Hooks Under The Gun in Level 1

[NYCNative]

[ QUOTE ]
Limping is objectively and mathematically wrong but I've really given up on that battle after a dozen of these threads.

This forum has a weak/tight tendency in the early levels that should really be fixed at some point, IMO.

[/ QUOTE ]Yeah, I don't get it. Everyone is so scared of busting out of a SNG early; what's wrong with accumulating a stack through playing strong hands (the 4th best in HE!) like they are strong hands? I'm all for playing tighter in the first four levels but if you're scared to play anything other than Aces and Kings out of position and are only marginally opening up with position you may as well play cash games where you can wait around all day for cards and the blinds won't get you.

[Nick B.]

Not only would I raise pf because of my big equity edge, it also makes the hand a lot easier to play postflop. Same thing with AQ. I think limping with either of these hands makes them harder to play preflop.

[FieryJustice]

Call me crazy, but I play this for set value in the early rounds. If the flop comes 26T, I am probably folding if the action gets too intense.

Jcardshark

[valenzuela]

My personal experience says limp, I always limp with JJ in the 11s. However on middle/late position I prefer to raise.

[jek187]

From pp 180-181 of Harrington on Hold em:

[ QUOTE ]
JJ, TT, 99: In early position, you need to play a mixed strategy of raising and calling with these hands. I like a mix of 70% raises and 30% calls. When you do raise, you should raise a larger amount than with the premium pairs, since you prefer to win the pot right away. While they are probably the best hand at the table right now, they become difficult to play when they are called and overcards appear on the board. With these hands, I like to raise four to five times the big blind.

[/ QUOTE ]

Unless someone can make a very strong case for limping (which I have yet to see) I'm going to be a believer in Harrington's philosophy here, and make a larger than normal raise. I think I raise 100% of the time, because in a sng I'm of course not going to be playing with the same people for very long, and in even less time, there won't even be an early position.

[NYCNative]

[ QUOTE ]
Call me crazy, but I play this for set value in the early rounds. If the flop comes 26T, I am probably folding if the action gets too intense.

[/ QUOTE ]Well sure, because by limping you let the guy with T6 in the BB flop two pairs or the guy with pocket deuces hit his set. Wheras if you raise preflop and the flop comes up 26T don't you feel better? I do.

[lehighguy]

At 11s your jack strategy may work. Only because you have a post flop edge based on the sheer utter stupidity of your opponets. At my lvl: 55s, and above this doesn't work so well anymore. I can't get someone to go all-in with pocket 3s like at the 11s.

[lehighguy]

I agree with the limp, but on that particular flop i disagree with your line.

[FieryJustice]

In $215's, people dont call preflop with T6 unless they are in the blinds, and if they flop 2 pair, thats fine because I was going to fold anyways...As for 22, people will call a 60 or 75 raise with that anyways and if they hit trips on that flop, I will probably lose a lot of chips preflop if that flop comes and I raised preflop. The real problem obviously comes from people calling with AK or AQ. When the flop is Axx, Kxx, or Qxx, you can never really be sure you have the winner, which really really sucks. I will take the chance of hitting my set in order to avoid the difficult situations, especially early in the tourney.

Jcardshark

[FieryJustice]

I have been told that I play too weak tight. If the sb bet out and the bb raised though, I will fold every time, mainly because I dont want to lose to 22 or T6 in level 1.