Bet sizing in PL 5CD

Uncle Wimp · #1 01-20-2007, 02:14 AM

I've been trying to move from limit to pot limit 5-card draw. I mostly min-raise first in before the draw with a good hand in PL, but should I be betting the pot? I'm wondering if I should be betting certain amounts based on my position at the table as I do in Hold'em.

Any advice anyone has on how much to bet before and after the draw in PL 5CD would help me a lot.

SoCalPat · #2 01-20-2007, 11:09 PM

Don't mini-raise pots with "good" hands.

Let's say you're UTG with kings up, the game is 1/2 and you raise to $4. The button and SB call. There's $14 in the pot, giving the BB 7-1 odds -- easily enough for him to call with any pair, seeing he's 3-1 against improving at all, and 8-1 to trips.

Now, let's say you raise it to $6. You still get the two callers, so the pot is $20. But now it costs the BB $4 to play, and he's getting only 5-1 odds. You'll get a lot of smaller pairs to fold here, and if you're up against a BB who will defend for this price with any pair (and they're out there in spades -- they can't resist the size this pot could get), you're glad you don't merely mini-raise.

You could make the point for mini-raising monster hands, then putting in a huge reraise if it's raised behind you. But alert players will pick up on this the first time you do it. You can get away with this by varying your play -- I'll let you decide what's best for you -- but if you're intent on NEVER limping into a pot, you need to keep your opening raises the same size. And they shouldn't be mini-raises.

Murakawa · #3 01-21-2007, 01:09 AM

If you're too consistent with your betting they'll catch on to you. I don't play that much PL though so don't listen to me... And I hate being reraised from my min bet with a pair when someone might have just called a smaller bet, giving me more strength.

kurto · #4 01-22-2007, 12:14 PM

Minraising encourages a lot of people to come along. you also make less off your monsters. I always raise to a minimum of 3bb (if I open) up to pot (if others limp).

(I'm plying the $50 tables) and I've seen people minraise after everyone's limped in giving fantastic odds to every draw in the book.