Very loose passive table questions

Table is very loose passive (6+ to the flop 90% of the time) where raises are generally NOT respected; this is especially true preflop (some players will cold call a raise with any two suited).

1) Is it still a good idea to raise 99+ from the blinds?

According to SSH it is, but what is the reasoning behind this? Yes, I understand that you are likely ahead PF and that you should push this edge, but more often than not when the flop comes down you will be behind. Say you hold TT and raise from BB, 5 limpers + SB call. Flop comes all rags, you hold TP. When you bet out, you still are giving good pot odds for overcards, straight draws and flush draws. Even going for a c/r these players will still call you down, as your c/r builds the pot for them to correctly call (which is insignificant since most of these players will chase a backdoor flush draw with no pot odds whatsoever). The only time you will truely have a strong hand is when you hit your T on the flop. And even then you are vulnerable to flushes and straights, at least you still have draws to the boat or quads.

2) Raising PF with hands like AKs, AKo, AQs, etc. When you miss the flop,

e.g. J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 6[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (7 players),
checks to you at CO with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

should you still make a CB and draw to your 4 outer overcard draw and backdoor SD knowing full well at least 3 others players will call? (someone will likely have a flush draw, while the others could hold a Jx, or a gutshot/OESD) Or is it better to check behind and fold to a turn bet UI.

[mack848]

1) In Limit hold’em you should be looking to push small edges. It is not good play to avoid raising when you have a clear equity advantage because your hand might get tricky to play on a later street. If your hand will win more than it’s fair share, it’s a raise preflop.

If there are 5/6 limpers to you in the blinds, then a raise is for value. You almost have a raise for value to hit your set alone (7.5:1 shot). If you add in the times that three undercards flop, or you hit a gutshot straight draw (givng you up to 6 outs to improve), you have more than your fair share of equity – so should raise.

If the flop is rags, then you have to do what you can to protect your hand –possibly going for a check/raise. It may well be that you cannot protect it, so you have to decide, given the number of opponents and flop texture, whether to wait for the turn or whether to bet for value, given that you probably have the best hand.

2) You don’t have to bet your unimproved overcards into a large field on the flop. This is clearly situational and in your example I would check, as you only have 4 or 5 outs and someone is pretty likely to have a J when there are 7 seeng the flop.