Need help plugging leaks in my stud game

I'm not sure if I'm being aggressive enough first of all. Many times when I have a hand like 3 flush on 3rd street with 2 or less cards dead, I don't raise without a decent doorcard, even if I have two decent non-dead cards in the hole. Should I be?

Secondly, when I have three flush and fail to improve on 4th street, I often peel a card. Is this correct? Should I only do it in multi-way pots or is it never correct? Is it ok if your pocket cards remain live and you believe you will be best if you catch a pair, even heads-up?

Third, I sometimes splash around with low pairs, both split and pocket. I usually don't if a high doorcard raises in front of me, but if I limp in I usually call the raise if I limp and then a high doorcard raises behind me. Should I only play pocket low pairs for the value of concealed trips? I think I can continue with low split pairs only if opponents are bad enough to pay me off if I hit trips, but I want your opinion. Should I only play low pairs, both split and pocket if I have a good, live kicker?

What about against a maniac who raises every high doorcard? How should you play middle pairs or 3 flush when I know that I'll be facing continual betting from the maniac? Should you simply counter with more aggression or just wait for premium starting hands?

Thanks in advance.

It would be helpful to know what limits you're playing to answer these questions, but here goes anyway. Other people may disagree with some of what I say here, but it would probably help you (and me) to hear their reasons for what they say.

Raising with a three flush is generally not mandatory, and requires at least one and preferably two overcards to any possible pairs, as well as a live suit (no more than one card out in a full ring). The main aim of doing this is to get heads-up, so if this is unlikely, as is often the case at low limits, you can always wait and see if you improve. If you have something like A /images/graemlins/heart.gif K /images/graemlins/heart.gif J /images/graemlins/heart.gif you should complete/raise as long as your cards are reasonably live, as you have a lot of equity.

According to 7CSFAP, you should peel a card about 60% of the time with a three flush after 4 cards. The key factors include how live your suit is, whether you have any straight potential, how many players are in the pot (the more the better), overcards to a probable pair and whether you made any pair. Heads-up, I would only peel one off with a live suit, at least one overcard and either a pair or three straight. In a five way pot, I'd probably take one off most of the time unless my suit was reasonably dead.

Moving on to small pairs. I would always take off a card with a fully live pair in the hole if I could get in for the bring-in - other posters will disagree with this, but I think that I make money doing this. You have to be able to fold the hand on fourth when you miss, and on third if you are reraised, though. This works best if you close the action or if there's one player with a low door to go. If you have a good kicker (fully live and higher than any possible pair, and preferably an Ace or King, or, alternatively in a multi-way pot, a very live straight flush card (eg 7 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 8 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif)) then your hand is much more playable. Again, according to 7CSFAP a hand like 4 /images/graemlins/spade.gif A /images/graemlins/spade.gif 4 /images/graemlins/heart.gif is playable for a full bet if it is very live, although a number of posters here don't like this, and it possibly depends on the ante structure. Playing split low pairs without a good kicker is a good way to burn money, especially if some or all of your opponents will fold if you pair your door card early on.

I think the best way to play a maniac is to wait until you have real hands to play against him, assuming he usually goes to the river. You can see someone drop whole buy-ins very quickly playing far too aggressively because he gets picked off by a different player on each hand. Remember that you have to beat everyone in the pot, not just the maniac.

[PoorLawyer]

[ QUOTE ]


Raising with a three flush is generally not mandatory, and requires at least one and preferably two overcards to any possible pairs, as well as a live suit (no more than one card out in a full ring). The main aim of doing this is to get heads-up, so if this is unlikely, as is often the case at low limits, you can always wait and see if you improve. If you have something like A /images/graemlins/heart.gif K /images/graemlins/heart.gif J /images/graemlins/heart.gif you should complete/raise as long as your cards are reasonably live, as you have a lot of equity.


