the two types of minraises on the flop after you've raised

[creedofhubris]

You are the preflop raiser. You bet out. Everyone folds except for one player, who minraises you.

I'm looking for suggestions on how to differentiate between the two types of minraises.

The first type of minraise is basically a steal. It represents a player who has little-to-no hand but thinks the flop has missed you. On an ace-high board, it represents a guy with a mid pair, or maybe an ace/crap kicker. On a baby board, maybe he's got a suited connector that made a pair, maybe he's got some kind of draw, maybe he's got nothing at all, but he thinks, for whatever reason, that you don't like the flop and will release your hand to a small-ish bet. If put to the test, this guy is going away.

The second type of minraise is the donkey with a set (or perhaps AA/KK/QQ) who doesn't know any other way to bet his hand. If put to the test, this guy is allin and is way ahead.

When the player doing the minraising is bad, I find it hard to tell the difference between sand flea and quicksand. Big frustrating leak at times.

[AZK]

take excessive notes, it's the only way to figure out what it means for different players.

[LethalRose]

I generally wont guess what a minraise means by a player unless i see them do it.

[creedofhubris]

My real problem is with relative unknowns.

Players I do know, i.e. those who last, don't minraise because it's a sucker move.

[LethalRose]

then wait until you get to know the players better.


certain players you know never do certain things, learning those are important.

[fimbulwinter]

[ QUOTE ]
You are the preflop raiser. You bet out. Everyone folds except for one player, who minraises you.

I'm looking for suggestions on how to differentiate between the two types of minraises.

The first type of minraise is basically a steal. It represents a player who has little-to-no hand but thinks the flop has missed you. On an ace-high board, it represents a guy with a mid pair, or maybe an ace/crap kicker. On a baby board, maybe he's got a suited connector that made a pair, maybe he's got some kind of draw, maybe he's got nothing at all, but he thinks, for whatever reason, that you don't like the flop and will release your hand to a small-ish bet. If put to the test, this guy is going away.

The second type of minraise is the donkey with a set (or perhaps AA/KK/QQ) who doesn't know any other way to bet his hand. If put to the test, this guy is allin and is way ahead.

When the player doing the minraising is bad, I find it hard to tell the difference between sand flea and quicksand. Big frustrating leak at times.

[/ QUOTE ]

check, minraise = big hand in general
minraise behind = i call and play poker on the turn

fim

[Alex/Mugaaz]

A minraise almost always means he has the complete nuts and doesn't want you to fold. The exception is when it's a complete moron who thinks TPMK is the nuts on the flop and worth backing with his stack. Those players are pretty easy to spot.

The only way to take advantage of the minraise is when you have outs to nuts, you usually don't need very good odds to call then since you're almost assured that he's going to move in on the turn.

[LethalRose]

I actually just minraised someone..here was situation.

its me vs the blinds. I limp with 86s on the button. both the blinds are smaller stacks and pretty silly, overplay weak hands etc.. BB minraises (grr)

all of us see a flop and it gives me an OESD.

both check I bet 2.75. both call.
turn is a blank, BB bets 1/3 the pot (4$)
we both call, i hit the nut hand.

the SB and BB both have between 20 and 25. pot is around 20$. SB bets 10, BB calls, I minraise. both call. go me.

[AZK]

[ QUOTE ]
Players I do know, i.e. those who last, don't minraise because it's a sucker move.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hopefully I'll last, I've been using it a lot lately to get free turns, cheap rivers, or to slow down lags when I have a mediocre hand/draw and think it might be good, or against nits who bet their overcards but fold to a raise...

[Dr. StrangeloveX]

It's a pretty wierd move but you can occasionally save some money by minireraising idiots, because they will tell you they have a real hand by raising again. It's less costly than calling the miniraise and still not really being sure you're beat when they bet like 1/2-full pot on turn, if you are willing to fold your overpair or tptk to their final raise.

It's kind of flaky and I've only done it once, but it worked on an 89Q flop with AQvTJ.