"QJo is not a standard open in LP. - Nogyong. - Agree. I don't o/r QJo until in the CO which has a 24% range, which is heavily weighted towards suited hands.
If you raise to $27, won't you get a lot of the garbage that you're way ahead of to correctly fold pre? Is that what you're looking for? 3 of 4 folds & guy with 88 calling? AQs & KQs call a $27 raise?
If I am going to consider flatting pre in the HJ, I consider the following:
1. How bad do the limpers play post-flop, i.e., are they sticky with weak made hands & willing to chase weak draws.
2. What kind of players are behind me? Will I often be faced with an isolation raise.
3. Do the players give me respect for a made hand otf when the flop comes AT9r/KT8r/QT8r & I raise IP? I want to see last 2 streets for free if I don't improve ott.
The problem with all 3 of those flops, is that they all have a ten with a card relatively close, which means they often fit my opponents ranges. That's an inherent problem with QJo. Along with having little to no flush equity, it often hits other players' hands when it hits ours.
Since you only see a rainbow flop about 40% of the time & a flop with 2 of suit 55% of the time, I much prefer SCs. Not just because I can flop a flush draw, but if I do flop a flush draw with a str8 draw, I've got 2 blockers to someone else's higher flush draw. In addition, if my suit is
s & it flop is
I have a BDFD & don't have to be concerned with the turn coming with one [
] of the 3 suits that came otf. When the flop is
, I don't have to worry about a
ott.
If you pit yourself against 2, who limp a range of:
22-88, A2s+, ATo+, K2s+, K9o+, all the way down to where they are playing a total of 37.5% of their hands, you have 36% equity. 3% more than your fair share. Your equity going to the flop is 35.5%.
Your equity doesn't change much going to the flop when you're suited, but it jumps 3.5% going to the river.
I can't think of a time I flatted in this situation, except when I've been card dead & want to be seen putting money in to see a flop. If I play it, it's going to be for a raise & not vs. limpers who limp with premiums like AJs/AQo/KQs, etc. I want pre-flop fold equity, or HU vs. a bad sticky player, or bad fit or fold player.
I know a few lag players who will raise to $20 pre in LP with K7s after several limpers & if he gets callers, will continue to play strong if he flops a 7 and a BDFD. Sometimes they'll run $300 up to $1k in a few hours and I'll think "Man, I wish I could do that!" Other times they'll burn thru $600 & leave and I'll think "Man, must be nice to have money to burn."
I'm thinking of 1 such person, who if he runs up ~$800-$1K profit, he racks up, no matter how long he's been there, obviously headed to the pits.