Raising ??

[darryl2172]

When I am on the button, which pocket cards, if any, should I always raise with??

[Tosh]

Depends how many people are in. You can pretty much always raise with AA-TT, AKs, AQs, AK and AQ. If there are a whole table of limpers you can throw in the odd raise with Axs, JTs and most pocket pairs. Note if you raise a table of limpers with 66 you aim to flop a set or get out.

[darryl2172]

So if I have 66 or lower and dont flop the set should i get out of the hand if a bet comes too me?? I have been calling bets even if i dont flop the set, but maybe i flop another pair. For example If I am 66 on the button and the flop comes 554 rainbow, I am check, raising, is this a bad play?

[pudley4]

How do you check-raise from the button?

[Tosh]

In the rare case when you actually have an overpair with 66 you can play the hand, or if you flop a straight draw. What I'm saying is if you have 66 and the flop comes AKx and someone bets you are done with the hand. You raise these small pairs only if you enough who'll pay the raise to give you your odds to make a set.

[Homer]

When I am on the button, which pocket cards, if any, should I always raise with??

If I am to take your question literally, the answer is AA only.

There are times at which you should raise with any two cards (when it's folded to you and the blinds are super-tight) and times at which you should not raise with KK (when a super weak-tight old man who you know will only raise with AA or KK preflop, raises).

What you raise/call/fold with is not only dependent on your pocket cards, but a number of other factors, including, but not limited to (along with some examples whose correctness are not set in stone -- they should give you some idea of the factors to watch out for, though):

<font color="blue">-- How many people have entered the pot?</font>

EX - If you have 99, and either no one OR everyone limps, you should raise. With the same hand and 2-5 limpers, you should limp.

<font color="blue">-- How many raises have there been?</font>

EX - If you have JJ and an MP player open-raises, you should reraise. With the same hand, an UTG raiser and and MP reraiser, you should fold.

<font color="blue">-- From what position did your opponents enter the pot?</font>

EX - If you have AQo and UTG open-raises, you should fold. With the same hand and an MP open-raiser you should re-raise.

<font color="blue">-- What are your opponents limping/raising standards?</font>

EX - If you have TT and CO, whose open-raising standards are the same regardless of position (only raises with big pairs), raises, you should fold. With the same hand and a CO open-raiser who will raise much more liberally from late position, you should reraise.

<font color="blue">-- If there has been a raise, what is your position relative to the raiser (and how many coldcallers are there between you and the raiser)?</font>

EX - If you have KQs, it is more preferable to have an UTG open-raiser followed by two coldcallers than it is to have two limpers and a CO raiser. In the first case you will likely coldcall, but in the second case folding may be preferable.

<font color="blue">-- How tight/loose are the blinds?</font>

EX - If you have T9s and it's folded to you on the button, you should raise if the blinds are extremely tight. With the same hand and loose-passive blinds, limping may be preferable. With the same hand and loose-aggressive blinds folding may be preferable.

<font color="blue">-- Do your opponents play passively or aggressively postflop?</font>

EX - TOO TIRED TO GIVE MORE EXAMPLES... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

<font color="blue">-- Do your opponents play loose or tight postflop?</font>

<font color="blue">-- Are your opponents tricky or straightforward?</font>

-- Homer

[onegymrat]

Homer did good...

[Cigwin]

Homer did very good. It's encouraging for us newbies that there are many good players willing to take the time and give us advice. It's easy to get overwhelmed with information from just reading books, a quick summary like that was helpful.