Pot Odds Preflop and other such funny questions...

[freakbot]

Hey all,

I have a couple of simple questions, but I'm sure I'll get a great deal of answers...

First, I'm looking for some definite answers to a preflop pot odds question. I've recently read Collin Moshman's new book on SNGs and he frequently makes reference to calling a hand due to having overwhelming pot odds from the small blind. It's obvious to me that when getting 5:1, 7:1 that you have 'great' odds, but converting them to a hand range preflop seems to be left out of every text I read. For instance, you are in the SB and there are 2 limpers, you are getting 7:1 makes sense that you could call with marginal hands such as JTo or even J8s, but what empirical data can I use for this? Where do I draw the line, what about if I'm getting 5:1 and I have 54s? Is there a decent rule even? Ie if you have 5:1 odds, any suited Ace, any suited connectors are good to call with, obviously any hand that you'd raise with out of early position you'd raise with, but where do you draw the line when in the small blind? Please help.

The same applies for the Big Blind. you are facing a min raise and there is a caller, the small blind folds and you are getting 5:1. What about here? Is the range the same, can we totally discount the fact it was raised? How do you tackle the min raise from the Big blind? What about when you get min raised from the button, or the cut off, it's obviously a steal a good portion of the time, how do I know if I have decent odds to call? Should I just fold and reraise with my premium hands?

Finally, the river comes up, you have a small flush, you have one active opponent, you check hoping to check it down, and not risk much more with a potential bigger flush or the nut out there. you face a small bet, you are getting 5:1 how do you react? what kind of odds do you need to be getting to call with what could possibly be the dead hand? Where do you draw the line and what empirical information do you need to use to figure it out.

thx

Patrick