pfr sizing help

[EN09]

in reading NL:T&P section on sizing preflop raises i decided to put this into play but have trouble in randomizing my raises. the 80% raise 20% limping advice is fine but, when to do what?

currently i raise 3.5-4xBB first in regardless of my holdings if i decide to play my hand at all (25NL). i'll do this with pairs as low as 44+ for sets and to disguise the hand. i'll also limp AA every now and then but only on my current table image (been raising wuite a bit) and reads of the table from past orbits, not really randomizing by definition.

one thought i had was to raise or limp big pairs, small pairs, sc's, etc by using a card suit as a randomizer like [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] for a limp and raise everything else. haven't actually figured anything out yet though, not a math or game theory wizard, and was wondering if this was indeed a viable option or if someone else is doing something similar to randomize their preflop raises.

my other thought is to disregard it altogether and stay with the "play different hands the same way" strategy i've been using. thoughts?

EN

[Gonso]

Opinions vary on this. Sklansky places a lot of emphasis on more precise bet/raise sizing preflop, and people at the other extreme almost ignore it completely.

My best results have been to adjust to the situation, not so much tailored to the hand itself, but based on position and stack sizes.

I don't like randomizing anything as far as hand selection or raise sizing goes, ever. It's not really necessary, you can mix things up without using randomizers.

[EN09]

[ QUOTE ]
Opinions vary on this. Sklansky places a lot of emphasis on more precise bet/raise sizing preflop, and people at the other extreme almost ignore it completely.

My best results have been to adjust to the situation, not so much tailored to the hand itself, but based on position and stack sizes.

I don't like randomizing anything as far as hand selection or raise sizing goes, ever. It's not really necessary, you can mix things up without using randomizers.

[/ QUOTE ]

thanks. i have enough on my plate now anyway without stressing about bet sizing preflop. i'll play my game until i need to make those adjustments. thanks again.

EN

[greggg230]

If you're playing deep, strongly raising hands with high implied odds - pocket pairs, suited connectors - is generally a good idea. Those are hands where, if you connect, you'll frequently want to get it all-in. On the other hand, hands like AKo or KTo are hands that you don't want to have to stack off with after the flop (generally) so building a small pot pre-flop is preferable.

I don't buy the mantra that all pre-flop raises should be the same regardless of what your hand is. If you're playing with observant players, you'll need to mix up your play, of course, but manipulating pot size is central to NLHE. If you're not playing with observant players, don't mix up your play. You're losing equity by doing so.

[Gonso]

All kinds of things aren't necessary when you're playing against poor players who aren't observant. At most limits, if you're raising more when you have small PP and SCs as a matter of habit, players will catch on. You might get away with it at NL100 or B&M 1/2 or so, but that's about it.

Also PFR raise sizes become less of a concern the deeper the stacks are anyway. It will be more likely you'll have implied odds for a lot of your hands, and harder not to offer them to others.

There's no reason not to use different raise sizes preflop, but matching them up to hand types is pretty exploitable. If instead you focus more on position and situational factors, you still have a little pot control and you're not really giving anything away.

Obviously I'm only talking about preflop action, betraise sizing after that is incredibly important.