HPFAP Question

[Baelwulfe]

On page 60 of HPFAP, Sklansky tells us to be more inclined to call a bet if the flop is small with KQ rather the AK. My question is, wouldn't it be more correct to raise in this situation so that if you make your hand, others dont draw out on you?

thanks /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[spamuell]

My question is, wouldn't it be more correct to raise in this situation so that if you make your hand, others dont draw out on you?

No.

The cost of raising is not made up for by the times that you're not drawn out on. As you're usually going to just peel off one card anyway with overcards, unless you have other draws as well (such as overcards and an open ended straight draw or flush draw), or you believe that raising will allow you to see the river for free, it's best to put in as little money as possible, as most of the time you're going to miss your hand.

Raising will often make it -EV for you to draw to an overcard, as you're putting twice as much money in the pot, and opening yourself up to a possible 3-bet.

[Baelwulfe]

Thanks for the post, it leads me to the conclusion thatI am often over playing my overcards.

[Cosimo]

With just overcards, I don't even call one bet if there's a few people in the pot (depends on my position, number of players, how passive they are, etc). In low-limit games, the chance of a single high card winning are small--you have to pair up, no-one else can hit two pair, and none of the draws come in. The chances of winning are small so I throw 'em away.

On the other hand, if I am last to act and it's checked to me, I usually bet if I raised PF, to represent a large pair. It depends on the table; I don't think it takes long to figure out if the other players are likely to fold to such a bet or not. Again, the more outs I have, the more likely I am to bet. I'll echo the comments about a free card here, too.

[fluff]

I don't have HEPFAP around so I can't check right now and I might be wrong, but specifically for being more inclined calling with KQ than AK when the flop is small junk card is if you are at a table with a few any Ace players.

In this case if an A drops on the turn, it is likely you will have TPTK and someone else will have made 2 pairs. However, there are not very many any King or any Queen players, so if you hold KQ, flop is little rags, and you catch a K or Q on the turn, it is less likely that someone has 2 pairs.