Can someone explain to me the pf COLD-CALL?

[mythrilfox]

You still haven't explained why you think cold-calling is bad.

[-Skeme-]

I don't think he meant it's bad in general, just with weaker hands like AJo and KQo and such. I rarely call raises with AJo or KQo, and I'm defenitely not cold calling with them.

[ceczar]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't think he meant it's bad in general, just with weaker hands like AJo and KQo and such. I rarely call raises with AJo or KQo, and I'm defenitely not cold calling with them.

[/ QUOTE ]

am i missing something about the difference between calling a raise and cold-calling? i guess in limit the difference could be significant, but since calling a raise (in a way that is not cold-calling) means limping and then calling out of position, cold-calling is almost certainly better with those hands than limp-calling OOP.

[runnerunner]

I think you are trying too hard to apply Sklansky's Limit formula to NL. In NL position is MUCH more important than in limit, because you can use your stack to apply much more pressure to someone who is out of position than you can in limit.

The better players that play the big NL cash games will cold call because, A. they have position and B. the raiser has definined his hand with the raise and the raiser has no idea what he was cold called with. If you apply correct limit stragegy and only raise from EP with TT-AA and AQs-AK, it is very easy for a tough NL player to take a pot away from you after the flop, or to win a big pot if you can't lay down an overpair.

Runner

[fnord_too]

You cold call for the implied odds. I hate the thought of cold calling with AJo unless I know the raiser very well. KQs has some potential though. I like pairs, small - med suited connectors and some one gappers in position. Really, if the raiser raises infrequently, he has defined his hand. If he raises more frequently, you may be in for some interesting post flop play. You are not looking to win many hands you cold call with (exception below), but you are looking to put no more money in or win a big pot.

A lot of times, if it looks like it will be HU, I smooth call with AA and KK (less with KK) if I think my opponent has a big pair or AK and I know he will drive post flop. I am still working on my NL game, but, and I should figure out how to check this in pt, I think I make a lot of my profit on cold calling raises. Rarely in my experience do you stack someone pre flop. If your opponents are never paying off when you hit your hand after cold calling, you should be cold calling with trash and stealing pots. Against decent opponents at the higher level, I am guessing you need to be bluffing on misses at some frequency too. (At the lower levels, where I play right now, people are much less likely to let go of an overpair or TPTK, so there are very few people I try to bluff when I miss, but I don't have to to get action on the hands I hit.)

Another thing, too: even at the lower limits my play is extremely dependant on my opponent(s). When you see a good player cold call with some trash hand, it may be because they know the raiser is just waiting to stack off, and they don't want to miss the opportunity.

[flawless_victory]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm a NL cash n00b (but still play 5/10).

[/ QUOTE ]unless you have a HUGE bankroll you are 100% gauranteed to go broke... i highly recommend playing some smaller games.

[topout]

If you are up against a very consistent ABC player and you are on the button I like to call with a pair, particularly if the raiser has a big stack. It's a fairly common practice.
If Villian can lay down AA to a garbage flop. See a flop and if you don't hit, bet it hard. If you try to hedge and bet small, you may get a call you really don't want with just the overpair.
If he can't lay down AA to a garbage flop if you hit your set and there are no A-K or Q on the flop you can stack him.
If there are those high card be wary of the set over set possibility.
I don't like playing 22-44 because if he is making a move with mid-pockets or suited connectors those hands lose really often and sometimes get you stacked by small sets or trips over tiny set.

topout

[TonyBlair]

STACK SIZE.