general nl holdem pre flop question

[osqueur]

I've been playing 1-2, 2-4 nl holdem b&m. Anyhow the game is very loose and passive pre flop. post flop i won't try to characterize it most bets don't make sense.
i'm really struggling with pre flop decisions though.

which hands do you raise against a large field?
which hands do you call with?

[gull]

Raise hands that figure to be favorites against the calling ranges.

Call hands where you figure your chances of winning are greater than the odds being offered to you.

[binions]

[ QUOTE ]

I've been playing 1-2, 2-4 nl holdem b&m. Anyhow the game is very loose and passive pre flop. post flop i won't try to characterize it most bets don't make sense.
i'm really struggling with pre flop decisions though.

which hands do you raise against a large field?
which hands do you call with?

[/ QUOTE ]

Be wary of hands that build top pair. Usually no good against a field. So AK is worth less when 6-7 people routinely see the flop.

Pocket pairs, suited aces and suited connectors are worth more.

As for which hands to raise when: 1) you can't limit the field but only build a pot, and 2) you aren't likely to get re-raised, consider raising pocket pairs in any position, and suited aces and suited connectors in late position.

[osqueur]

Thanks binion,
I know the question was vague.

I have a few more questions.

Are small suited connectors worth playing against many bad players?

It seems to me that they only profit from the straights and possibly break even/gain a bit on flushes. (with 6-7 limpers many will have XYs where X > 9).

flopping two pair with these hands is usually a tricky situation as well (when 6-7 people see the flop).

so again are small to medium suited connectors worth playing when:

Many players routinely see the flop (6-7 players).
Some opponents have very erratic tendencies which make it hard to read.
Stacks vary wildly between players.

question 2 can hands like KTo QJo be played in late position, hoping to hit the flop hard?(same situation as above).

[osqueur]

Great advice gull, that's the kind of stuff you only get out of good quality 2 + 2 books.

[alanbrown]

play the lower suited connectors. This is exactly where they shine. Multiway pots. I wouldn't play 23s and 34s would feel questionable too (play sometimes to confuse and confound), but I'd play 45s regularly. Especially when people are letting you in to cheap flops. I'm not sure why you think they just break even. With 6 or 7 limpers the chances there is someone else out there with a better pocket pair of the same suit isn't so high. It's also distinctly unlikely that such a situation would result in a flop with 2 or 3 more of your suit. Personally I push hard with made flushes (when I hold 2 of the suit of course). But it all depends how deep your stacks are. The deeper they are, the more you have to protect against unlikely events that can stack you.

So if you're playing with 50xBB your low flushes have lots of value. But if you're playing with 200xBB your low flushes are a good way to get yourself stacked.

Personally, I believe it's important to incorporate low suited connectors into your game as it's the only valid way to incorporate (non paired) low cards into your potential holdings. They're also very easy to let go of. And they're also made for multi-way pots.

[osqueur]

It seems to me that i can't get much value with a made flush, unless im up against another flush.

In many handed pots i find that most bets mean what they represent, and most players are willing to let go in these types of pots when the turn brings 3 of the same suit,unless they have a redraw, a made flush or i snap off a bluff but for that to happen generally i have to be the one who bet the flop.

i like the suited connectors in 3-4 handed pots for some reason better because in these i can sometimes win unimproved or more often get paid off a bit when i hit.

it just seemed for some reason that i generally don't do as well with them in the very many handed pots. most players tend to overbet the flop in these situations knocking me out, and im hard pressed to try and make a move against such a large feild.