HERO/BTN(300) Young white with aggro loose image

1 tight passive who will limp/fold alot limps
1 loose passive who limp/calls alot limps
blinds are semi sticky
HERO 18 kc2c

I think with larger sizing i can get this hu or 3way with the btn,

whats your btn raising range in this spot?

This is really table and image dependent.

At my typical table, my range here would be AT+/KQ/TT+. It's going to take a single call out of the blinds for this to go 4ways. We'd better have a hand, especially if we have an aggro loose image.

I know you're going thru a tough downswing right now, and from the few hands I've seen posted my guess from a million miles away would be you are simply setting up extremely high variance marginal spots by being far too loose/aggro preflop.

Having said that, this type of play has high rewards vs high risk. Long term, it's possible (???) it might be a much higher EV way to play poker. But it will definitely set you up for some shortterm heartache. I've never actually been on a 1000bb downswing at 1/3 in 2700+ hours (although I came very close once); it's clear to me why you are currently on a 1100+bb downswing: we play *a lot* differently preflop.

Gnotsayingthat'sgoodorbad,justsayin'G

Not that it is relevant or matters or im trying to "defend" myself. but the lions share of my 1100bb downer comes from playing 2/5 with a btn straddle or 2/5/T with very bad aggressive players.

Depending on if they play honest post-flop, fit-fold type.

If so, my range to squeeze on button can be as weak as k2s

Though I feel 100bb eff is a little shallow as you have to raise 6bb ~ 10bb to accomplish your squeeze attempt. You don't want to go to more than 3 way with crappy hand.

I'd do this more often if everyone is deeper.

it depends, but k2s probably isnt in it

I like it IF you have a plan against the loose/passive guy.

If he's the kind that calls pre and plays fit/fold OOP, great.

If he generally peels OTF with any piece (i.e. any pair, gutters, back door draws), then we should probably not bluff this guy or be prepared to fire 2 and 3 streets.

K high, depending on how often these guys are limping, is ahead of their wide ranges anyway. It's on you though to know what kinds of boards are good for them, and your perceived range if any.

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When you describe your image as young, aggro, loose, haven't you done your job though? Would you be expecting to get paid off if you had a premium pair in this spot? If so, raising BTN super light might not be the greatest plan. If I had a cleaner image and wanted to change that, however, this would be a good spot to do so.

As an unknown to these players, I would probably raise every suited jack here, as well as most unsuited one-gappers. The loose passive player is rarely going to make a hand strong enough to get to the river with, and you'll have a pretty easy time getting to showdown when you make a decent pair.

One of the problems is that semi sticky blinds means you'll be called and then stationed quite often. You're setting up a 3.5 SPR with a garbage hand. You want that SPR much higher, else you won't be able to steal enough to make this hand profitable.

If the blinds generally folded, then I don't mind this because the two Vs will let you know when you're ahead and behind. Even then, it is definitely a "pick you spot with the right kind of cards" situation.

just because you can doesn't mean you should...

I would typically raise in this spot, but limping is fine too.

At a table with multiple bad aggressive players, you should probably be playing tighter preflop, more so with a straddle. If you are playing more hands than usual in an attempt to play more hands with the fish, you're probably doing it wrong.

Pretty much this.


I believe strongly in the winning mixture of good preflop hand selection, position and skill advantage in postflopplay.


K2 suited just doesent make the cut to make me want to involve myself in this pot at all. We have no money invested in the pot so far, just fold the garbage and next hand. K2 flops good so rarely, it doesent flop good nutted draws wich gives you barrell opportunites with good equity, and it have loads of RIO if you hit top pair with the K.


Sometimes the old 2+2 classic "fold pre" has its merits.

Call pre.

Don't raise with garbage even on the button. You still need a good hand OTB if there are 3+ limpers in front of you. If all fold and you have the button is not worth to just attack $3 or $7 blinds with K2s because even if you get HU you cannot draw profitable against one player if you flop a flush draw.