Can someone explain to me the pf COLD-CALL?

[captZEEbo1]

I'm a NL cash n00b (but still play 5/10). I don't understand coldcalling pf raises very much. All I cold-call with is pocket pairs trying to spike sets for chumps stacks (who can't laydown an overpair). Can someone explain to me situations where you'd cold-call a raise 3x BB or more with hands like AJ or KQs? This seriously has to be -EV right? The other time I see cold-calling used effectively is against aggro post-flop players when you cold-call with KK or AA.

When I was watching 10/20+ NL on full tilt with some of the pros that play there, they seemed to do constant cold calling. That baffled me, as I intuitively thought cold-calling has to be one of the biggest mistakes you can make pf.

edit: I also thought about the cold-call with hands like JJ or QQ instead of reraising, so that way AK can't reraise you allin and put you in a really tough spot. Though I personally like reraising JJ or QQ vs some of the more aggro pf raisers. You can't only reraise them with Aces or Kings.

edit 2: I guess my basic logic as to why cold-calling with AJ has to be a huge mistake is:
1) you have one way to win, you hit.
2) if you hit a pair of aces or a pair of jacks....now what? When faced with resistance, don't you pretty much have to give respect to a higher kicker or overpair?

[Rococo]

This isn't limit. It is expensive to raise for the purpose of narrowing the field with marginal holdings like AJ and KQs. Furthermore, I'm not even sure that I want to narrow the field with a hand like KQs.

When you flop top pair with these hands, you can't take a lot of heat, so it just doesn't make sense in a lot of cases to juice the pot preflop.

There obviously are a lot situations where you would fold these hands preflop to a raise (e.g. UTG+1 facing a raise from a tight player UTG).

[gomberg]

well - don't think about the cards so much as thinking about position and the read on the raiser and how the raiser plays postflop. Think about the feeling you get when you raise with a suited connector to open and get one or two cold callers with big stacks behind you who know how to use position - not fun, especially if they can make good bluffs on you (hence why I change seats in this situation).

Also, add this to some type of value for the cards they have, and it may be +EV, especially if you won't trap yourself w/ TPgK, to make some loose cold calls.

[captZEEbo1]

[ QUOTE ]

There obviously are a lot situations where you would fold these hands preflop to a raise (e.g. UTG+1 facing a raise from a tight player UTG).


[/ QUOTE ]

I'm folding (or reraising) KQs to a raise 100% of the time. That can't be too big a mistake.

[etizzle]

the reason why you coldcall?

its expensive to reraise. Much more so than in limit.

[captZEEbo1]

isn't it rather expensive to be dominated?

[Rococo]

What if a LAG raises to 4XBB UTG+1 and there are four callers. You are on the button. Your position is that you only raise or fold here with KQs? Seems crazy to me.

[etizzle]

when did i say you should coldcall when you are dominated?


often times reraising will only get calls from hands that dominate you, even if you are on average ahead of the range of hands they would make their first raise with.

[THATWACOKID]

In the situation Rococo pointed out with the K-Qs on the button you could very well dominated, but K-Qs plays very well multiway. Also, you have positional advantage so if the flop comes with a K or Q uncoordinated you will be able to see the action and play accordingly. IMO deciding whether to fold, call, or raise is extremely dependent on the original raisor, position, and the number of callers and how your hand plays in relation to all of these factors.

WACO

[captZEEbo1]

I guess I'm referring to more 1-1 or shorthanded situations. I agree with your points about KQs on button etc.