Pre flop play question

[imaptone]

Party Poker 10/20 Hold'em (9 handed) http://216.119.70.224/converter/hhconverter.pl

Preflop: Hero is Button with J[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].
UTG calls, UTG+1 calls, MP1 calls, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, MP3 calls, CO calls, <font color="red"> hero?</font>

Raise call fold???

[ArturiusX]

Raise for value.

[aK13]

Are they limping garbage?

Or limping decent hands? (like T9s, 55, etc.)

Since this is 10/20, I expect some reasonable degree in limping standards, so I think I call here.

[imaptone]

I dont see the value of the raise here. If I take my AJ off out of a deck of cards then deal out 4 random hands and run them through Cardplayers simulator AJ is 3rd, to 8-10S, Q7S, tied with 55 and way ahead of A6off. Maybe I didnt shuffle enough but when you add in 3 more hands I can't see the situation improving. How is the raise for value?

[ncboiler]

Raise to get control.

[JacksonTens]

Its a raise. Only for the sake that they all limped if it was 2 bets to you it would then be a fold.

JT [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

[brettbrettr]

A limp is fine here.

[Notorious G.O.B.]

It hardly matters one way or another, in my opinion. Sklansky would say limp, Abdul Jalib would say raise. How about half and half each way. Limp with a black ace, raise with a red one.

[lerxst337]

Raise?!? No way, call is mandatory. If these people are ANY kind of players what so ever, what do the limpers UTG and UTG+1 have that you are favored against? Let alone what anyone else has, about the only spread you like with those two hands is KQs and TT. Unless the table is awful, there is no way you have equity to raise. Happily call with position, be elated when you hit aces up or better, and curse your bad luck when you are outkicked or run into a set.

Still think you have raise equity? Card Player only allows for up to five hands, but I think this will prove the point.

UTG--KQs--23.9% to win preflop
UTG+1--TT--20.9%
MP-- 87s--20.8%
CO-- 33--15%
hero--AJo--19.4%

Note, this is a scenario against 4 other players where you are NOT dominated--no overpairs, and no AK or AQ..., and you are STILL no better than 4:1 to win. Be VERY careful in these situations, the hand LOOKS good, but we all know from our homework that unsuited, high cards GIVE implied odds in multiway pots, something not calculated in just the preflop numbers.

On second thought, you could do worse than folding here [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[brettbrettr]

You're really wrong.

KQs and TT most likely aren't out. But the edge you have on much worse hands is still minimal so it remains a call. The last thing you want to do is bloat the pot with big unsuited cards.