Preflop/flop raising strategy (longish)

RapidEvolution · #1 11-06-2007, 03:07 PM

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|saw showdown

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].
Hero raises to $1, 2 folds, CO calls $1, 3 folds.

Flop: ($2.35) J[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], J[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero bets $1.5, CO calls $1.50.

Turn: ($5.35) 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (2 players)
Hero checks, CO bets $2, 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]