Shorts in the SB (5-card Draw)

[Burdzthewurd]

Excuse me if I don't know the exact definition, I've only read about Draw in SS1, so I assume it's all pairs under Jacks (maybe tens?). What's my action in say a limit 5-card Draw game where I'm in the SB. Situations:

A) Two calls and I have 66xxx
B) Folds to me and I have 55xxx
C) UTG raise and 2 calls to me, I have 99xxx

[splittter]

I'll have a go, although have only just started playing draw so may be completely off base.

A) Two calls and I have 66xxx

Call. Getting 7/1 on the call, and I'd say it's unlikely any of the callers have better than a small 2-pair.

B) Folds to me and I have 55xxx

Call. Seems like there's enough times a blind hand is checked down after the draw and a small pair takes it to make this worthwhile.

C) UTG raise and 2 calls to me, I have 99xxx

Fold. Can't see you ending up with the best hand unless you improve to trips at least, and with that many people being in for the raise it's unlikely you could bluff it after the draw.

[Tilt]

A) Call. Big pot, cheap price.
B) Sometimes raise, sometimes call, sometimes fold.
C) Fold.

[Biggle10]

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A) Call. Big pot, cheap price.
B) Sometimes raise, sometimes call, sometimes fold.
C) Fold.

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[Moneyline]

[ QUOTE ]
A) Two calls and I have 66xxx


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I call here and draw 3. You're getting good pot odds, and you have even better implied odds if you catch trip sixes.

[ QUOTE ]
B) Folds to me and I have 55xxx


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I think this is an easy raise. The majority of the time I would draw 3. I think you have too much hand to fold, and open-limping from the small blind is IMO almost always a terrible play in any game. I believe a raise is your most profitable option because A) most draw poker players don't defend nearly enough B) you don't want a trash hand to draw out on you for free, and C) you don't want to telegraph when you do actually have a strong hand in the SB.

Since draw poker has only 2 betting rounds, the blinds constitute a relatively large percentage of the overall pot size. This makes online draw very much a "struggle for the antes," so unless you know that the player on your left is better than you I think you should struggle hard for them.

[ QUOTE ]
) UTG raise and 2 calls to me, I have 99xxx

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I fold here without hesitation. Your hand isn't great, you're out of position, and you have to put a lot of money in to draw.

Just my opinion...

[Tom Bayes]

Well, #3 is an obvious fold. #2 is raise if the BB is too conservative/eager to fold, call if he's a more typical loose-passive player, and fold/switch tables if the BB is a tricky player who you fear can outplay you after the draw. I'm probably being weak-tight here, but I'm not as eager to automatically call in hand #1. Yes, you are getting a good price, but you are badly out-of-position in a very positional game and even if you improve, you might make the 2nd best hand. I'm more likely to be willing to speculate if the limpers are loose-passive and predictable players who would limp with any pair/any draw and will only bet out if they hit. I really don't fancy playing this hand against tough players. Of course, most tough players don't open-limp in draw and would pop an open-limper with a decent hand. Maybe I talked myself into playing this type of hand more... Hmmmm

[DOMIT]

I'm glad to see that there's at least someone who's not so overly aggressive as to auto open raise w/ a mere pair of 55's from the SB.

As for the shorts in the SB with 2 callers, getting 7-1 on your money. I'll call everytime, even with 22. I'm more inclined to check-call vs 3 others though if I hit my trips. The likelihood that someone else has improved and will bet for me is too great, and it's a good thief-catcher (if last position opponents figure they can pick up the pot with a bet [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]).

I agree with the others on the 99..fold. I'll include TT. JJ is borderline territory. If your opponent will raise with ANY two pair, JJs-up will beat the mean-two pair (according to Weisenberg). I'll usually only call from the SB with JJ or QQ if I think the BB is loose enough to call, or there's a limper in between who will also call the raise (giving me better odds to call). If I know that the RO'er (raise-opener) will RO with KK and AA.. I usually don't call with JJ or QQ if I think it will be HU (from the SB..I'll call from the BB..getting 3.5-1 there).