Preflop/flop raising strategy (longish)

[RapidEvolution]

At the risk of exposing my entire game (which is mediocre) I wanted to get some input on preflop raising strategies, and perhaps advice from people whose preflop game is similar to the ideas I'm having.


I've been going over my HH's over the past couple of days and decided to make some changes to my preflop/flop game in order to avoid certain hairy situations I seem to find myself in a lot of the time.

Before: I'd been playing a pretty tight game, 11/8/3 and basically raising 4BB+1BB/limper. My PFR range (depending on the table) looked something like this (depending on the table) (these were opening requirements. I try to apply the gap concept when I can, and sometimes I'll raise these if there's one limper.

EP: any PP (varies by table)
AQs+, AQo+

MP1/MP2: added ATs+.AJo,KQs,KQo
MP3: added ATo, A8s,A9s, KJs, QJs, QJo
CO: added any A-xs, A6o+, KTs
Button:Any suited ace, any suited king, K9o+,QTo+, JTo,JTs,T9s,98s,87s

I didn't get much of a chance to steal since I usually play looser tables and haven't had much chance to open-raise from LP. (My % steal is usually between 23-25%)

My cbet % was around 60 and tried not to cbet into more than 2 people, or people with low fold to cbet %'s.

I also tended to play very cautiously in the blinds, (sometimes too cautiously).

I've done marginally well at 25NL (1.5ptbb/100), but feel like I could/should be doing better.

One of the issues I've had, in my opinion has been making big pots OOP with decent/blank hands. Here's an example.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.25 BB (7 handed) Poker Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: 2+2 Forums)

saw flop|<font color="#C00000">saw showdown</font>

Button ($25.05)
SB ($22.55)
BB ($24.75)
Hero ($24)
MP1 ($26.60)
MP2 ($97.35)
CO ($49.10)

Preflop: Hero is UTG with A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], K[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $1</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, CO calls $1, <font color="#666666">3 folds</font>.

Flop: ($2.35) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
<font color="#CC3333">Hero bets $1.5</font>, CO calls $1.50.

Turn: ($5.35) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">CO bets $2</font>, Hero folds.

Final Pot: $5.35


This certainly wasn't the most disastrous hand I've had, but it's pretty common. In line with SoundedSimple's post on double-barrelling, I found myself in a lot of spots where I had to ask if I should or not? For how much? And the dreaded:

I have AsKd in UTG+1
1 limper, I raise to 1.25, button calls, limper folds.

flop is Ac Th 8s ($3.10 in pot)

I bet $2, villain calls.

turn is 9h ($7.10 in pot) , I bet $5, villain raises to $12. Hero?

Anyway, before this gets too long, I've been thinking about changing the preflop raise sizes to reflect position (within a certain range)

EX:

EP: 2-3BB
MP: 3-4BB+1/limper
LP: 4-5BB +1/limper

I feel like this will make pots bigger when I'm going to have position, make them smaller when I'm gonna be OOP postflop, and leave more room for maneuvering postflop (at least against regs). I'm also thinking about checking (check-raising) more flops as opposed to always betting out.

Any thoughts on this? Of course, I still plan to valuebet people to death, but I feel like this can tip things slightly more in my favor. Thanks for taking the time to read this long-winded-ass post!! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[AllTheCheese]

C-bet check-raising is pretty lame. I also don't like changing raises with position, but there's no particular reason why I don't like it.

Throw away those A6o-A8o in the CO. They're pretty much garbage hands. Raise all suited c's from the CO/BTN. I raise suited gappers from those positions and suited c's from earlier positions, but in 25NL that might be bad, idk.

On the first AK hand, the 9 is pretty bad, and I agree with c-folding. And your line is fine for the second hand as well.

You might be c-betting in the wrong spots btw. If you have position and you raise preflop with AQ, TAG BB calls, and flop comes K Q 5 rainbow, do you c-bet? You probably shouldn't.

[RapidEvolution]

The cbet flop, c/r turn line has been good against villains who float me a suspicious amount of the time, and it's gotten me looks at some free river cards.

As for the A6o-a8o hands in the CO, these were recently added to get my steal % up. As for the scenario, I'd probably fire on the flop, but stop there, reasoning that the TAG BB would be 3betting AK preflop. If I got called on flop, I'd probably check turn, and possibly fold to a river bet. Of course, this all depends on what cards come on the turn/river.

[threads13]

I think it isn't a bad idea to try to make bigger pots when you are in position. As disregarding as it sounds, I think you should try to find your opponents weaknesses and then plan your hand accordingly. Your plan for the hand should reflect your opponents' weaknesses, and this will affect your raise sizes.

[RapidEvolution]

Against a variety of opponents, how is this possible. The best I've been able to come up with has been to ascertain who's most likely to come in based on VPIP and adjust to their stack, but that plan can certainly blow up. lol

[threads13]

[ QUOTE ]
Against a variety of opponents, how is this possible. The best I've been able to come up with has been to ascertain who's most likely to come in based on VPIP and adjust to their stack, but that plan can certainly blow up. lol

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a start. However, you aren't always going to be OOP and having to take a guess at who is going to be in the pot, are you?

[RapidEvolution]

In EP, probably. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
In MP, I've got a better chance to buy the button and have position.
In LP, things get much easier. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[threads13]

[ QUOTE ]
In EP, probably. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
In MP, I've got a better chance to buy the button and have position.
In LP, things get much easier. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

So, play more in LP and when you play in LP make sure you take full advantage of your position. In LP you will be able to vary your raise sizes to exploit your opponents much more easily since you will have a clearer picture of how things will go.

[RapidEvolution]

Seems good. Any thoughts on the EP range/raise size?

[threads13]

[ QUOTE ]
Seems good. Any thoughts on the EP range/raise size?

[/ QUOTE ]

Same idea only you just start to estimate who will be in and go from there. If you have no idea you just have to estimate.

FWIW, I have been playing with making some large raises from EP.