Preflop raising
 

After 25K hands my PFR still looks low and dropping as I move up.

7.68 at .25/.50
7.61 at .50/1
7.59 at 1/2

I've been raising everything on the SSHE loose chart, and raising any decent calling hand on the button when it's folded around to me. Now what?

One thing I'm unsure of is what to do after I've raised and been re-raised. Call? 3-bet? Fold? For example, I raise in MP3 with AQo. If it comes back raised, I usually call (I'd 3-bet bigger hands). Should I be re-raising hands like this? Or does that even affect the PFR stat?

Re: Preflop raising
 

suggestion: play 6-max. you'll learn to open-raise more hands from as far back as MP3 (some may even further, but MP3 is the equivalent to UTG in 6-max).

you don't have to wait 'til you're on the button to open-raise. then take that thought process back to full ring and you'll get that PFR % up in no time.

Re: Preflop raising
 

@bsolute makes a good comment about open-raising. One thing that can help is to never open-limp from MP3+. If you have 88, don't limp - raise. A9s - same thing. You can also try to "steal" a bit more. Now, I'm not one to advocate raising 83o on a steal attempt, but hands like J9s, KTo, A5s - you should be raising these first-in from the Button and even CO. I should also clarify that you want to do less of this against loose blinds. Try to find seats with tight players to your left. It's very helpful for that PFR%!

Rambling aside, the key is position. My PFR by position are:

Button: 12%
CO: 12.5%
MP3: 13%
MP2: 9%
MP1: 8%
UTG+2: 10% (That's a bit weird. I'm not really sure why.)
UTG+1: 7%
UTG: 8.5%
BB: 5%
SB: 7.5%

You get the general idea. My sample size is still relatvely small, so that may explain the UTG+2 anamoly. (Only 1.3k at each position.)

Re: Preflop raising
 

Here's mine:

Button: 10.32%
CO: 9.96%
MP3: 8.09%
MP2: 6.84%
MP1: 6.66%
UTG+2: 7.99%
UTG+1: 7.23%
UTG: 6.93%
BB: 5.87%
SB: 6.13%

I guess MP3 is the big difference. I've been playing it more middle than late.

I've also been in so many loose games that the opportunity to open raise in CO or on the button is rare. I expect this to change as I move up.

Re: Preflop raising
 

I've been raising everything on the SSHE loose chart, and raising any decent calling hand <font color="red">in ep and later</font> when it's folded around to me.

FYP.

Seriously. When people fold to you in MP, limping is a sin.

Also learn to raise against one weak limper when you have a hand you want to get them HU with.

-D

Re: Preflop raising
 

I've increased my pre-flop raise % by isolating raise more. Try this experiment, next time you have only one limper to you and you have a hand you'd normally limp in MP3, CO or the Button, consider raising it.

Re: Preflop raising
 

Here's mine. I feel I'm a bit too aggressive with some hands, but here it is anyway.

SB 11.92
BB 8.63
UTG 10.44
UTG+1 7.87
UTG+2 8.84
MP1 8.78
MP2 10.51
MP3 10.17
CO 8.98
Button 12.84

Total is 10.01. Note my UTG raise is high, I think I overvalue stuff like KQo too much UTG

Re: Preflop raising
 

As I moved up to 1/2 I found that my PFR went UP. I think this is because the tables got tighter, so that I could isolate loose limpers more often, and also open-raise to steal or get heads up with a blind in middle to late position. Your PFR% on the Button can even be double your PFR% UTG if you're properly selective I believe.

Re: Preflop raising
 

One more time, and everybody say it with me:

STOP WORRYING SO MUCH ABOUT YOUR STATS.

Are you comfortable? Are you winning? Are you having fun? If you can answer at least two of these questions, "yes," then you're fine. I'll leave it to you to figure out which two...can you see why?

