Irritating Little Hands Like This One

If you put the bettor on a sort of auto-bet with position, as I did here, how often do you try to take down this pot? What do you look for in deciding when to, say, raise this guy?

I feel like I give up on too many of these pots where the flop probably didn't hit anybody.


Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $50, .50 BB (10 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

BB ($73.05)
UTG ($64.55)
UTG+1 ($38)
UTG+2 ($49.15)
MP1 ($64.10)
MP2 ($48.50)
MP3 ($29.20)
CO ($50.55)
Button ($40.65)
Hero ($50.65)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 7/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif. Hero posts a blind of $0.25.
<font color="#666666">4 folds</font>, MP2 calls $0.50, MP3 calls $0.50, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, Hero (poster) completes, BB checks.

Flop: ($2) 4/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 9/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="#0000FF">(4 players)</font>
Hero checks, BB checks, MP2 checks, <font color="#CC3333">MP3 bets $1.5</font>, Hero folds, BB folds, MP2 folds.

Final Pot: $3.50

[ QUOTE ]
What do you look for in deciding when to, say, raise this guy?

[/ QUOTE ]
Top pair or better.

[DoomSlice]

You don't win many pots from the SB without a hand. End of story.

[robertsonjohn]

I probably give up too many of these hands as well, but if you're going to make a stand with A high, do you really want to do so with 2 more people to act after you?

[DoomSlice]

If you're going to make a stand with A high, get a better kicker.

Of course, I folded this hand. I meant to start a general discussion, ask general advice, solicit general comments on when to make a stab. Clearly I did not think this was the time to do so, right?

[vulturesrow]

AS you pointed out, this probably isnt the optimal situation. I prefer to be in position, with a decent hand, although I have smoked guys with big raises a few times with any two cards. There is two ways to go about it. You can call him down if you think he'll keep betting into you. The advantage is that if you are indeed ahead, you end up winning a better pot. The disadvantage is that it doesnt quite send the message that a brutal raise does, which is basically "think twice before autobetting the flop if you are headsup with me". I dont have any hard and fast guidelines on when I think it is time to make this move. Basically once I get tired of the guy betting at me.