Taking a shot with A4o

[Spicymoose]

Clueless player limps UTG, LAG poster checks from the CO, and I raise A4o from the button with weak-tight players in the blinds.

Is this bad?

[rmarotti]

I like it, but I bet most don't.

[SeaEagle]

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I like it, but I bet most don't.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not even especially aggressive and I think this is a standard play (assuming the limper is really loose). You figure to have the best hand right now and so this is a simple value raise that should also put some dead money in the pot and give you extra fold equity when you bet the flop.

[mtgordon]

I'm curious as to why this is a standard play. I'm a fairly new player (started playing 3-4 months ago). I've read SSH (a couple of times) and am starting to read HEFAP but I don't recall running into anything that says to raise in that situation. Have I just not gotten far enough in HEFAP or is it just something that you pick up on after playing for a while?

Also, how do you proceed with such a hand? Let's say the flop is K 8 3 rainbow. If it's checked to you it seems like an obvious bet. What if someone bets into you though? Fold? What if there's an A on the flop and someone bets into you? Any advice you can give would be appreciated.

mtgordon

[Spicymoose]

This move is kind of like a blind steal. If UTG hadn't limped this would be an extremely easy raise, as you have so much dead money in the pot, and the blinds are likely to fold (SB and BB are both tight, and the poster in the CO checked indicating weakness). The presence of the limper made this tough for me, but given the fact that this player was pretty bad, I figured I could make up for it by his poor post flop play.

Yes, the plan is to bet almost any flop that is checked to you. If the board were extremely coordinated, I might not bet, but otherwise you bet and hope to take the pot there. If a player bets into you and you have nothing, it is a pretty easy fold, but if you caught some piece of it, you play as you normally would.

[oreogod]

If u are pretty sure the blinds will fold, sure I guess so...as well if the UTG is limping with any random hand its possible u have preflop equity.

It works if u have mad post flop skills to, as there are a few situations that ppl might find themselves uncomfortable with holding this hand if u hit something on the flop.