Paradise $2-4 Preflop decisions

These hands are all from regular and full tenhanded tables at paradise, with something like 23-35% players seeing the flop and not to much preflop raising. The tables had a normal lineup with no maniacs.

The players will be called in order SB, BB, UTG, 4, 5, 6, 7 , 8, CO, and D. For all the hands I want to know what to do (in theory) and why. Maybe some decisions is nobrainers and others more complex, please tell the difference.


1. UTG call, seat 4 raise, seat 5 6 7 8 folds, I´m in CutOff with A-Q offsuit.


2. UTG and seat 4 fold, seat 5 call.

I´m in seat 6 with A-T offsuit.


3. I´m UTG with 9-9.


4. 3 players fold to me in seat 6. I have 9-9 .


5. 4 players fold, seat 7 raise, seat 8 and 9 folds. I´m the Dealer with 9-9.


6. 4 players fold to me in seat 7. I have A-7s.


7. UTG fold, seat 4 raise.

I´m in seat 5 with A-Qs.


8. I´m UTG with K-Qs.


9. UTG fold, seat 4 raise, seat 5 6 7 8-folds,

CO-call. I´m the dealer and have A-Js.


10. UTG call, seat 4 5 6 7 folds. I have J-Ts in seat 8.

OK, well, this kind of thing is largely opinion based. In the long run these are probably not big decisions. But here's what I'd do:


1. UTG call, seat 4 raise, seat 5 6 7 8 folds, I´m in CutOff with A-Q offsuit.


Player dependent. Does seat 4 raise too much, or has he done nothing but fold? You will need to reraise or fold.


2. UTG and seat 4 fold, seat 5 call.

I´m in seat 6 with A-T offsuit.


Raise. Attempt to isolate the limper.


3. I´m UTG with 9-9.


Call. In a game like 2/4 I prefer to call and start a domino reaction of tempting people into the pot (ie if I limp and so does utg+1, people start getting tempted in on bad hands). When hands like KJo will cold call your raise, I prefer to wait UTG until I have a hand that is actually beating those hands.


4. 3 players fold to me in seat 6. I have 9-9 .


Raise. Some chance of stealing the blinds.


5. 4 players fold, seat 7 raise, seat 8 and 9 folds. I´m the Dealer with 9-9.


Fold. You're 50/50 to win at best.


6. 4 players fold to me in seat 7. I have A-7s.


Fold. In seat 8 I might raise and in the cutoff I definitely would.


7. UTG fold, seat 4 raise.

I´m in seat 5 with A-Qs.


Player dependent again. But be inclined to reraise.


8. I´m UTG with K-Qs.


Call. If you raise and are called you are probably in trouble and have terrible position. You have little chance of stealing the blinds. You are better off trying to create a multiway pot.


9. UTG fold, seat 4 raise, seat 5 6 7 8-folds,

CO-call. I´m the dealer and have A-Js.


Fold. Playing AJ is a losing play here in the long term. Being dominated REALLY hurts your bankroll.


10. UTG call, seat 4 5 6 7 folds. I have J-Ts in seat 8.


I wouldn't criticise ANY decision here, fold, call and raise all seem reasonable. I would probably raise vs a weak UTG player, call against a calling station, and fold against a good player.


Chris

My opinions....


"1. UTG call, seat 4 raise, seat 5 6 7 8 folds, I´m in CutOff with A-Q offsuit."


This is Feeny's AQ test. With a typical UTG raise, you are either a big dog or a small favorite. Unless you think you can push AK off with agression post-flop, fold.


"2. UTG and seat 4 fold, seat 5 call.

I´m in seat 6 with A-T offsuit."


Not playable. It can get raised behind you and then you are really screwed. If you hit an A you can't be too confident in it after an early limper.


"3. I´m UTG with 9-9."


If the table is tight I'd raise. If people will come along, then just call and check-raise top-/over-pair or set or fold cheaply if 99 looks to be no good.


"4. 3 players fold to me in seat 6. I have 9-9 ."


Raise.


"5. 4 players fold, seat 7 raise, seat 8 and 9 folds. I´m the Dealer with 9-9."


