[Buzz]

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What is the significant downside to raising here pre-flop?

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Hi Niss - I don't think you'll like many flops, maybe 20% to 25%, sometimes you'll lose even when you do like the flop, and sometimes you'll have to split with low. When you don't like the flop, or when you simply lose even though you like the flop, your pre-flop raise will cost you. When you only win the high half, you'll only win half of what your opponents contribute because of the pre-flop raise.

Because of these various factors, I think you need at least five or six opponents who will call your raise. Here, without the raise, David had five opponents who saw the flop with him. If they all would have called the raise, then fine, he probably breaks even over the long run with the pre-flop raise.

David need customers when he makes his hand to make up for the times he misses.

If David loses any customers because of the pre-flop raise, then not fine. (In that case, he loses over the long run because of the pre-flop raise).

I spent some time a while back, trying to decide what starting hands to play and how to best play them, working out the numbers for myself, and came to the conclusion that pre-flop raises made sense when they had the effect of intimidating one or more of your opponents.

I don't think you gain much by pre-flop raising unless an opponent who otherwise would have beaten you out of all or part of a pot folds because of your pre-flop raise.

But in this situation, David doesn't want to lose anybody.

Buzz