need help with strategy against bad players

[SplawnDarts]

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Min-raise is fine, though, if the stacks are deep. There's something about this in NLHTAP, doubling the stakes with a nice situation, good implied odds, etc.


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I'd be very interested in Slansky's thinking on this. When I think "implied odds" I usually think in terms of the ratio between what a play is going to cose me, and what I might win (usually, 1 stack is substituted in as an upper bound). It would seems like min-raising would make that ratio worse and thus be contrary to implied odds. But maybe I'm misinterpreting him. Anyone know what page the quote is on in NLH-TAP?

[Dov]

The reason the min-raise improves your implied odds when the stacks are deep is that it allows you to make larger bets later in the hand with less suspicion of a monster from your opponents.

Betting $150 into a $400 pot does not seem nearly as hard to call as a $150 bet into a $200 pot.

Not only that, but if you can get in a raise somewhere (as you are hoping), a reasonable amount will be magnified b/c of the pf minraise.

All of this assumes deep stacks relative to the blinds.

Dov

[AKQJ10]

Actually you're right, and there was a very controversial Ed Miller post about how it might be right to limp something like J9s on the button, where limping could be preferable to raising based on implied odds.

But it depends on both stack size and the nature of your hand. J9s is harder to hit than a small pair. NLHE:TAP (Sklansky and Miller, if it was just Sklansky the book would be unintelligible) does suggest pot-sweetening raises at times, most specifically with small pairs. You're cutting down on your preflop IO somewhat, true, but increasing the probability of a huge mistake by your opponent when you connect.

It also suggests occasionally raising marginal hands like T8 or something for deception. In small-stakes games opponents are rarely paying enough attention to make the deception worthwhile, although taking initiative and winning the pot preflop or on the flop without a showdown is worth raising sometimes.