some preflop scenarios

[emerson]

[ QUOTE ]
These might be obvious, but I could really use some help. How do you play these.

1. EP raises, 3 cold callers, you have 34s in hijack.

2. Folded to you in hijack with
a) q9o
b) A8s
c)k8s
d)j8s
e)j9s


3) Folded to Co who raises
-your in the BB with
a)k9o
b)q9o
c)A6o
d)A2o
e)98o
f)j8s

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll give you my opinion, since all are just opinions on this. This is my starting standard before making adjustments for game conditions.

The first one, 4,3 suited, would be a call from one of the blinds only vs an early raiser with a few cold callers. Perhaps on the button if the pot might be like 6 way and you were pretty sure it would not be re-raised.

On those open raise questions. This is my system for non, paired, non-ace hands. On the button you need a kicker of 9 or better (forget the high card look at just the kicker). Increase this by one for each place you move to the right of the button. T for cutoff, J for hijack.

For suited hands you can lower the kicker value by two notches. Thus for suited hands, 7 kicker on the button, 8 on the cutoff, 9 in the hijack, etc.

For pocket pairs, 22 on the button and increase by one for each place you move to the right. This is what Stoxtrader gives for pocket pair open raising, and it is consistent with simulations and work I've seen from Abdul J.

For aces there is an aggressive and conservative approach. I suggest the conservative approach if you are asking these questions. For offsuit aces, A5 on the button and increase kicker by one for each place you move to the right. For suited aces you can lower the kicker value by two notches.

The more aggressive approach, for tough and short handed games, will allow more aggressive open raising in the button, cutoff, and hijack with aces, perhaps with kicker two notches below the conservative approach for the first three positions. When three or more off the button revert back to the less aggressive approach.