[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think the goal is always to get someone to fold. I think a raise is often better in late position with a lot of limpers, because they will usually call the completion and you are getting more money in the pot with an equity edge. If you open raise with a big 3 flush you are cutting down your action, but it is good in that it disguises your hand and good if you hit one of your overpairs. Basically, I think getting more money in the pot with your equity edge and tying people to the pot with their dog hands when you hit your flush is more important than thinning the field on third.

I think that's part of it, but with say QJ7 /images/graemlins/heart.gif and no other cards above a ten, you wouldn't mind being heads-up against the ten, given that you can then win by making jacks or queens up, or even just the one big pair. With the really big flush draws, you want more money in the pot, but it's less important to get people out, or that's what I understood from 7CSFAP.

[PoorLawyer]

maybe it just comes down to playing styles or me being used to playing where nobody folds.
Here is where you are if you limp against typical crappy opponents at any 1/2 or 2/4 game. you are a slight dog to the 10s and the pot is small. If you hit your 4 flush you will have a good edge the rest of the way. this also could be a spot for a late position raise after the limpers to get more money in the pot for when you hit:

Too many samples required, using 500,000 sample simulation.
http://twodimes.net/h/?z=1219276
pokenum -mc 500000 -7s qh jh 7h - td tc 9c - as kh 8s - 6s 6d ac
7-card Stud Hi: 500000 sampled outcomes
cards win %win lose %lose tie %tie EV
Qh Jh 7h 144803 28.96 355163 71.03 34 0.01 0.290
Tc 9c Td 159475 31.89 340489 68.10 36 0.01 0.319
As 8s Kh 76240 15.25 423747 84.75 13 0.00 0.152
6s Ac 6d 119435 23.89 380554 76.11 11 0.00 0.239


Here is what happens if you raise and only the 10s call:

http://twodimes.net/h/?z=1219273
pokenum -mc 500000 -7s qh jh 7h - td tc 9c
7-card Stud Hi: 500000 sampled outcomes
cards win %win lose %lose tie %tie EV
Qh Jh 7h 217015 43.40 282954 56.59 31 0.01 0.434
Tc 9c Td 282954 56.59 217015 43.40 31 0.01 0.566


While your own equity increased by raising, you give the 10s a much larger increase and the advantage in the hand. You also make it harder for yourself to get away from your hand when you brick.

[peritonlogon]

it looks like your equity goes down from +.04 to -.066

I think that there are two things you haven't taken into account - the first is that you may be able to get unimproved tens to fold, either on third or later if you'd board develops in a scary way, and the second is that you are not taking account of the dead money in the pot. I know it's only the antes and bring in, but it does make a difference. To be honest I'm not sure when I should try and get it heads-up - I was more going on what 7CSFAP says, but I'd welcome a theoretical explanation here.

[PoorLawyer]

[ QUOTE ]
I think that there are two things you haven't taken into account - the first is that you may be able to get unimproved tens to fold, either on third or later if you'd board develops in a scary way, and the second is that you are not taking account of the dead money in the pot. I know it's only the antes and bring in, but it does make a difference. To be honest I'm not sure when I should try and get it heads-up - I was more going on what 7CSFAP says, but I'd welcome a theoretical explanation here.

[/ QUOTE ]

well the first theoritcal difference here is the OP is asking for questions as though he is not playing at the limits that 7CSFAP is geared towards. At 15/30 and higher there is a better chance that your scary board can result in a successful semi-bluff down the road. At that level there is also a better chance you are going to achieve the desired result of thinning the field. Unless you are at that crazy .5/1 party game with it's glorified overante, i dont really think that trying to scoop the bring in and antes should be that big of a concern at the lower limits. There are much more profitable ways to increase your bankroll against the weak passive players that inhabit those games.

[peritonlogon]

Agreed, at low limits, where the pot size doesn't seem to affect most players decisions too much, with almost any flush draw, I'm a big fan of trying to hit it cheap and then exploit as the default play. And trying to put as many bets in when I am and will continue to be a money favorite. In low limits, bet when you're a money favorite, call when you've got pot odds, fold when you don't (unless you've got killer implied odds).

Deviate only when you're sure it will have the desired effect or if you become super predictable.