Raise 3.5*bb or 4*bb PF in cash games
 

I have always raised 4*bb + 1bb pr. limper PF when I have played cash games.

But I see more and more good players who only raises 3.5*bb PF.

For example I often see people raise to 14$ instead of 16$ on NL400$.

Why is that? Is it because blind steals become more +EV and when people play back at you, you won't lose as much?

Because when I think about it I think that raising 4*bb is more +EV, since you will get a bigger pot on the flop when you take it down with a Con. bet and it will be easier to make a pot big when you have a big hand etc.

What is best? And does it even matter?

Re: Raise 3.5*bb or 4*bb PF in cash games
 

IMO it doesnt really matter, 3.5 and 4x are both standard.

Anything below 3 is giving your opponents too good of implied odds. Anything over 5 is easily exploitable by your opponents. Just ask Brad Booth, I heard his standard raise was 20x.

Re: Raise 3.5*bb or 4*bb PF in cash games
 

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IMO it doesnt really matter, 3.5 and 4x are both standard.

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Re: Raise 3.5*bb or 4*bb PF in cash games
 

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Because when I think about it I think that raising 4*bb is more +EV, since you will get a bigger pot on the flop when you take it down with a Con. bet and it will be easier to make a pot big when you have a big hand etc.

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A bigger pot usually takes a bigger continuation bet. You may take down a bigger pot, but you'll also lose more when you don't.

Also, bigger pots make it easier for your opponents when they have big hands as well, unless you believe you will fold correctly more often than they will.

Re: Raise 3.5*bb or 4*bb PF in cash games
 

3.5x + 1 is a pot size raise, the people you see doing that are likely just hitting 'Pot' to size their bets.

Re: Raise 3.5*bb or 4*bb PF in cash games
 

I've been a winning player at the low (NL100 and NL200) stakes for a long time, and I nearly always raise 3X BB +1 BB for each limper. It doesn't matter that much whether you make it 3Xbb or 4Xbb as long as your doing it with the correct hands and play well postflop.

Re: Raise 3.5*bb or 4*bb PF in cash games
 

3X

Re: Raise 3.5*bb or 4*bb PF in cash games
 

If your opponents defend the blinds liberally, you can raise bigger. You want to play bigger pots in position. If the blinds are playing TAG (never flatcalling, usually folding, sometimes re-raising), then I will often switch to a lower raise amount and raise more often.

Re: Raise 3.5*bb or 4*bb PF in cash games
 

call me what you will...but I'm very curious...Why exactly would you tend to standardize your raising based on the number of limpers. For instance, wouldn't you want to raise significantly more to limit your players if you had AA, verses, having AKs, where you might want a few players, all w/ some money in the pot?

Re: Raise 3.5*bb or 4*bb PF in cash games
 

i think it's ideal to raise 3x from EP, 3.5 from MP, and 4x from LP- many good hands from EP like KQ AJ and middle pairs are often losing hands, so it's beter to keep the pots smaller. on the button you have better fold equity for the extra .5BB plus since you're going to take the pot down often w/ a C-bet it's better to have the pot bigger, i don't really have any proof for this, but it makes sense and works for me- try it out and see if it works, glgl