I three-bet here.


"6. 4 players fold to me in seat 7. I have A-7s."


I'd fold. You probably wont get enough players to play it for the flush and you have a terrible kicker.


"7. UTG fold, seat 4 raise.

I´m in seat 5 with A-Qs."


It doesn't matter too much. Raise or call. I'd be inclined to call or even limp-reraise if you think a lot of people will come in. If only 2-3 people have been seeing the flop, raise.


"8. I´m UTG with K-Qs."


I'd normally call, but this is a decent hand to raise with so that they don't put you on QQ-AA and AK every time you raise UTG.


"9. UTG fold, seat 4 raise, seat 5 6 7 8-folds,

CO-call. I´m the dealer and have A-Js."


Easy fold.


Regards and good luck,


Paul Talbot

"1. UTG call, seat 4 raise, seat 5 6 7 8 folds, I´m in CutOff with A-Q offsuit."


This is Feeny's AQ test. With a typical UTG raise, you are either a big dog or a small favorite. Unless you think you can push AK off with agression post-flop, fold.


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You aren't a "small favourite" over a hand like AJ, AT, KQ. You're killing them. At the limit he's talking a lot of players raise those hands UTG and those are by no means the worst of them...


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"2. UTG and seat 4 fold, seat 5 call.

I´m in seat 6 with A-T offsuit."


Not playable. It can get raised behind you and then you are really screwed. If you hit an A you can't be too confident in it after an early limper.


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In my initial post I said raise, but I didn't really realise how early a position seat 6 was. I agree, fold.


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"5. 4 players fold, seat 7 raise, seat 8 and 9 folds. I´m the Dealer with 9-9."


I three-bet here.


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AQ is a "small favorite" that you fold, but you're going three bets preflop with someone who you're almost certainly even money at best with? Give them TT through AA and you'll find out the definition of screwed as they cap it on your sorry ass. In fact, what are you planning to do if they cap? Pull the trigger again on an undercard flop? Fold the flop? What if they only had AK? You're going to get in deeper than three small bets and you're even money at best. Just keep out of the raiser's way. I threebet TT, because now I am a big favourite against several other hands that raise there (99, AT, KT). Even TT is marginal, to my way of thinking. 99 is right out against a normal raiser.


Just my opinions


Chris

Thanks for your opinions. I just wanted to know wich decisions that where marginal and I think your different responses shows just that.

PH.

1. UTG call, seat 4 raise, seat 5 6 7 8 folds,

I´m in CutOff with A-Q offsuit.


Fold unless you know the raiser is fairly aggressive, or on tilt or something. If he'll raise with 88/KTs/ATo and better I'd call.


2. UTG and seat 4 fold, seat 5 call.

I´m in seat 6 with A-T offsuit.


Tend to raise a typical 2-4 limper. If he's tighter than average just call.


3. I´m UTG with 9-9.


Raise.


4. 3 players fold to me in seat 6. I have 9-9 .


Raise.


5. 4 players fold, seat 7 raise, seat 8 and 9 folds. I´m the Dealer with 9-9.


At least call unless he's very passive. 3-bet if he's ordinarily aggressive (he'll raise with 66, any suited ace, two big cards). Reraising is more problematic in 2-4, where so many people open-limp in middle and late positions with medium-strength hands and raise only with the best 2-4%.


6. 4 players fold to me in seat 7. I have A-7s.


Raise.


7. UTG fold, seat 4 raise. I´m in seat 5 with A-Qs.


This is tough if you know nothing about seat 4. If calling will tend to bring in the field with little risk of a reraise, I'll usually call. Folding is fine.


8. I´m UTG with K-Qs.


Tend to raise. Maybe just call if the field is loose an tenacious and your chance of picking up the blinds is zero.


9. UTG fold, seat 4 raise, seat 5 6 7 8-folds,

CO-call. I´m the dealer and have A-Js.


By this time I'm getting a bit suspicious of seat 4 and would probably play. It's a clear fold against a tight raiser, even with a cold-caller in between.


10. UTG call, seat 4 5 6 7 folds. I have J-Ts in seat 8.


Call. Let the blinds in.