too passive?

[ruan99]

10/20 live action game. The game is very loose. There are many huge pots. I am two off the button with JJ. 4 people call to me. DO I raise here? my thinking is that the button is super loose so he's not going anywhere either way and at least one of the blinds is going to call the raise. My plan is to call and make a decision on the flop. The cut off and the button called as well as the Sb and the BB raised everyone called. giving us 9 way action. Do I 3-bet here. There are a lot of hands he could raise with. any pair, any suited ace, and any big ace.

Flop: 8 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 5 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

rather decent flop for me. The BB bet out everyone called to me. Folding is not an option but is raising a good option here? I decided to call and raise the turn if I liked it.
CO folded and the button raised. everyone called. Do I 3-bet here? so many questions. and whats my action on the turn. I plan to bet into the button with any brick hoping he will raise. I'm fairly confident he has just one pair.

[drbk2]

Preflop: Loose game and huge pots? Raising here is easy for a few reasons:
a. For value. 99% of the time you have the best hand if 4 people limp to you when you are in late position. And if you improve your hand or win unimproved you will take down a monster for yourself.

b. Someone may 3 bet behind you and knock out some of the other players.

c. Raising gives you control in the hand, which is a huge advantage when you have position.

Flop: You gotta raise this flop. You're may not knock out any players, but you're doing this purely for value. It also gives you information on how strong BB's hand really is.

[smurfitup]

value, value, value... these players aren't going anywhere, so you might as well pump it up and make the pot swell when you have the best hand... i raise preflop... but given that you didn't, i DEFINITELY raise the flop... so many of the opponents in there are drawing slim w/ crap like a7, jt, etc. that you'll be losing IMMENSE value by not raising... sure, jacks are a vulnerable hand, but when they're the best hand, you have to get all the value out of them that you can.. in this situation, you most probably have the best hand, but you didn't put in a single raise...

[Chris Daddy Cool]

microforums.

[stigmata]

Too passive? Ya, I reckon [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

In the nicest possible way, this is really elementary stuff. You really need to read "Small Stakes Hold 'em" by Ed Miller, and perhaps some other books. Lurk around the small stakes forums, books/publications, beginner forums etc.

[ruan99]

10/20 isn't huge stakes, but I'm pretty sure it's not micro limit. I wanted to protect my hand the best I could and I figure raising on the turn would do that better than raising on the flop. Why should I give them odds to chase by building the pot preflop or on the flop for that matter. Nobody folds on the flop for a raise, maybe a few drop out for a double bet on turn, what about that? Isn't the pot big enough dont i have to try to win it now instead of pumping it????

Ruan, preflop you should raise, and once you didnt, you should definitely reraise the big blind. Once the flop comes i think you played perfectly. You should not raise the flop as no one is likely to fold. Raising here will just bloat an already huge pot. Your job is to do whatever you can to win this huge pot, not make it bigger with your vulnerable holding. Just calling the flop with the intention of raising the right turn card was the right play, and once the guy behind you raises you should again just call and bet into him on the turn and pray to god he raises to knock somebody out. If you had AA or KK, then it would be better to just raise the pot since you cant protect your hand so you mine as well raise for value since you have a hand that is likely best now and will likely still be best on the turn. With your jacks, the value of your hand will change dramatically once we see the turn card making it correct to just call the flop, and then consider raising for value on the turn since your equity will increase dramatically if the right turn card hits. So Postflop you played your hand perfectly. Raising the flop and thus building the pot with your jacks would be bad poker in this situation.

I totally agree with the Westley878 post.

[drbk2]

CDC says microlimit forums because these are very fundamental topics that should be learned before you play 10 20.