Hey all,
I'm hoping to get a good discussion on this since I'm currently using ratios that I'm not sure at all if they're correct. Hopefully this is an okay place to post this rather than the general strategy forum...MODS: since the live 2/5 meta is different from online or lower/higher stakes and since I'll include some actual 2/5 hands in this thread, please don't move/delete.
So here's the main situation I want to focus on: multiway (3+ players see flop) pot that were either limped or raised where we are the aggressor (betting postflop or raising a bet).
There have been a few hands I played recently where I raised a very strong range preflop against limpers. I then am on the flop with TPTK or an overpair, bet flop, and everyone folds...I didn't think much about my exact flop bet range, and due to that I think they may be exploiting me by folding say middle pair or TPWK to my flop bet. Remember, if someone is exploiting someone else in poker, they don't have to consciously know they're exploiting them...
So it's already known that if we're the defender in multiway pots, we can fold a lot more hands that we should call with if heads up, and the more players in the pot the more often we can fold because: (1) the bettor's range is a little stronger than heads up since they know they must get through more players (2) if we just call there is the chance of a raise from another player whereas heads up there is no chance of this (3) if we want to try to make a bluff with ATC NOT profitable for the bettor, we don't need to call with medicore hands to do this as the defending responsibility is split with the other players. So if we are facing a bet in a 4-way pot, it's fine to fold like 70%+ of our range.
But what if we're the aggressor? If we bet flop heads up, it's already known we should have roughly twice as many bluffs as value bets (if the value bets are very very strong hands). But multiway, should we use the exact same strategy?
Here's an example of one I played last weekend:
500 effective, MP limps (seems like a loose passive player), hijack raises to 25. I flat on the button with K
Q
and a range of JJ-44, AKo-AQo, AQs-A10s, KQs-KJs, QJs, J10s-76s. Blinds fold and limper calls.
Flop = J
8
5
. Both check to me. If heads up, my bet range here heads up would be something like 88, 55, AJs, KJs, 76s, 78s, 109s, A
10
, A
10
, A
10
, K
Q
, K
Q
, K
Q
, 66, 77.
Since they're one extra player, should my flop bet range change? If so, which of the following is the best change?
1. Same value combos 88, 55, AJs, KJs but less bluff combos, resulting in a lower flop bet frequency.
2. Less value combos and less bluff combos but the same value:bluff ratio, resulting in a lower flop bet frequency.