A couple of general questions to everyone

[Bigwig]

I play the $20 NL Hold Em games on Stars.

1. Early in the game, sit and wait for a monster, or play a few marginal hands when you've got outs with small bets into you?

I've been thinking, as I play more, that early on you should be VERY patient, and wait for monster hands. For example you call with T9s, and the flop is T, 6, 4. Now, I'll bet this if it comes to me, and maybe call a small (say, half the pot) bet, but is it really worth it? If you play too many of these kinds of hands aggressively, you can get burned. What do you think?

2. 4 players remaining, A and a small card unsuited. Raise or call?

I've been calling lately, although I used to raise before because it is a favorite against three random cards. I've found that calling makes players think you don't have an A, and you can get a little extra action that way. Plus, when someone does call your pre-flop raise, what kind of chances can you really take when an A hits? Many players will go all in, and that's a call you can't make. Thoughts?

[T0asty]

Hi,

I'll answer your questions with the way I play, everyone will of course have there own way of playing so this is far from Gospel.

Early stages - I don't play any suited connectors apart from the big cards. I'll even fold QJs, as the only hand i'm very sure of winning with it, is 2 pair and its unlikely to flop. If the table is really tight, I'll start open raiseing a lot more in late position to steal the dead money (and then complain when it works that the table is too tight /images/graemlins/wink.gif or "aces wasted" is another one. I'll really hold TJs or something.


Bubble play, A3 should probably be folded, if you are in late position a 3 BB raise to steal the blinds is more likely. A call is right out, you are going to miss a lot more than you hit and you might have let a better Ace in for free A4 / A5. They also might hit 2 pair with there rags and if you are re-raised all in you have to fold.

As I have already said, this is the way I play and probably far from the right way /images/graemlins/smile.gif