"If you Can't Call a Reraise...": Two hands where I raise in EP

[Beachman42]

My $0.02:

99 UTG - my default play is to limp in the early to middle rounds of a MTT, but I do not play $150 MTTs. If I am re-raised up to 3-4X BB, I can easily call and evaluate the flop. Otherwise, I raise 3XBB (75% limp, 25% raise).

AQs - default is to raise. If called, evaluate the flop on a pretty conservative "fit or check" line. I have learned the hard way that if 3 unders fall and villian bets, I'm usually (>50%) behind with only 2 more coming. Let pot odds help you with those post flop decisions.

[Art Vandelay]

This is a very good post and I hope some of the top posters/players chime in with their thoughts. I am lost and like others find myself in this situation often and would really like to aviod it.

Is limping or raising less (2.5xBB or the dreaded minraise) an option? That way if we face aggression from the bigger stacks behind us we either fold losing less of our stack or perhaps with a hand like 99 we can call getting good odds simply to flop a set.

I don't know, I'm trying to come up with some options and folding seems like a bad idea. If folding's a bad idea, then either calling or raising is better and we're establishing that a 3xBB raise is giving us problems.

[Sam T.]

Good post, I think.

Lately my play has been guided more and more by position. I know it's only one factor, but there was a line in Gordon in which he casually mentioned that he almost never finds himself playing out of position because it is such a money-losing proposition. (If I had the book handy I'd find the quote - anyone?) Not much of an answer, but yeah it is devilishly tough to play midstacked in EP at this point in the tournament.

In the hands you post: I'm raising AQs here as well, and (barring a read on the villain as a serious LAG) if I'm reraised I'm probably muttering an obscenity and folding.

99 I'm limping, but unlike AQ, I'm more than happy to call a 4-5 BB raise if it happens. The difference is that you will usually have the implied odds to hit your set if you are facing a raise, but if it is a much larger re-raise suddenly you are putting in 8-10 BB, and that makes it much harder to justify a call. (The other piece, of course, is implied odds with 99 vs. reverse implied odds with AQ - you know the deal.) If a reasonably stacked villain shoves, of course I'm folding my nines.

[deankeaton7]

so is TT worlds better than 99, or is that also a fold?

[bestcellar]

[ QUOTE ]
Good post, I think.

Lately my play has been guided more and more by position. I know it's only one factor, but there was a line in Gordon in which he casually mentioned that he almost never finds himself playing out of position because it is such a money-losing proposition. (If I had the book handy I'd find the quote - anyone?) Not much of an answer, but yeah it is devilishly tough to play midstacked in EP at this point in the tournament.

In the hands you post: I'm raising AQs here as well, and (barring a read on the villain as a serious LAG) if I'm reraised I'm probably muttering an obscenity and folding.

99 I'm limping, but unlike AQ, I'm more than happy to call a 4-5 BB raise if it happens. The difference is that you will usually have the implied odds to hit your set if you are facing a raise, but if it is a much larger re-raise suddenly you are putting in 8-10 BB, and that makes it much harder to justify a call. (The other piece, of course, is implied odds with 99 vs. reverse implied odds with AQ - you know the deal.) If a reasonably stacked villain shoves, of course I'm folding my nines.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you're going to raise/fold to a reraise AQs, then it's better to limp/call a raise with that hand UTG, especially at a fairly aggressive table.

[TripDaddy]

Great post. Just last night, I had two very similar situations where I had to fold to a reraise. One was with AQo and the other was with some middle pair. I was just as bewildered as you.

I think AQs you have to raise it without question. Espeically with 2 folds infront, but I would raise it UTG. If someone PUSHES after you and they have you covered, I think you have to fold. You are most likely dominated (AK, AA, KK, QQ) and at best a flip against JJ or TT. You could call and pray he has AJs or ATs (fish..), but don't count on it. Especially in a 150.

99 - that is tougher, but after 3 folds, I would raise it as well. Any more in EP, and I would probobly just limp. Against a reraise with 99, I think again, you have to fold.

Which again brings me back to your question - why raise, if we will autofold to a covering push? I dunno, because I am not smart enough. :-)

Someone help...

[Spee]

[ QUOTE ]
Your image would obviously be aggressive if you had raised the last few times it was folded to you in EP and your image would be tight if you hadn't played a hand in a few orbits.

[/ QUOTE ]

We must have different definitions for tight and aggressive. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]