Quote:
Originally Posted by SickZac
is raising 8762 bad from utg?
If you are playing it as a draw to 8762 and your opponents don't make big mistakes post draw, yes. Playing it as 762 is probably okay but not at all necessary. I would sooner start routinely opening 72xxx with a pair or 754xx etc. from the BTN if I feel I need to open up my game.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SickZac
i dont know any regular in my games who opens 754 utg. the losest someone opens is maybe 8w2 or 862. should I stil fold 8w2? folding 762 now seems too tight.
You will sometimes find a creative player who makes remarkable decisions predraw. I have seen people play both 754 and hands such as 9653 as though they were the nuts predraw from UTG. It is a good idea to think about how you might adjust to such a player - loosening my range and playing rougher draws would usually be my first go-to adjustment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SickZac
edit: so you fold 8w2 from mp1 vs utg but call on bu and co?
edit 2: why do you suggest folding 762 in some lineups if a call with 8w2 is slightly +ev?
Playing tightly when facing a raise from a tight range with people still to act who have position on you is a solid general strategy. Loosening up as it becomes less and less likely that you will not be last to act is an appropriate adjustment as your exposure to risk is reduced.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SickZac
edit 2: why do you suggest folding 762 in some lineups if a call with 8w2 is slightly +ev?
A lot of the fundamental mistakes that you cannot avoid making with a hand like 762 or 8w2 involve making a second (or third) best hand and paying off on later streets. The most likely hands that you will hold when you make these mistakes are 87s (and more specifically, the rough 87s #13 though #18).
762 makes #2, #3, and #4, which will obviously be a very profitable thing to do. However, it also makes #14, #15 and #16, which can result in costly river bets going in if you are not well-informed about your opponents value-betting strategies.
8w2 will only rarely make these RIO hands because you start with neither a 7 or a 6. However, you will commonly make #5 through #13. Therefore, for a beginning player, I would say that 8w2 is easier to play and less likely to be costly in the long run.
If villain is either playing a wider range or snowing frequently then obviously both hands become playable. Furthermore, 762 becomes the much better hand because any hand #18 or better is always going to have substantial value and the value of making a 97 (instead of a 98) goes up. In heavily raked games, extracting thin value with rough hands is going to result in paying more rake than you need to for no additional profit so you might as well fold these hands as a default.