$8-$16 Hold'em hand ... California style

[emerson]

A comment about the cap only. This is an easier decision than the initial raise. The first raise has a danger of knocking out some of the limpers. After they are all in for three bets nobody is folding for one more.

You mentioned wanting more than one limper to do this. Yes, you only want to do this against a big field with several limpers. Same with small pocket pairs. You want to know that there is going to be minimum five way action on the flop before you commit two or more bets on these hands.

You will add a great deal of variance to your game when you do this with suited connectors. Unlike the small pocket pairs, which either make a set or fold unless they're getting 22 to 1, with the suited connectors you will get a variety of partially made hands and back doors. You make the pot so big that you will usually have pot odds to call the flop, and often the turn, with very little. You will win huge pots when you get there. But you will have a rather big losing investment when you don't also.

[mongidig]

Preflop is fine.

Raise the flop, if UTG three bets and the other player calls, I would cap the betting. UTG will not put you on JJ since you have played this hand too fast. Hopefully he will put you on a pair worse than his or a flush draw and come out betting on the turn.

If UTG three bets and the other player goes away you could either reraise or call and raise turn.

After the UTG three bets the turn I would just call down although once the Queen hits the river there is a good argument to raise. Would he limp reraise with JJ,QQ,or AQ? You didn't reraise him on the turn so he doesn't fear JJ or QQ and if you would have played the flop strongly probably wouldn't put you on AQ. His most likely holdings seem to be KK or AA.Nevertheless, I think I would just call unless this guy is super aggro.