Live NL pre-flop raise sizing

[Pov]

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standard raise at 1/2 is $10. If someone raises to $15 or higher it screams pocket pair 88+, its amazing how the $5 difference in raise tells so much. This is just my experience though.

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There is often something to this, but I've seen it be "scared" QQ as well. One thing it does (nearly always) scream is that the raiser isn't very good at postflop play.

[Rottersod]

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I don't play no limit hold 'em, but I've watched my best friend play the $1/2 game at Foxwoods and it's no unusual to see pre-flop raises of $35 or so. I once saw a guy make it $75 and then get pissed off when no one called his aces (he slammed it down on the table, it was hilarious).

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Ok, thats a bit excessive for an opening raise at 1/2.

Depends on the table. I find most tables are between 12 and 20 dollars. Which is great because you can raise to 5 and people just treat it as limping. Lets you build some nice pots.

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It is excessive but it happens more times than you'd think it should.

OP, watch for a round or two and see what the typical raise is. Online and live betting patterns are completely different.

[AKQJ10]

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Should I just observe the table for an orbit and see how it goes....?

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That's a good rule of thumb to start out with. You should NOT mechanically make a too-small raise just because that's what your "rule" says. You shouldn't do that online either, because not every game is the same.

To be a little more sophisticated, with a good hand you want to raise the maximum that one or two people will likely call. If it's $1-2 and you think they'll call a raise to $20, make it $20.

To be even more sophisticated, if you're not already an excellent NLHE player, buy Professional No-Limit Hold 'em, the new Flynn/Mehti/Miller book. Most of its examples are referring to B&M poker.

[Rottersod]

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standard raise at 1/2 is $10. If someone raises to $15 or higher it screams pocket pair 88+, its amazing how the $5 difference in raise tells so much. This is just my experience though.

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There is often something to this, but I've seen it be "scared" QQ as well. One thing it does (nearly always) scream is that the raiser isn't very good at postflop play.

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Add AJ to that mix as well.

[AKQJ10]

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There is often something to this, but I've seen it be "scared" QQ as well. One thing it does (nearly always) scream is that the raiser isn't very good at postflop play.

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QFT. I've seen it with QQ. Certainly with JJ, because, you know, jacks never win.

[BrunoThePug]

I've been toying with the idea of picking up the Flynn book. Sounds like watching the table for an orbit or two is the best strategy. I use the 4xBB + 1BB/limper rule since I play micro stakes and that seems to be the accepted practice for those levels.

Thanks for the replies, very useful information. Oh how I love the B&M forum.

[AKQJ10]

But my point is, online if you're at a table full of donks who'll call a push with AA, push with AA. Granted, you probably won't know that offhand, but you may get a sense that 10 BBL or more raises are accepted.

Good luck! Once you experience B&M, online might seem like a pale imitation. But YMMV.

[Rottersod]

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To be even more sophisticated, if you're not already an excellent NLHE player, buy Professional No-Limit Hold 'em, the new Flynn/Mehti/Miller book. Most of its examples are referring to B&M poker.

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Hey, thanks for that tip. I've been a bit out of the loop for a while so this is the first I've heard about it. I just ordered a copy.

[BrunoThePug]

I've read/reading NLHTAP for a while now, but just ordered Professional No-Limit Hold 'em. I've got a week to read it, absorb all information and perfectly apply all principles before I'm in vegas. :P

[Russ M.]

semi-grunching

Most 3x or 4x raises at the low levels will be called by everybody. I've abandoned the idea of small preflop raising and instead my standard (in the 2/2 100NL game I play in) is to make it $20 + $5 per limper unless these raises are getting no action at all, in which case I'll adjust to something like $12 + $3 per limper. I actually got into a discussion with another player one day and he and I were laughing at these preflop raises to $30 straight, $40 straight, but then those raises were being CALLED, so why not? A little while later, he picked up AA in the BB and after a couple of limpers, made it $50 to go (lol) and gets LRR'ed all-in for like $150 by AKs and then overcalled all-in for about $100 with KQo. LOL DOCUMENTS.