Start playing like this in mid limits?

[Roadstar]

Recently read this in cardplayer. Are we really supposed to fold to a turn raise at the $10/$20 level here (probably meaning live game so maybe at best $5/$10 online?)


Any thoughts? (especially from those who tried slightly higher limits say above 2/4?)

Thanks!

Question


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A $10-$20 game. You raise from middle position with the A-K after an early player limps. Two middle players call as well as the early limper. There is $95 in the pot and four players. The flop is: 9-7-3, leaving you with two big overcards. The early limper checks. You bet and one of the middle players calls. There is $115 in the pot and two players. The turn is the A, giving you top pair, top kicker. You bet and get raised. What do you do?
Answer


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fold. Similar to many problems in this chapter, when you get raised on the turn, you are almost always beat when having one pair. (On occasion, you are up against a tricky player who likes to semi-bluff draws on the expensive street.) There is $175 in the pot and it costs you $20 to call. These are pot odds of 9-to-1. If your opponent is raising on aces-up, then the number of outs you have depends upon his second pair. With him having aces over nines, you have three outs (any king). With aces over sevens, you have six outs (any king or nine). With aces over treys, you have nine outs (any king, nine, or seven). So one might conclude that on average you have about six outs, which is a 7-to-1 shot, and therefore you have a call. However, if your opponent does have two pair, you do not know which two they are, and thus may lose additional money on the river. Furthermore, your opponent may have a set, in which case you are drawing dead. Since he cold-called your preflop raise, he is more likely to have done this with 9-9, 7-7, 3-3, or A-9 than some other holding.

[kenberman]

I like how this article ignores any information about the opponent.

[deception5]

I read in one of Ed Miller's posts that in live games there is extremely rare for the turn to be raised without 2 pair. Online games are more aggressive, particularly since you don't have to face your opponent - bluffing is more common.

[aK13]

Thats the most weaktight crap I've ever read.

[VoraciousReader]

Someone who is much better at poker than I am had THIS to say about this very article/question.

[grjr]

I assume this was written by Bob Ciaffone since I believe it's one of the hands in his book Middle Limit Holdem Poker (which I recommend quite often). I don't always agree with him and this may be one of those times. HOWEVER, over the long run you could probably make/lose the same amount of money by calling or folding here.

By the way, judging by the examples in the book I'd say his live 10/20 game plays more like Party 1/2.