Question Monster PF Early in Tournament and Early Position

[ryachris]

Appreciate all comments or ridicule if it is a stupid question

This stems from my very bad luck with premium hands (AA, KK, QQ especially) UTG or UTG+1 with the blinds still in the 10-20 and 15-30 mode. My quandry.. should I.....

1. Standard Raise, feels weak, this early in the tournament with such small blinds 60 or 80 chips is almost automatic call for a JTs or small PP even K9 or suited connectors from a aggressive player, so usually get to many callers and someone hits a big hand or at least a big draw.

2. Big bet, my usual option maybe 10x-15x BB hope for a loose call from AQ-AT or that someone is going to get screwed with KK-99. however I ussually take down t30 here and kick myself for not building a pot.

3. limp, hope for the 3rd Ace or later position raise. I hate this one, feels very weak, and hard to get away from it even with 5 player in the pot, and the raise gets less likely with my UTG limp.

I almost feel like folding or going all in with this, and just hope for JJ in LP.

What do you guys do with this one?

Thanks
Ryan

[Sam T.]

I think you find a middle-ground. You're right that raising to 60 isn't going to do much at all, but I don't like the overbet either.

For the early rounds, my standard raise will be to 85 or 90. That should chase the complete cheese, but allow AJ to come along for a short ride to the rail when they hit TPTK.

My two cents,

Sam

[Mike Gallo]

Welcome aboard.

Any hand that I play from early position I will usually open with a raise with. I usually always raise 4x the blinds with a premium hand, or a hand I wish to play.

I do limp on occasion, however I only do this when I feel I have at least a 70% chance of someone raising from later position.

I almost feel like folding or going all in with this, and just hope for JJ in LP.

I do not quite comprehend this. You want to fold premium hands from ep buthope to play JJ from lp..please explain this.

[ryachris]

[ QUOTE ]

I almost feel like folding or going all in with this, and just hope for JJ in LP.

I do not quite comprehend this. You want to fold premium hands from ep buthope to play JJ from lp..please explain this.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am just saying the frustration that is inherent with this situation makes me want to fold the hand. I also seem to win small pots or loose much bigger ones when T8s hits 2 pair and I bet at the T high flop. I think I have lost more with premuim hnad UTG in the first blind levels than I have won, I don;t want to stop getting them though. Just need to play them better.

[LotsOfOuts69]

I'm glad you asked this because I have the same problem. I play lower limits so yeah a raise to 60 or something gets called in 5 spots and then you are in trouble. I mix between a huge raise and a limp reraise all in. If I limp and there is no raise I play very carefully and have folded before depending on the flop. AA with the blinds at 10/15 I just try to get the money that anyone puts in pre flop. I am not interested in getting busted by the fish that limped or called a small raise with 74 off suit and then hits a board of K74 or something. I hope other will respond.

--LoO

[ryachris]

Thats probably the best strategy.

My concern is the 4-5x BB raise under the gun just screams AA especially when my standard raise is only 2.5-3x and then in late position. I don;t mind getting beat once and a while or laying them down to JJ9 2 suits on a reraise.

I want to extract maximum value out of them without unneccesarily exposing myself to limpers, or a tough laydown.