Quiz hand

raise 200-250. If the MP calls and the flop comes all J or lower I push, but you're really hoping you get the MP out of the pot preflop.

[dtbog]

I think your goal with this post was to see what the average SSNL'er would do in this spot. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Matt Flynn]

This is a Sklansky-type no limit hand, by which I mean so many variables have been controlled that one answer is clearly correct. Most tough hands aren't like that.

The answer lies in the stack sizes. You are at least calling. After a call, if BB folds there would be a $170 pot with the opener having $118 behind, next guy $880 and button $480. The pot after a call would be huge relative to UTG's remaining stack. If MP and button had _giant_ stacks and Hero did too, one might argue that set equity and hopefully a stackoff against a giant stack was worth more than the dead money. Here MP and button have small stacks. There is far too much dead money in the pot. You must raise.

How much to raise? You can get cute with an enticer raise in the hopes UTG goes all in and you can isolate, or even better MP goes all in with a hand you have dominated. However, if UTG doesn't oblige you hate it. Without making ridiculously complicated assumptions about MP and button's hand ranges and play, you cannot determine how often they'd have to collectively not reraise your miniraise for you to hate miniraising. You can, however, define a heuristic upper bound. My guesstimate is with reasonable assumptions, if they fail to let you stack off preflop 25% of the time, you are better off raising big.

Assume now you decide to raise more. How much do you raise? All in is fine. In the actual hand, I took a hybrid strategy because MP seemed to be playing above his head without control, and ready to spazz chips. I raised $245, enough to get button committed but small enough to entice MP to push to reisolate. I felt betting quickly would have a better enticer effect. No time to think: just slide and click. In retrospect I probably should have raised more, but it depends on how accurate my spazz read was. It turned out it did not matter, as UTG called and MP and button folded. My QQ held up against UTG's JJ.


General case: When you have a big made hand that you are committed to playing and the pot gets big relative to the smaller remaining stack, the default is to get the money in immediately.

I don't call it a theorem because there are many exceptions. When it happens, just ask yourself if you have a compelling reason NOT to raise big. Here the answer is no.

[flawless_victory]

[ QUOTE ]
Play it like it's 44

The only difference is if you flop a flush draw, but besides that, I play it just like 44

[/ QUOTE ]i am going to throw up now.

[flawless_victory]

[ QUOTE ]
What should I/Hero do?



[/ QUOTE ]make it 340. call any/all raises

Hero min raises,UTG moves in, mp and button calls. You push.

Weird?

[TheWorstPlayer]

[ QUOTE ]
Seriously?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes.

[ObnxNole]

Option 1: Make it $175-$200 especially from the small blind. Get the rest barring an Ace r King on the flop.

Option 2: Flat call and lead out at the flop once again barring an Ace or King.

Option 3: Flat call and CR all barring an Ace or King

Option 4 : Flop quads and watch everyone turbo muck.

Of course this is very player and table dependant.

[LuvDemNutz]

I think this is an OK quiz - but another interesting question to ask would be what is the WORST hand that you would raise / isolate UTG with?

Also what hands are you just calling with given that UTG is so short? I don't think I'm just calling with much of anything here.

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Play it like it's 44

The only difference is if you flop a flush draw, but besides that, I play it just like 44

[/ QUOTE ]i am going to throw up now.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I made a correction, I didn't read stack sizes [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]