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2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises 2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises

10-22-2009 , 09:07 AM
I had a couple pre-flop raises during my last sng that looked a little questionable after I reviewed them. Some of these are pretty basic questions, so sorry in advance.

Hand 1:

Basically, I was wondering if it's too early in the sng to be raising KQ.


Full Tilt Poker $2 + $0.25 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t25/t50 Blinds - 7 players
The Official 2+2 Hand Converter Powered By DeucesCracked.com

BTN: t1445 M = 19.27
SB: t1585 M = 21.13
BB: t1760 M = 23.47
UTG: t1180 M = 15.73
UTG+1: t4910 M = 65.47
MP: t1280 M = 17.07
Hero (CO): t1340 M = 17.87

Pre Flop: (t75) Hero is CO with Q K
3 folds, Hero raises to t150, 3 folds



Hand 2:

Similarly in this hand, should I be raising AQ in early position at this stage in the sng?


Full Tilt Poker $2 + $0.25 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t40/t80 Blinds - 7 players
The Official 2+2 Hand Converter Powered By DeucesCracked.com

MP: t1240 M = 10.33
CO: t1945 M = 16.21
BTN: t1650 M = 13.75
SB: t890 M = 7.42
BB: t4655 M = 38.79
UTG: t1705 M = 14.21
Hero (UTG+1): t1415 M = 11.79

Pre Flop: (t120) Hero is UTG+1 with A Q
1 fold, Hero raises to t240, 5 folds





Hand 3:

Again, out of position.


Full Tilt Poker $2 + $0.25 No Limit Hold'em Tournament - t50/t100 Blinds - 6 players
The Official 2+2 Hand Converter Powered By DeucesCracked.com

CO: t1090 M = 7.27
BTN: t3515 M = 23.43
SB: t2740 M = 18.27
BB: t4235 M = 28.23
UTG: t505 M = 3.37
Hero (MP): t1415 M = 9.43

Pre Flop: (t150) Hero is MP with 7 7
1 fold, Hero raises to t300, 4 folds





Thanks for any help you can give me.
2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises Quote
10-22-2009 , 09:20 AM
Make it 2.5xBB when you have around 10-25 BBs. The last hand can be shoved if the blinds + btn are tight, I think.

It's standard to raise all these hands, though I'm not 100% sure about the last hand.
2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises Quote
10-22-2009 , 09:29 AM
^

The last one is definitely shove/fold. I think folding might be right with blinds so small? Be curious to see what others think.
2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises Quote
10-22-2009 , 09:31 AM
Hello OP,

Hand 1: You should raise because you are in the CO and it has been folded round to you. I would however fold KQ off from utg. This is because i have to fold if reraised and if flat called i have to play oop. In this hand however there are only 3 players left to act so very unlikely you will be reraised- also if you are called by the blinds you will be able to play in pos. In addition you may just take down the blinds which would be a good result.

Hand2: This is a matter of taste but mainly depends on your own comfort / skill level. If you are unsure about playing AQ from utg then its not a crime to fold it. However most good players would raise. As Bendik points out its a good idea to keep your opening raise small (2.5 bb) at this stage of the sng. This way if someone pushes all in its easier to fold.

Hand3: I think that this really depends on how tight / loose the table is. On a tight table I would raise (again 2.5 BB) however on a lose table with poor opponents I would limp or even fold. This is because this hand plays poorly post flop in particular oop.

Remember - its never a massive mistake to fold a hand if you are unsure how to play it.

Good luck!

Bob
2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises Quote
10-22-2009 , 09:44 AM
Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'm definitely going to adjust my opening raise size. I've been reading up on sngs and the advice is generally to play really tight at the beginning so I wasn't sure whether raising these hands would be considered loose.

I was also considering shoving the last hand, but it seemed to me that there was a reasonable chance someone after me would call with overs, and I thought it was a little too early to risk the sng on a coin flip. Although I'm not sure if that reasoning is correct.
2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises Quote
10-22-2009 , 09:53 AM
I dont think that shoving the last hand makes any sense.

The only hands that call you are {99+, AQ+} which is completely crushing you.

When everyone folds you gain t150

RISK >>>>>>>>>>> REWARD
2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises Quote
10-22-2009 , 01:42 PM
Bob in hand 3 how are you only getting called by 99+ and AQ+ in a 2$ SNG ?

Really not sure how you came up with these ranges.

Hand 3 could possibly be a + EV shove on the right ranges but I'm probably mucking it.

Shoving hand 3 seems a lot better than 2.5x'ing or limping. Open limping at t100 is not really a good idea. In later position hand 3 seems like an easy + EV shove.
2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises Quote
10-22-2009 , 02:23 PM
both the first 2 are fine to raise, the third hand fold>shove>raise>limp, it would be a shove if we were in CO.
2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises Quote
10-22-2009 , 05:48 PM
mugenjin- Curious what you would consider calling ranges if shoved the 77's. I would tend to side with Bob that someone's range for calling all their chips preflop would have to be pretty high.
2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises Quote
10-22-2009 , 09:18 PM
With no information , it's impossible to assign accurate ranges for 4 opponents and im sure that 99+ AQ+ range might be accurate for 1 or possibly more of those opponents but to say that all 4 of those opponents behind are folding AJ and and 88- would be giving them way too much credit , especially in a 2$ sng.

Even shoving 14 BB's someone loose enough might look you up with QJ. Really depends on the villain. Folding is still preferable to shoving it imo , but it's nowwhere near as bad as Angribob made it seem. TT is a snap shove there , probably 99 too.
2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises Quote
10-23-2009 , 02:03 AM
I have a question about hand 2. It would seem to me with a stack size under 20bbs that raise/folding here would be pretty weak overall, unless someone super duper tight came over the top. Going in with a stack like this my plan is to raise/call just about everyone. What do you think?
2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises Quote
10-23-2009 , 06:05 AM
Quote:
Bob in hand 3 how are you only getting called by 99+ and AQ+ in a 2$ SNG ?
Yeah - these are the only hands I would call with. Prob not a good range for multiple villains in a $2 sng i admit....

Quote:
Shoving hand 3 seems a lot better than 2.5x'ing or limping. Open limping at t100 is not really a good idea. In later position hand 3 seems like an easy + EV shove.
I just don't like open shoving with M = 10 in a sng. We still have plenty of options and considering this is a $2 game we will have many oportunites to out play villains. I agree that open limping sucks but in this particular game do we not have more chance of seeing a flop? IDK TBH i don't play $2 sng and cant even really beat the $3 ones.... can only man an ROI of 10% in those bleugh.
I prolly over adjust and move too far away from standard shoves etc...
2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises Quote
10-23-2009 , 01:07 PM
Yeah , don't give villains' too much credit. Their calling ranges can be so far from ours
it's unreal. Shoving middle pairs from MP even with 12-15 BB's can be profitable because you're usually getting called by the smaller pocket pairs and Ax hands.

Quote:
I have a question about hand 2. It would seem to me with a stack size under 20bbs that raise/folding here would be pretty weak overall, unless someone super duper tight came over the top. Going in with a stack like this my plan is to raise/call just about everyone. What do you think?

Raise/folding w/ 18 BB's isn't too weak in Hand2. The SB is the only stack i'd really feel obligated to call based on pot odds , I'd fold to the others if they were tight enough.
2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises Quote
10-23-2009 , 03:19 PM
Hand 1 - idk

Hand 2 - shove / fold

Hand 3 - shove / fold
2.25 - Questionable pre-flop raises Quote

      
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