Re: Basic Theory - Raising preflop
Theoretical side:
- Raise to offer limpers a poor price to continue with the hand
- Raise to isolate the limpers with your position on them
Practical side:
4BB+1/limper works out to about a pot-size raise (+1/2 BB or so depending on stakes).
While NLHTAP makes the case for sizing one's raises (which I completely agree with), if we assume for uSNL that we just want a standard rule of thumb, then the question then becomes how much. And we want to answer, of course, in terms of pot size.
Dan Harrington will say that raising 3BB to open is fine, so maybe his view is that somewhat less than a pot raise is adequate. But many on these boards will argue that, if you have the goods, you boost your EV against donks by raising more preflop, because they'll call anyway.
So strictly as a rule of thumb, 4BB+1/limper works out to be about right, as a balance of all the theoretical reasons to raise: you're setting your opponents' price such that you're reasonably happy to see them take any action -- fold and give you the pot, or continue with what you believe to be an inferior hand and/or inferior position.
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