Pocket 8s under the gun. Call or Raise?
 

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Preflop: Hero is UTG with 8[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]. Hero???

Also, what is generally the best play to make with a hand that would be good to raise in late position but isn't a top 10 hand so that raising in early position wouldn't be standard. (AJo, another mid or low poker pair, etc.)

Re: Pocket 8s under the gun. Call or Raise?
 

If the table is very tight you can raise here, but I usually limp if I expect to get a couple of callers. Medium pocket pairs tend to be most profitable when you hit a set against several opponents and raising here tends to exclude that possibility. Many posters on this forum never open limp and this is a perfectly valid way to play. At the end of the day I doubt whether the difference in results between limping and raising is that big.

Re: Pocket 8s under the gun. Call or Raise?
 

I fold 88 UTG. I never open limp. If table was super tight I might raise it, but it's mostly a fold. I am a very tight player in EP.

Re: Pocket 8s under the gun. Call or Raise?
 

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I fold 88 UTG. I never open limp. If table was super tight I might raise it, but it's mostly a fold. I am a very tight player in EP.

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Too tight.

Re: Pocket 8s under the gun. Call or Raise?
 

I usually limp it. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Pocket 8s under the gun. Call or Raise?
 

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I fold 88 UTG. I never open limp. If table was super tight I might raise it, but it's mostly a fold. I am a very tight player in EP.

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Too tight.

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Word

Re: Pocket 8s under the gun. Call or Raise?
 

It depends on the table dynamic.. If the table is tight Raise. If the table is loose passive limp and hope for a lot of callers and a set. Folding this hand is losing money imo.

Re: Pocket 8s under the gun. Call or Raise?
 

Well, there's no formula for these types of hands, because it depends on table dynamics. From memory:

Middle Limit Hold'em recommends to fold the hand. Why? Because (apart from being somewhat of a weak tight strategy) it is written for a game in which people play tight, but don't raise enough pre-flop (common for B&M), but are no slackers post-flop

SSHE recommends to limp in with any low-mid PP in early position. They defend the play of even limping with 22-55 that the games are so loose passive that the set will pay off big. Well, if you're gonna limp in with 22, you'll certainly limp in with 88.

Online there has been an aggressive revolution. I'm sure Stox would recommend to raise this one up. Their book is SH, though, so UTG is only 3 off the button. But a raise is definetly in order if you got a table of weak tighties, maybe bonus hoarders multitablers. Just know that you'll be OOP playing this hand against a likely better caller. You'll mostly end up with something like second or third pair and have to be able to play post-flop well.

Hope that helps.

Re: Pocket 8s under the gun. Call or Raise?
 

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SSHE recommends to limp in with any low-mid PP in early position.

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Only in loose games (which it defines as 6-8 players per flop on average). In tight games (which it defines as 3-5 players per flop on average), it recommends playing 77+ in early position.

Re: Pocket 8s under the gun. Call or Raise?
 

raise fold limp do w/e you want