Review: Hand 63, A8o and Hand 69, 88

[topspin]

Are these hands all from the same table? If so, it seems like it's tight enough that you're often seeing hands folded to you in mid-late position or with a single limper. The following hands caught my eye:

[ QUOTE ]

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (10 handed)
Preflop: Hero is MP2 with 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. CO posts a blind of $0.50.
6 folds, CO (poster) checks


[/ QUOTE ]

Folded to me in the MP2 with a poster and a lot of dead money, I think this hand is good enough to raise for value.

[ QUOTE ]

Party Poker 0.50/1 Hold'em (10 handed)
Preflop: Hero is SB with 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
3 folds, MP1 calls, 4 folds, Hero completes


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Anyone else here raise from the SB hoping to isolate MP1?

[jrz1972]

1. I disagree with raising A8o from MP2. Unless I have some sort of read on the table as ridiculously tight, I would still expect to get multiple callers (at least CO and BB), and this isn't really a hand I want to get involved with. I can't see myself raising with this UTG in 6-max, so I wouldn't raise from MP2 in FR.

2. I am definitely raising 88 in this situation. I'd prefer that BB fold, obviously, but I don't mind a call all that much either.

[car ramrod]

I would raise in both situations.
The first one is close, but the 2nd one is a raise all day.

In the first hand, I may want to have somewhat of a tight read on the blinds before I raise.

[crownjules]

The first hand I would only raise if the table were exceptionally tight. MP2 is a little far out for me to attempt a blind steal with an unsuited Ace. If it were suited I would raise it.

[Rev. Good Will]

the second hand is an easy raise

We have a slight equity edge PF:
17,574,114 games 243.741 secs 72,101 games/sec

Board:
Dead:

equity (%) win (%) / tie (%)

Hand 1: 16.1415 % [ 00.15 00.01 ] { random }
Hand 2: 16.1531 % [ 00.15 00.01 ] { random }
Hand 3: 16.1633 % [ 00.15 00.01 ] { random }
Hand 4: 16.1470 % [ 00.15 00.01 ] { random }
Hand 5: 16.1522 % [ 00.15 00.01 ] { random }
Hand 6: 19.2429 % [ 00.18 00.02 ] { As8h }


But that slightly +EV raise can be countered by the fact that you need to play this hand pimptastic postflop, and A8o is a hand that can easily be misplayed with a large field IMO.

[topspin]

[ QUOTE ]
We have a slight equity edge PF:
17,574,114 games 243.741 secs 72,101 games/sec

Board:
Dead:

equity (%) win (%) / tie (%)

Hand 1: 16.1415 % [ 00.15 00.01 ] { random }
Hand 2: 16.1531 % [ 00.15 00.01 ] { random }
Hand 3: 16.1633 % [ 00.15 00.01 ] { random }
Hand 4: 16.1470 % [ 00.15 00.01 ] { random }
Hand 5: 16.1522 % [ 00.15 00.01 ] { random }
Hand 6: 19.2429 % [ 00.18 00.02 ] { As8h }


But that slightly +EV raise can be countered by the fact that you need to play this hand pimptastic postflop, and A8o is a hand that can easily be misplayed with a large field IMO.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would fold this with a few limpers ahead. However, that is not the situation here. Looking at the last few hands, we see that the table is relatively tight, with perhaps 3-4 players to the flop on average. We're getting 2.5:1 odds in a situation where we're actually a favorite over a bunch of random hands. We're really only afraid of hands like AK-A9 and big pocket pairs, most of which are likely to re-raise us, in which case we play cautiously after the flop. We're unlikely to be dominated by most hands that just flat call.

You would auto-raise ATo here even with limpers and without the fold equity, no? Your slightly worse kicker is offset by the fact that you already know that half the table doesn't want to get involved plus the dead money from the poster.