of my remembering bad results and forgetting good results.

Additionally, is it good strategy in general? perhaps these holdings of mine dont play well after the flop so i should abandon this maneuver altogether unless i'm desperate?

thanks in advance for the help.

Apathy
02-22-2005, 05:30 PM
I think you figured this one out for yourself in the last paragraph of your post. You figure an opponent is going to steal with a large portion of hands, and then react to it by pushing a mediocre hand too hard.

It is difficult to say just from your post but my guess is your problem is overplaying weak aces and broadway cards when you ahve little folding equity (i.e. you opponents are pot commited.)

Try posting some specific hands like you are talking about and we can help you more.

Mez
02-22-2005, 05:38 PM
Agree with Apathy -

Also watch if these player's raises get themselves pot-stuck. If so, your fold equity is severly reduced

Slim Pickens
02-22-2005, 05:39 PM
Being shown good hands might be considered "variance" in a sense, but when the other players at the table are loosening their raising standards, you should be widening your gap. Let the other players take coin flips here, where one side is elimination and the other side is 1/5 of the chips in play. At a $10 tournament someone will, and that's +$EV for you with your cards in the muck.

Slim

maldini
02-22-2005, 06:43 PM
[ QUOTE ]
Being shown good hands might be considered "variance" in a sense, but when the other players at the table are loosening their raising standards, you should be widening your gap.
Slim

[/ QUOTE ]

i hear you, but when blinds are coming around fast you have to gamble or else you'll by short and called by less than premium hands when you open with a good hand.

regarding apathy: you're right that i should consider fold equity more here. seems like these players love to take coin flips. if i put him on a steal, should i not push with A-x if i think i'm ahead? the problem has been that i think i'm ahead and often am dominated.

bottom line seems to be that i'm taking too much risk here with players that wont fold anyway. even if i'm ahead its likely to only be 60/40 if we get it all in, which is bad.

do yall open raise 3 or 4 handed with any of J-10, Q-10 or K-10? call a raise 3 or 4 handed with any of these?

Slim Pickens
02-22-2005, 07:24 PM
[ QUOTE ]
i hear you, but when blinds are coming around fast you have to gamble or else...

[/ QUOTE ]
WIDEN GAP: Push with more. Call with less.
GAMBOOL: Push with more. Call with everything.
Don't gambool.

[ QUOTE ]
do yall open raise 3 or 4 handed with any of J-10, Q-10 or K-10? call a raise 3 or 4 handed with any of these?

[/ QUOTE ]
When you can't play viably with your remaining chips after posting the next round of blinds, you might as well be pushing any two. Think about this situation:

Hero (t1250) is UTG 5-handed against MP(t3600), CO(t2000), button(t1500), SB(t700), and BB(t950). Blinds are 150/300. Let's say Hero pushes. SB and BB must hold all but a premium hand that stands to be a 2:1 favorite at worst to call. Why would you risk going out in 5th for less than 1/10 of the chips in play unless you were sure you'd be a strong favorite to win the hand? If the big stacks are poor players, you might be called with a marginal hand, and therefore it's good to have at least some chance of winning if you are called by a typical poor-player all-in calling hand, like A-rag or low pocket pairs. Therefore, I like your open raise hand standards, but they need to be big raises. You do not want callers. If you have less than 10BB left, it's an autopush.

As for calling with anything that's not AA-JJ or AK, um... no, no, and hell no.

Slim