Quote:
Originally Posted by mongidig
How low are you going with your Ace suited hands when opening UTG 8 handed these days? My default used to be ATs+ 9 handed. In no limit they go tight but will throw in A5s, A4s type hands to widen the range. A6-A9 seem like they can get you into trouble.
How low are you going with your pocket pairs?
Assume the game is good and not overly agro.
To my understanding A5s and other ace wheel suited are special semibluffs in NLHE because:
First, the ace blocks AA and AK, hands that will want to 3/4/5 bet and have you in terrible shape post.
Second, I'm told the equity of the wheel possibility gives it more inherent value than extra pips all the way up to A8s, but this sounds dubious to me.
However in NL it's more profitable long run to play a hand that can flop more draws, even weak ones. You're showing down less, and draws like wheel gutshots give you license for aggression that wins without the best hand more often.
And once a decent player calls your raise or reraise in NL, it's less likely they have A9, A8, A7, etc. anyway. Therefore the pips aren't worth much between A9 and A5 because you won't get in a kicker war with middle aces too often.
So I thought all that made sense... But now I hear claims A5s isn't a semibluff at all, which makes no sense at all to me. Seems pretty clear you aggress with it because it's too weak to call a raise. Shrug
.....
I don't think much of that applies to LHE though. If they're opening down to A8s in some spot and you 3! A5s, they're not folding for one bet. I.e. pips actually matter more.
Postflop playability obv matters in LHE but not in the same way. Bluffing x43 boards with one of your suit HU, planning to barrel, just isn't as big a source of profit, is it?
(Sincere question. I'm not good at LHE.)
Last edited by AKQJ10; 06-29-2023 at 12:57 PM.