Are there situations where you always raise?

[ElSapo]

Are there situations where you always raise?

I don't mean when you've got the aces, but situations where the cards simply don't matter. I think it was majorkong who wrote, when I open-limped in the CO in the hand, that I should raise and later on figure out what cards I had.

Assuming you have a pretty decent read on the table, are there times like these when you simply always raise pre-flop?

A hand came up earlier - one MP limper and it was folded to me in the SB. I had some crap, J3o I think, but felt like if I raised, there was a decent chance I could get this on the flop.

Anyway, I thought for a bit and mucked. But it got me to thinking... are there situations where you raise, just to take control and the cards don't matter?

Second question - One limper and I'm UTG+3 with 88. Call, raise or fold? It folded to the BB, who raised, so it was three-way action. Flop came JK5, BB checked, first limper bet. Raise or fold?

ElSapo...heading to A.C. is 20 minutes...Look for the dude with the little frog on his cards.

[Schmed]

I contemplate a raise every time I am in a late position and I am drawing to something. If for example I have an A9s and the board hits k92 or something and for whatever reason I want to see the river I will raise if I think the initial bettor is passive. Although in that situation most times I just fold.

I always raise top pair from a late position as well. Say I have qj and I am on the button. The board comes q105. I may or may not be outkicked but I raise just in case the initial bettor is drawing to something. Conversely if I am in an EP and have tptk I will reraise a late position bettor come out betting if that bettor doesn't cap. If he caps then it depends on who.

I raise when I have tons of outs too. I have q10s the board comes j9s x I'll bet and raise the flop and the turn at times.

I really am not going to blind raise or raise just because I have position or not. Maybe in Tournament poker but that's different.

[bernie]

no.

the only rule i follow definitively is if i limp, im not folding for a single raise behind me.

there are times id open limp from LP. not often, but there are times to do it.

however, postflop on the turn with the nuts and a draw on the board that could beat me, ill be raising everytime.

b

[Ed Miller]

I don't mean when you've got the aces, but situations where the cards simply don't matter. I think it was majorkong who wrote, when I open-limped in the CO in the hand, that I should raise and later on figure out what cards I had.

I was kidding a little bit in that post... but generally if you find something you are willing to play in the CO, and no one has opened the pot yet, you should raise.

There is one situation that occurs frequently where I would consider raising with any two cards. That is when I have posted in the CO and it is folded to me. At that point, raising is a 1 SB investment, not 2, and a successful steal will win a 2.5 SB pot, not a 1.5 SB pot. Thus, instead of the normal 1.5-2 odds you get on a steal attempt, you are getting 2.5-1 in this situation. You just don't have to be sucessful very often for your attempt to pay for itself.

If the blinds are particuarly tight, then you should raise any time you open the pot (even from UTG), and you should consider playing a very wide range of hands from LP.

I think in most situations, your proposed play with J3o from the SB is just not profitable. You will almost never win before the flop which is generally what these plays need in order to be profitable. If your opponents are both way too tight after the flop (for instance, they might fold bottom or middle pair to a flop bet) then perhaps... but this situation is very rare.

In your 88 hand, I probably limp 70% and raise 30% there. My decision depends on the strength of the early limper, the play of the table, and the tightness of the blinds. I would generally go ahead and fold on that flop. The limper very likely has you beaten, and the BB might very well be planning to checkraise with a big hand.