The "ideal" stats, as presented in these forums, are for a TAA, or more precisely, sLAA using bisonbison's original set of PT rules. Maybe you're TPP or TPA; maybe your sLPA. Whatever. Stop trying, arbitrarily, to make your style of play match somebody else's, just because they're an "expert" (no offense to all the pooh-bahs and carpals out there).

If you're losing, or uncomfortable with your game, that's another issue, but even then just "correcting" the one stat that doesn't match the "ideal" is unlikely to fix your problem.

Re: Preflop raising
 

[ QUOTE ]
As I moved up to 1/2 I found that my PFR went UP. I think this is because the tables got tighter, so that I could isolate loose limpers more often, and also open-raise to steal or get heads up with a blind in middle to late position. Your PFR% on the Button can even be double your PFR% UTG if you're properly selective I believe.

[/ QUOTE ]

This was the key for me to get my PFR % up. When 60+% vpip's limp in front of me I act as if it's been folded to me. You just have to be more carefull post flop keeping in mind ep loose limpers can have a wide variety of hands.

Re: Preflop raising
 

[ QUOTE ]
After 25K hands my PFR still looks low and dropping as I move up.

7.68 at .25/.50
7.61 at .50/1
7.59 at 1/2

I've been raising everything on the SSHE loose chart, and raising any decent calling hand on the button when it's folded around to me. Now what?

[/ QUOTE ]

Raising gets above 8 when you start raising in *situations* and not just raising the cards that you have.

Re: Preflop raising
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
After 25K hands my PFR still looks low and dropping as I move up.

7.68 at .25/.50
7.61 at .50/1
7.59 at 1/2

I've been raising everything on the SSHE loose chart, and raising any decent calling hand on the button when it's folded around to me. Now what?

[/ QUOTE ]

Raising gets above 8 when you start raising in *situations* and not just raising the cards that you have.

[/ QUOTE ]

bingo

Re: Preflop raising
 

SUGGESTED READING:

Playing against a Maniac HEPFAP pg. 130

Part 5: Playing Short Handed HEPFAP pg. 183


You have to be really careful with some of the advice in Hold"em Poker for Advanced Players. Most of the advice in there is play against opponents who DON'T play too many hands and DON'T go too far with them on average, which is of course, the ezact opposite of what we routinely play against.

Re: Preflop raising
 

[ QUOTE ]
Here's mine. I feel I'm a bit too aggressive with some hands, but here it is anyway.

SB 11.92
BB 8.63
UTG 10.44
UTG+1 7.87
UTG+2 8.84
MP1 8.78
MP2 10.51
MP3 10.17
CO 8.98
Button 12.84

Total is 10.01. Note my UTG raise is high, I think I overvalue stuff like KQo too much UTG

[/ QUOTE ]

KQo isn't your problem.

Re: Preflop raising
 

I'm not sure what limits you guys are playing, but I've played the majority of my hands at 1/2 and I don't think you should be so obsessed with increasing your PFR. In loose games in particular I think that you really have to adjust to how people are playing. You have to make sure that if you try an isolation raise with a weakish hand that you are unlikely to get cold callers behind you. Similarly, open raising with weakish hands when first in from MP if people are likely are cold calling. Now you're just building a big pot with a hand that doesn't have a big equity edge and are playing out of position. Would be interested in what people think.

Re: Preflop raising
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure what limits you guys are playing, but I've played the majority of my hands at 1/2 and I don't think you should be so obsessed with increasing your PFR. In loose games in particular I think that you really have to adjust to how people are playing. You have to make sure that if you try an isolation raise with a weakish hand that you are unlikely to get cold callers behind you. Similarly, open raising with weakish hands when first in from MP if people are likely are cold calling. Now you're just building a big pot with a hand that doesn't have a big equity edge and are playing out of position. Would be interested in what people think.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is why table reads are important, and it's also important to know what people like to do in the blinds. Some play tight as tight can be out of the blinds, many in the micros like to call with any two, and there are all sorts in between. On some tables you may need to be in a later position to try these plays. But you should always be looking for favorable conditions to mix up your play.