I am trying to identify and plug a few leaks in my game and this seems to be one of the biggest.

The trouble always starts when I get AA, KK, or QQ when UTG.

I am a pretty straightforward type of player with a nitty tight image. When I enter the pot pre-flop with a raise or even a call, the rest of the table knows that I have a premium of some kind.

But even with that info, the $1/$2 players I sit with still play pots with me almost 100% of the time.

I guess that they are hoping to hit a big flop on me and crack my Aces?

Anyways, when UTG with AA or KK how much should I open for? I have experimented with raises anywhere from $7 up to $12 and I still get multiple callers.

I keep reading that with pocket AA or KK you want to play heads up and not against 3 or 4 players. Is this true?

Or maybe I am looking at things all wrong here?

If I do get multiple callers, am I only going with the hand and playing for stacks on certain flops?

Suggestions?

Mix up your calling and raising frequency and open up your range a tiny bit. And yes, they're only calling because they KNOW you have AA or KK and they're hoping to flop two pair and stack you. So play JTs as you would play AA once or twice and they'll be in for a nice surprise.

As for raising...well...UTG sucks so bad but use the table to your advantage. If you know that there is a very strong liklihood that someone at your table will raise from a later position, then just limp UTG with AA or KK and let them raise, and then pop the piss outta their raise ha ha haaaaaa....

If you don't think someone will raise for you, then just open up for your standard raise, $7-$12. I'd probably open for $10-$15 depending on table. Then use your best judgment from that point on...whatever you think would be most profitable....even if that means folding.

A lot of it will deal with STP ratios. If you are short stacked, you can safely raise and usually get a nice PSB or so on all but the most miserable of flops.

Adding a few premiums to your opening range like AK and AQs will add value to the whole range. For example: if you only opened UTG with AA, you would pick up only the blinds for an EV of 3 because everyone who knew this would basically fold. However, if they knew that some times you sneak in with AK, they are going to have to call with KK and pay off your AA from time to time.

OP's thread is essentially asking "guys, how do I play poker???"

In general, QQ+ are the hands you should be able to get massive value with and if even the morons that generally populate low stakes live games are catching on that your raising range is so tight, then you are playing weak-tight, NOT TAG.

I know how to play poker. I am the best.

The question that I am having problems with is sticky situations where I raised UTG and got 4 callers and the flop is the most perfect dryest flop on the entire planet of earth Q 7 2 rainbow but then I still bust to some donkey moron who played Q 2.

Are you following me here bub?

I also hate playing big pocket pairs in bloated multi-way pots OOP, which will often be the case if loose games (where as soon as one person calls our raise we'll often end up 5+ ways to the flop pretty quicky). So, I like the limp/reraise play, especially if table is a little aggro and a decent amount of raises are put in preflop. We can size our reraise so that postflop is simple (i.e. shove any flop), and if stacks are shorter we might just be able to shove preflop. I wouldn't do this in a deeper stack game where we're likely to still have enough chips left to play all the way to the river. If the limp/reraise fails, obviously we play very cautiously postflop and pretty much release our hand at the slightest hint of aggression.

A large percentage of people here will hate that play ("fish play"), but whatever. If you're not comfortable playing multiple streets postflop, then your strategy should be to end the hand as quickly as possible / make it as easy to play, until you improve and feel comfortable with these spots.

GcluelessNLnoobG

The biggest tip is raise more pre. If $12 gets you multiple callers UTG, go for $15 next time, then $20 and keep going till you get the number of callers down to 1 or 2. The magic number for opening at 1/2 varies a lot, you just have to find what works by watching the table and experimenting.

Really, I have seen people call $25 pre trying to crack a big pair when their stacks are $200. With a stack that size they can't possible make money in the long run even when they hit their set. They are gambling, not playing poker, and you should charge them as much as you can for that lottery ticket.

It sounds like you are running into some negative variance. A less skilled player will call w/Q2 and hit 2-pr OTF ~2% of the time. The other 98% of the time they will not, sometimes catching TP, paying you all the way to the river.

Sizing - I'd suggest opening based on your stack size. If you have $200, I'd recommend $15-$20, giving your opponent implied odds between 10-13 to 1 on the call. This sizing could serve as a base, fluctuating on table dynamics.

Limp/reraising big PPs from early position is extremely transparent and, IMO, a weak play. This is especially true if you are a tight players without a known bluffing capability. If you're getting 4 callers from a loose table when u raise these hands in this position, then raise more next time. Instead of say $11, my standard, try $16. The only valid reason that I see to L/R under your described circumstances is if you happen to be short (I.e.- $120 or below) and are at an aggressive table where the limpers are constantly being punished. In which case your 3 bet may be called by someone who thinks there hand is good enough to commit to a gamble against your small stack.

LMAO...if you were "the best" then you wouldn't be seeking advice in a low stakes forum and you certainly would not even be playing low stakes PERIOD. Reality is within your grasp, buddy....just reach out and touch it.

Thanks for the tips guys.

I feel that a larger pre-flop raise will probably do the trick.

As I said in the title of the post, being UTG is the whole problem.

If I were on the button or cutoff with AA then I could easily isolate and stack someone all day everyday. But being UTG and getting called by 4 people is crappy. Especially when the guy with Q2 on the BB is ONLY calling because he has such good pot odds and then he is the one who ends up hitting the miracle donkey flop.

These types of situations cannot be avoided even by world class players such as Ivey or Dwan.

If your playing LLSNL just value bet every street and insta-fold if you get raised.

Typical awesome thread in this forum.

What I think what Masaraksh is saying is poker isn't saying "how much do I bet/blah...blah...blah". Instead poker is knowing how to adapt to ever changing scenarios/opponents. No offense, but in that sense you don't know how to play poker very well(yet).

Simple suggestion: Try to figure out bet size preflop to get HU. There isn't a set number: it varies on stack sizes, how villains usually play and how they're running, how you're running(table image), etc. When flop comes try to know tendencies of villains, your image, flop texture, and odds to continue/SPR.

All this in total can actually be kinda hard to do, that's why so few people make $.

Open for 12 dollars every single hand you play at 1-2.

With premium pairs under the gun, play them straight forward, betting each street for value. If you get raised, you'll have to evaluate the situation and the villain at that point before making a decision. The fact that you said "dry flop" and Q 7 2 indicates to me you know something about the game. In those situations, it's exactly what you want but unfortunately you are not running well.

Just keep playing aggressive. Don't give free cards, bet for value, and your hand will hold more times then not in the long run. Don't over think it.

I also personally think limping at 1/2 is terrible, even out of position. There is just too much value missed overall.