Stars 2/4 NL Preflop Question

solid · #1 01-25-2005, 09:58 PM

Situations like this seem to come up fairly often in this game and I'm unsure of the proper play:

I open for $12 in CO+1 w/ J9s.
Both the CO and Button call.
Small Blind makes it $24 more ($36 total), and BB folds.

We both have ~$500, and Small Blind is a below average, relatively tight (he's definitely got AA, KK, QQ, AK) player.

Is this reraise small enough for me to call? If I do, I'm sure at least one of CO and Button will come along.

tbach24 · #2 01-25-2005, 10:47 PM

Is this the sort of player who will pay off big with an overpair? If so, then you can call.

flawless_victory · #3 01-26-2005, 03:25 AM

this is a very easy call for me... id prefer if the CO and button folded personally, but you really dont have an option there...

VanVeen · #4 01-26-2005, 05:48 AM

No, you shouldn't be calling his raise unless you can make him fold if you flop a draw. If he is not a "weak" player, you should be auto-folding since you do not have the implied odds to make a hand that can break him. Even those times you flop two pair and get all-in on the flop, your pot equity is "only" going to be around ~75% (not enough to justify the preflop call), and that's really your best case scenario as far as made hands are concerned.

Even if he is weak, you're going to have to execute a fairly expensive semi-bluff to make up what you're losing when you don't flop a draw or a hand. Think turn, since blowing him off his hand on the flop after he's invested a standard flop-sized bet will not compensate you sufficiently for those times you call and whiff or hit a draw and your semi-bluff fizzles .

I don't want to do a rigorous mathematical analysis, but, suffice it to say, you really shouldn't be calling a $24 reraise preflop with a $500 stack.

GimmeDaWatch · #5 01-26-2005, 05:49 AM

[ QUOTE ]
this is a very easy call for me... id prefer if the CO and button folded personally, but you really dont have an option there...

[/ QUOTE ]

Im curious why you feel this is so? You are in position against what you think is a weaker player, which are both good things. But his raise is not small, and if you pick up a draw you will most likely be paying dearly to try and make it, since the pot will probably be over $100 on the flop. Granted, your hand is fairly well-disguised, but how often are you going to flop something bigger than his overpair?