Cold Calling

[SixForty]

One more thing to think of about cold-calling.

If someone raises preflop, it usually denotes a good hand (let's ignore blind steals and maniacs here for a moment) Let's say that the player to your right raises first in. Now you know that he will only raise the top 20 preflop hands. (ignore for a moment which hands those might be) So he's got one of the top 20 hands here.

What hands do you want to be playing against his range?

Well, you don't want to be playing hand #20, since 19 of his possible 20 hands are better. He's ahead of you 95% of the time. You probably don't want to play hand #15 either, since he's still a huge favourite. So let's say a sound strategy is to only play hands #10 and higher. This means that in the worst case scenario, you are at least 50/50 as to who's got the better hand. Add in the extra money from the blinds, and that's an acceptable strategy.

Now, since this strategy leads you into playing the top 10 hands only, you are all of a sudden playing nothing but really, really good hands. So it's only natural to reraise him instead of cold-calling. You're reraise will force others to either fold hands that may have outdrawn you, or call a huge amount with a hand that is a significant underdog to your top 10 hand. Add in the fact that you have position and gain the advantage of momentum with a reraise, and it only makes sense.

Personally, the only times I'm cold-calling are with speculative hands that will be getting proper implied odds due to a multi-way pot. For example, two players limp, someone raises, and I'm on the Button with 44 - I'm in. Someone raises and 2 people cold-call and I'm in the CO with JTs - I'm in. Someone raises and 5 people cold-call, and I'm on the Button with 65s - I'm in. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] (YMMV)

[Xhad]

The only time I'll cold-call against unknowns is if I have a decent multiway hand in a big pot.

Sometimes against players whose tendencies you know really well a cold-call can be best; this mostly happens with tight predictable players, or tricky players who will often call your 3bet and c/r the flop, but will usually play honest whenever you "float" them. Talking about when in position of course.

[TripleH68]

[ QUOTE ]
Sometimes against players whose tendencies you know really well a cold-call can be best; this mostly happens with tight predictable players, or tricky players who will often call your 3bet and c/r the flop, but will usually play honest whenever you "float" them. Talking about when in position of course.

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I have run into a couple pretty good players at the 5/10 level who have sat to my left - and cold called my preflop raises quite a bit. It had puzzled me, but eventually it turned into a lot of fun.

[Xhad]

TripleH, I've played with you and you are definitely not the type of person I'm talking about. On the other hand, there is a certain individual whose sn starts with JC that I'll do this to. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[CardRG]

First, a clarification: I thought cold calling was defined thusly: When a player calls 2 bets when that same player has not already bet during that particular street.

UTG bets; MP raises. You, the button, 3 bets. You just cold called.

But, if I understand correctly, this next example is different:

UTG bets; MP raises. You, the button, 3 bets. You just cold called. UTG puts in 2 more bets. UTG simply called a Reraise, not cold called a raise. Am I wrong?

[CardRG]

Great post, SixForty, very helpful.

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You're reraise will force others to either fold hands that may have outdrawn you, or call a huge amount with a hand that is a significant underdog to your top 10 hand.

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Did you leave out this one last scenario: That the result of your 3 bet might be to allow a player who has you beat or who believes he has you beat, to cap the betting?

[SixForty]

[ QUOTE ]
First, a clarification: I thought cold calling was defined thusly: When a player calls 2 bets when that same player has not already bet during that particular street.

UTG bets; MP raises. You, the button, 3 bets. You just cold called.

[/ QUOTE ]

Technically no - when you are raising, you aren't calling, so you can't really be cold-calling. And though it is often thought to be a bad idea to be cold-calling first in, it is much more often a good idea to be 3-betting.

[ QUOTE ]
But, if I understand correctly, this next example is different:

UTG bets; MP raises. You, the button, 3 bets. You just cold called. UTG puts in 2 more bets. UTG simply called a Reraise, not cold called a raise. Am I wrong?

[/ QUOTE ]

UTG is technically cold-calling the reraise.

[SixForty]

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Did you leave out this one last scenario: That the result of your 3 bet might be to allow a player who has you beat or who believes he has you beat, to cap the betting?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah - I didn't mention that, though it is important. The prospect of getting a better hand behind you to fold is great. (Like someone said before, 3-betting a loose raiser with 77 and having a tight player fold 88 behind you is golden)

And 3-betting with AA so someone behind can cap with KK when drawing slim also makes you good money! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Harv72b]

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And 3-betting with AA so someone behind can cap with KK when drawing slim also makes you good money! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]


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I prefer 3-betting with AA so someone behind can cap with AK. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[SixForty]

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[ QUOTE ]
And 3-betting with AA so someone behind can cap with KK when drawing slim also makes you good money! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]


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I prefer 3-betting with AA so someone behind can cap with AK. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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Yeah, I do too, but they don't give you as much action when the board is all rags! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]