Always open raise or fold, never open limp? Expert opinions

[Dynasty]

I don't play against Michael. 30-60 is his lowest limit whereas that's my highest. So, I can't really give any first-hand information. My comment was based on memory of some of his posts before he left the 2+2 forum.

Among other things, I believe he completely stopped limp-reraising. And, I'm sure he'd limp with something like 66 UTG in a loose-passive game. That's just common sense. Like any other winning player, he doesn't have a fixed pre-flop strategy.

[Benman]

I also understood "open" in the original post to mean when there is no voluntary action before you. This is a fairly common understanding, if I'm not mistaken.

[Wake up CALL]

". Lets get back to the point, that abdul does not always advocate raising when you are the first player to voluntarily enter the pot."

Thanks I agree, that is all I was really addressing in the first place.

[CrackerZack]

Anyone know the story of how someone named michael started going by Abdul Jalib?

[Al_Capone_Junior]

There are situations where open-raising is clearly not the best choice, and where folding is even worse than just open-calling. An example would be if you were playing in a very loose passive game where people tended to go way too far post flop. Here, I would play many hands from EP that I wouldn't in a tougher, tighter game. However, I wouldn't be open raising with many of these same hands, most notably small pairs and suited aces. In a loose game it would be silly to open-raise and quite possibly drive players out who would probably pay you off if you hit a set or flush. Yet folding small pairs here would be equally silly, as you're almost sure to have favorable conditions for playing them.

I agree with those who advocate a dynamic pre-flop strategy in ring games. It's all situational, and should be treated thusly.

Now I also agree that in many, many games, a raise/fold policy works very well, and would certainly not come down very hard on someone who played that way. I just think that the specific situation you're in should dictate the way you play, not a pre-defined chart of raise/fold decisions. You're bound to lose a little bit of efficiency by sticking to such a policy under ALL circumstances.

al

[J.R.]

I heard something that Micheal Hall was a blackjack and poker player, and he posted blackjack advice on the rec.gambling boards that was good advice, blackjack pit managers didn't like it, so he adopted a pseudonym (Abdul Jalib M'Hall- with a play on his real name) to protect himself. There are some things that don't make complete sense about this story, but that's what I seem to recall, although I don't have a link to verify it.

[Rook1]

its the games they play. those ideas are wrong in low limit. Great page in slanskys holdem book "adjusting to loose games" Lederman and fergeson raises at there tables its going to be heads up. IN "our" games that harldy the case.

[CORed]

As I recall, Abdul Jalib advocates limp-reraising with AA and KK in tight agresive games.

[squiffy]

Also, why would you assume active pros would give you a straight and completely honest answer for all the world to hear and read? Like a good politician, a player who has not retired from competition is not likely to reveal his secrets. He may even spread dis-information to throw off his opponents.

[David Steele]

Tom W. on RGP wrote:

"Sklansky and Zee are wrong. I don't really want to explain why, and since I'm not interested in convincing anyone about my position, I don't feel compelled to do so."

I would have thought he is only talking about the bigger type of games he plays in, and that limping with pairs and suited aces is quite reasonable in loose games, however he is quite blunt about it. Maybe there is more to this then we have thought of.

D.