Roy Cooke's article "Some of My Best Advice"

[brad]

well im no theoretical expert or anything but i think if you dont raise preflop the small blind cant make a mistake in a 2,3 chip structure, where if you do raise preflop the small blind will very often make a mistake (calling) preflop.

ftop and all that.

[2ndGoat]

I think what separates the 2,3 situation from call-more-steal-less is the principle that it's the number of opponents more than the money posted. I think it's in TOP, the numbers showing you're better off bluffing 2 people than 4, since the pot size increases linearly with more opponents, and your chance of stealing decreases quadraticly.

If it were three blinds, say, 5, 15, and 30, I'd agree- call more, raise less. but with 2 of 20 and 30, with the same more, I think one has to be more aggressive.

2ndGoat

[brad]

well right 2/3 sb wont be making mistake calling so an extra player to the flop so must raise

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Jesse:

If players do not adjust their calling frequency from the blinds then I would agree with being more aggressive. If however they do adjust, and many players in my opinion over adjust, then just the opposite should be true.

Game Theory tells us that against opponents who play correctly, you should bluff more into a small pot than a large one. There is some similarity in this example. So I agree with your premise that Cooke probably got this one wrong even though his understanding of how to play hold 'em is quite good.

Best wishes,
Mason

PS: Don't tell Barry. [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Brad:

You're absolutely correct. But I think that you have given an argument for why raising with your legitimate raising hands is more profitable. The implication of being more aggressive is that you should also raise some with questionable/steal type hands. Your argument actually says, assuming I understand it correctly, that these marginal hands may now swing to being unprofitable.

Best wishes,
Mason

[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Goat #2:

Without thinking about it you might be right, but I believe it is the wrong comparison. You need to compare a two blind game of $15 and $30 versus a two blind game of $20 and $30. Clearly in the second game (with the larger small blind) you will be called more and thus be less successful stealing. But notice that you don't mind being a little less successful stealing since when your steal works you win a bigger pot. So the question is how does this effect your overall expectation?

Best wishes,
Mason

[brad]

i dont think so.

pretty thought provoking.

off the cuff i just think that let suppose you can play heads up fairly often in 2/4 by just limping.

now in 2/3 you cant do this by limping (almost guaranteed).

second piece of data is that heads up you feel you can outplay opponent since you have position, almost irregardless/regardless (whatever) of your own cards.

so it seems logical given these assumptions that while its undetermined exactly which is better to do (call or raise) in 2/4 , it seems very easy to say that in 2/3 it is far better to raise. (note we're saying our own cards dont really matter)