Play a Hand With the Masters #1 Pre-Flop

[McMelchior]

CO is either weak or trapping. It is very hard to put him on a narrow range without more information here, but he's most likely not on a big pocket pair. Small to medium pocket pair, suited connectors and one gappers, strong Aces slowplayed are all possible.

We don't want to let the blinds in for cheaps (free), and it's meaningful to gain information from CO, inclusive give him a chance to fold without looking too stupid.

Pot t375 when it reaches us. I suggest a raise to t650, reducing CO's pot odds to 2:1 (if none of the blinds join in). A raise of t500 is probably a little more than CO will call automatically, so if he calls he's most likely got a hand of some kind.

If he comes over the top (or if any of the blinds do) it's easy to let the hand go.

If he calls we must proceed with uttermost care. In this case the pot will hold t1,525, and a possible continuation bet will in no way pot commit us.

Best,

McMelchior (Johan)

[IHateKeithSmart]

[ QUOTE ]
CO is either weak or trapping. It is very hard to put him on a narrow range without more information here, but he's most likely not on a big pocket pair. Small to medium pocket pair, suited connectors and one gappers, strong Aces slowplayed are all possible.

We don't want to let the blinds in for cheaps (free), and it's meaningful to gain information from CO, inclusive give him a chance to fold without looking too stupid.

Pot t375 when it reaches us. I suggest a raise to t650, reducing CO's pot odds to 2:1 (if none of the blinds join in). A raise of t500 is probably a little more than CO will call automatically, so if he calls he's most likely got a hand of some kind.

If he comes over the top (or if any of the blinds do) it's easy to let the hand go.

If he calls we must proceed with uttermost care. In this case the pot will hold t1,525, and a possible continuation bet will in no way pot commit us.

Best,

McMelchior (Johan)

[/ QUOTE ]

I like mcmelchior's line. I see some validity in limping, but if you do so you have 4 to the flop. I prefer taking the lead in the hand and bump it to 600. Too early to have a line on CO.

[br549007]

raise T750 if either of the blinds call they will have a narrow range of hands and if the CO called after the blinds called that would narrow his range even more.

[NoahSD]

For those of you saying raise, what's so bad about taking a flop with stacks so deep? We've got 77BB and CO covers.

I think CO's most likely holding is a PP or suited connectors. With stacks this deep, we don't want to take the lead against these hands as this will make flop play very difficult--obviously, CO could set on basically any flop, and most flops contain a draw or two.

Factor in the fact that CO's read is tight (of course, I'd prefer a more specific read about CO's limping vs. raising habits) and could be trapping, and I think this is an easy call.

[Lloyd]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd prefer a more specific read about CO's limping vs. raising habits) and could be trapping, and I think this is an easy call.

[/ QUOTE ]
You've got all the info the submitter (Sossman) had at the time. So no real strong read other than what has been presented.

[NoahSD]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'd prefer a more specific read about CO's limping vs. raising habits) and could be trapping, and I think this is an easy call.

[/ QUOTE ]
You've got all the info the submitter (Sossman) had at the time. So no real strong read other than what has been presented.

[/ QUOTE ]

Okay. Thanks, LLoyd, btw. Great idea.

[Steve Chase]

[ QUOTE ]
For those of you saying raise, what's so bad about taking a flop with stacks so deep? We've got 77BB and CO covers.

I think CO's most likely holding is a PP or suited connectors. With stacks this deep, we don't want to take the lead against these hands as this will make flop play very difficult--obviously, CO could set on basically any flop, and most flops contain a draw or two.

Factor in the fact that CO's read is tight (of course, I'd prefer a more specific read about CO's limping vs. raising habits) and could be trapping, and I think this is an easy call.

[/ QUOTE ]

Since CO is on a wide range of hand, a raise will narrow down his hand for us. It is easier to play against a narrowed range of hand.

The CO is tight, most likely he will miss the flop. It is easy to win the pot with a continuation bet since he is tight.

So a raise is the best option here unless MJ is a very loose player and you have a good chance to get reraised by MJ. If there is a good MJ to reraise Hero, I would call here and MJ does the raise.

[fnurt]

[ QUOTE ]
So a raise is the best option here unless MJ is a very loose player and you have a good chance to get reraised by MJ. If there is a good MJ to reraise Hero, I would call here and MJ does the raise.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a good point and it ties into what adanthar and I were saying above. If the pro in the blinds is a super-aggro player who will raise a high percentage of the time when you just limp, then I see a strong argument for limping and calling his raise when it does come. On the other hand, if the pro is simply a solid player who is capable of raising but can't be depended on, I would rather raise and make him disinclined to play the hand at all.

I know the pro has a random 2 cards but I am enough of a fish that I am constantly worried about the name pro at my table, especially when he is to my left. I don't want to play a guessing game against a better player, especially with a tweener hand like AJs.

[curtains]

Okay, its just not my experience that "name pro" players will be constantly raising out of the blinds and out of position in deep stacked games.

[SossMan]

[ QUOTE ]

Okay, its just not my experience that "name pro" players will be constantly raising out of the blinds and out of position in deep stacked games.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've played twice w/ Miami John now in large buy in events. Both times he was to my direct left. He is the definition of solid pro who knows values. IMO, if I raise to t600, he's not playing less than a pair or AQ out of position, not closing the action preflop. If he was on the button, it's a different story.