Sklansky\'s Small Stakes Holdem
 

Anyone understand this on page 81 in the area under big blind playing against a raise it says remove offsuit hands at kj-kt qj-qt and jt but these hands are not recommended to be played in any position against a raise. Am i missing something?

Miller et al.\'s Small Stakes Holdem
 

I'm just going by memory here, but IIRC it's saying to take the hands the button would limp with and remove those hands. It really has nothing to do with the hands the button would call a raise with -- just the simple list of hands the button would limp with.

The reason for this counterintuitive alchemy is, the button has to call one bet with position to limp, and the BB has to call one bet to call a raise. The bad position is somewhat offset by the better pot odds -- you only have to call one bet for a pot of two bets * the number of players, plus one bet for your blind.

Someone correct me if I'm remembering wrong.

And welcome to the forum. There's a books/publications forum too for future questions about the book.

Re: Miller et al.\'s Small Stakes Holdem
 

Thanks for the welcome and explanation. What is still not clear to me is AT KJ-KT, Qj-QT and JT are instructed to be removed in the big blind but are not recomended to be played against a raise in any other position including the button

Re: Miller et al.\'s Small Stakes Holdem
 

I think he's suggesting that (except for those exceptions) you play the same hands that you would play from the button FOR ONE BET (a limp) .

[ QUOTE ]
....but are not recomended to be played against a raise in any other position including the button...

[/ QUOTE ]

That's the point; he's not referring to the hands you'd play for a raise from the button (i.e. cold call 2 bets). He's referring to the hands you'd limp in with from the button for 1 bet.

I don't know how to explain it any more clearly, sorry.

Re: Miller et al.\'s Small Stakes Holdem
 

Thanks again for your help
How do u suggest to treat the weak offsuit hand AT, KJ-Kt, Qj-Qt and Jt. Should these ever be played against a raise?
And when? Cheers

Re: Miller et al.\'s Small Stakes Holdem
 

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks again for your help
How do u suggest to treat the weak offsuit hand AT, KJ-Kt, Qj-Qt and Jt. Should these ever be played against a raise?
And when? Cheers

[/ QUOTE ]

If you are in the big blind, it's folded to the small blind, and you think he's stealing, you can 3bet the better ones (AT+, KT+, possibly QJ) and call the others. AT and KJ you can 3bet if the raiser is a maniac and you think you can get it heads up and outplay him after the flop. That's about it. You can't play these hands against legitimate raises beause you tend to flop top pair and then not know what to do with it.

Re: Sklansky\'s Small Stakes Holdem
 

As the books repeatedly stresses

Pick a simple and sound preflop strategy. Postflop is where the money is made. You can play near perfectly preflop by picking a very simple, tight-aggressive preflop strategy.

Re: Miller et al.\'s Small Stakes Holdem
 

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the welcome and explanation. What is still not clear to me is AT KJ-KT, Qj-QT and JT are instructed to be removed in the big blind but are not recomended to be played against a raise in any other position including the button

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Tribed

Those hands you mention are very vunerable to domination and they are very difficult to play out of position. At the small stakes level when people raise it usually means they have a premium hand, which means you can make a good hand and still lose. On the other hand when people limp in they can have a large number of hands and you have good position which makes these hands profitable.

One other thing is that when you are first to enter the pot (or maybe one limper) from late position, I think you could raise with all of these hands.

Re: Sklansky\'s Small Stakes Holdem
 

I'll add that if you're dominated, you can "call for help" by making a flush if your cards are suited. If you're unsuited. . . .well, you're just hosed.

Being suited doesn't make a huge difference in and of itself, but it often makes the difference between a profitable play and an unprofitable one. This is especially true of the "broadway" cards when facing a probable good hand.

Re: Sklansky\'s Small Stakes Holdem
 

thanks good advice guys. I think the way sklansky has written it in his book is wrong.