Raising preflop

[kitaristi0]

I've been going through a lot of the starting hand requirement posts here on the forums and i think i've got sth of a grasp of them now. However, i have little to no idea with which hands i should be raising with. What raising guidelines would you recommend for a novice player just starting the game, i.e. no funny business, just strict +EV raises?

[kitaristi0]

bump

[stud7champ]

low A2, A3 with A3 with flush draw any hand with 4 cards 5 or below
High any hand with 4 cards 10 and above inc any with single high pair 10 & above.

Composite hands AA2, AA3, AA23, AA34 etc, And AAXX where XX includes 2 cards 5 or below with at least one flush.

All above can be raised preflop in O8 PL

[gergery]

There is signficant disagreement on what situations are best to preflop raise in Limit O8.

About the only thing everyone agrees on is to raise in late position when there are already several limpers and you have a good multi-way hand like A23 suited.

After that, it depends a lot on your opponents and the table you are at.

A lot depends on what you want to accomplish when raising: do you want more money in the pot, to get position by knocking out potential callers behind you, or thin the field? How likely are you going to be to accomplish this, how good is your hand multi-way vs. shorthanded, how comfortable financially and emotionally you are with variance, and how much giving away your hand will cost you in terms of later bets are all things to consider.

For beginners tho, I'd recommend only raising preflop in later positions with A2 suited hands that have something else good going for it -- another wheel card or 2 high cards that are also suited.

--Greg

[Ironman]

I was at a 2/4 table the other day that had several people raise all the time preflop with a lone A 2.

I'm not saying you should do this, but it was interesting to watch the table dynamics.

I probably became too tight in that situation, but I waited for good counter-punching hands.

The reason you will either be successful at this game or not has more to do with the sidecards you hold with the A 2 rather than the A 2 itself. So I will raise with a good two way hand or a great high only hand, A A double suited.

Ray Zee says you raise to get people to fold first, get more money into the pot second.

Dave

[kitaristi0]

Thanks for your input. I should probably read Zee's book some time in the near future.

[stud7champ]

Previously I gave you the hands now here is the strategy
Why Raise?
Deception, Game is mechanical u have got to prevent players reading your raise for AA or A2x so you raise with high & A3 suited.

Increase pot size,manipulate pot sixe to get good pot odds later if drawing or to give opponents the wrong odds to call

Reduce players preflop, certain hands play well heads up or against a reduced field i.e. AAxx

The above are the main three, however there are about 4 or 5 other reasons.

[Jonathan]

[ QUOTE ]
low A2, A3 with A3 with flush draw any hand with 4 cards 5 or below


[/ QUOTE ]

First, I should point out that I am BRAND new to Omaha, and
have only been playing the limit 50cent $1 game for 2 days.
(I am a successful NL hold 'em player, however). So believe
me when I say that it is not without some trepidation, that
I jump right in here criticizing my betters. But a part
of learning a new game is discussing hands with better
players, which is the purpose of this forum, right?

I think that the advice to raise with any 4 cards 5 and below
is mistaken. For example, the hand 2345 rainbow is garbage.
Not only should you not raise with it, but in most cases
it should probably be thrown in the trash, and not even played
at all.

Annie Duke has an interesting note on this hand on her website,
where she demonstrates how prone this hand is to making
second best hands.

Suerte,
Jonathan

[Ironman]

Jonathan,

I know what you are saying and understand what Annie is driving at, but what you really want is a hand that can win both ways.

2,3,4, 5 gives you that hand.

I happen to agree with not raising preflop, but I think it is a mistake to not at least see a flop with this hand.

This hand gives you the potential to have a very strong hand if one card comes because it gives you a good scoop possibility and also can counterfit your opponents.

From late position, I would play this all the time.

Dave

[JoshuaMayes]

[ QUOTE ]
For example, the hand 2345 rainbow is garbage.
Not only should you not raise with it, but in most cases
it should probably be thrown in the trash, and not even played
at all.


[/ QUOTE ]

You should always play 234x at low limit games. I wouldn't raise with it, but 2345 is far from "garbage." I wouldn't get carried away and call 3 bets cold with it either, because most of the aces are almost certainly out in that scenario, but it is definitely a playable hand. I would limp with it from any position in PLO8. If a player can't get away from a 3d nut low or raggedy bottom two pair, then he should work on post-flop play.