Preflop Raise

[StarlightCoast]

I may get some major disagreement on this but I have come to the conclusion the the Pre flop raise should be taken out of the game plan with 2 exceptions.
1. When you are dealt pocket aces.
2. when there are only you and 2 other people at the table, maybe three but that may be pushing it.

Let's assume your under the gun and are dealt AK whether suited or not many would argue this to be a hand you raise with and anywhere from 3x to 5x is standard, but what does this do or better yet what does this prevent from happening? You add to a pot that probably 4 out of 5 times you will not hit anything on the flop so what then? Either you check it and tell the whole table you did not hit anything or you bet it out in fact semi bluffing. Let's face it what you have is Ace high an nothing more. If you are dealt AQs or QQ a definite preflop raise and then you get a flop of say K37 and only pne of the suits yours if you have AQs. If there's 3 or 4 others seeing that flop there's a damn good chance someone has the K and top pair so all you've done is add to the pot for the one who has hit top pair. Even if you come out betting there are very few people with top pair that will back off and rightfully so.

If you don't raise preflop you are at an advantage in certain ways. For instance if you do flop top pair you usually have the best kicker which will shock your opponents. They will keep betting if they too had the top pair. If you had AK and the flop was A59 someone holding an A9 is going to feel confident. Also you can find out just where the power lays at the table aside from what you may have. By not raising preflop you give someone else the opportunity to do so and this tells you or gives you an indication of what they have by both the size of the raise and how they play it postflop.

Going all in preflop is a definite don't do in my eyes. I feel you should never go all-in until after the flop. With 5 cards still remaining it's a coin flip at best and remember the hands you generally would go all-in with AA KK QQ AK and AQ are at the very least vulnerable. AA you need to go for it but that is the only exception and even then it may be better to slow play them. AK and AQ you are an underdog albeit a small one to any pocket pair leaving you only 6 outs to hit it. When your chips are low and you need to make a move then all-in is a must but other than that and perhaps AA forget it. Don't even make it a stray thought in your mind.

When there are only 2 others playing with you I believe this all changes. The preflop raise can be an awesome tool and I use it under these circumstances to my great advantage.

The above examples are based on NL SNG's 10 seat table but could be applied to NL ring games as well. Since I have started playing in this manner my results have greatly improved over the last month pulling in a $300 profit a few weeks back and $240 last week alone and last week my SNG in the money percentage was 58.3%. I know I'm going against what the experts say and everything you have read in the Holdem books, but it seems to work. Maybe it's just me and you have a better rate of hitting your flops when you preflop raise maybe not, but either way I think it's worth thinking about. I await the responses to the contrary that I will receive LOL because I know I am going against everything any professional or author will tell you, but I think I have made some valid points. Opinions for and against are eagerly awaited.

[LokiV]

What about the times you hit it with a/k and your opponent holding k/x feels no compulsion to call your overbetting the small pot?

Or when one of the 5 limpers flips over something like 3/8 (he had the blind you see) and his two pair wrecks your top pair?

[Dov]

If you only raise PF with AA, who do think will call you?

Tournaments and ring games are very different.

Try playing a $100 sit n go with that strategy and see what happens. The bad players may be falling for it, but the mistakes you are making in playing this way will catch up to you when you move up.

Playing your own way is fine. Just remember to keep an open mind and that you still have a very small sample size.

Good Luck, you're going to need it. (no offense intended)

[Evan]

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probably 4 out of 5 times you will not hit anything on the flop

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You'll flop a pair almost 33% of the time, you'll flop a flush draw almost 11% of the time. That's just math.

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Let's face it what you have is Ace high an nothing more.

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Ace high often has high showdown value, especially if your preflop raise made it heads up.

Even beyond those 2 points your whole reasoning is very skewed and illogcal. You haven't made any mention of EV or it's relation to pot equity. These are things that gambling decisions MUST be based on. If you chose not to do so then good luck to you, because you'll need it.

[pudley4]

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If you don't raise preflop you are at an advantage in certain ways. For instance if you do flop top pair you usually have the best kicker which will shock your opponents. They will keep betting if they too had the top pair. If you had AK and the flop was A59 someone holding an A9 is going to feel confident.

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Of course he'll feel confident, he's got 2 pair vs your one pair. [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

If you can't get something this simple correct, why should anyone believe you when you come on here with a theory that contradicts thousands of other players???

[midget23]

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If you had AK and the flop was A59 someone holding an A9 is going to feel confident.

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top 2 pair is a pretty good hand to feel confident with