Update Time

Oops, it has been way too long since I updated the blog. I guess half the reason is I didn't really have a great start to 2009 and took some time off playing for a while. I had also enlisted a poker coach, which changed my game (some ways for the better, some ways for the worst). I do believe this coaching had a negative impact on my game for a while as I was adjusting to a new style. I was probably doing a few things right, but in the wrong situations.

To fix this I have taken my old style and added a few new things I learned that work consistantly. I keep most of the other new stuff in my back pocket for special occasions (most complex plays of course won't work if you do them too often... not to mention the increased risk factor. I certainly learned that the button vs blinds 3-bet, 4-bet, and 5-bet game can be a swingy one.). I gave serious multitable 6-max a try online and have been doing well. I also started playing a lot more heads up online. In February I spent a week in Vegas with my brother and hit the tables, had a blast and made some money.

Enough about me, time for some strategy talk:

Why are you raising? (value, position, habit, mistakes in overvalue)
A lot of players tend to raise out of habit. They raise because that is what they think the proper play is supposed to be. They figure, with a good hand pre-flop I am supposed to raise. But they don't really think about why they are actually raising. For example, in a loose cash game a player make pick up AKo in early position and raise 3 times the big blind. This is a pretty standard play and many players would never question this. But why is it that people do this?

Raising is generally suggested for a number of reasons:

• To thin the field of callers pre-flop (limit the number of players)
  
• To build a pot (betting for value)
  
• To steal the pot (bluffing or semi-bluffing)
  
• To control the betting
  

Ok, those are pretty much the standard reasons for raising. Now let's look at some of the downfalls of making standard raises:

• Your range of starting hands is more easily defined by your opponents
  
• You are building a pot, committing yourself more to the pot
  
• You are building a pot, making a second bet on the flop more likely and inherently bigger
• You control the betting, which may get you in trouble if your opponent is countering your play
  

Now let's look at compounding those downfalls, by raising in early position:

• You hand range gets even narrower, especially if you are a tight player
• You are expected to make a continuation bet
• The reverse implied odds of your hand get higher
  

So is raising always the right play? I would say definitely not. It very much depends on the situation, but a lot of players neglect to consider this and just raise out of habit. To put this in perspective let's look at two examples of the same hand at very different tables:

1. AKo under the gun in a very tight game.
In this game raising pre-flop will likely get the expected benefits that most people associate with raising. You will thin the field and isolate probably just 1 opponent to play after the flop, if any. You will likely also be able to narrow your opponents hand range to a small range of strong cards. In this case, raising will be effective for it's intended purpose. You are raising for value to be played heads up after the flop.

2. AKo under the gun in a very loose game.
In this game raising pre-flop will probably get you the reverse results and can get you in a lot of trouble. I actually find in live cash games that the larger you raise pre-flop, the more callers you get. I suppose everybody wants to see a flop to see if they can hit a monster to take your whole stack. So the raise is no longer effective in thinning the field. You have now built a pot out of position and defined you hand range to your opponents. Let's say you raise and get 4 callers (which seems normal at loose live $1/$2 cash games), now how are you going to feel about any flop? If you hit 1 pair, you may end up investing a lot more money before you realize what any of the other players have. Opponents are looking to get your whole stack.

So, is raising the best option? It may seem counter-intuitive, but if you just limped you would disguise your hand and not have as much money invested in the pot in case you miss the flop and need to get out cheap. Remember, you will be playing the hand out of position and AK really is just a drawing hand. You may have nothing but ace high after the flop. The looser the game is, the more the value of starting hands drop and the more the importance of position grows. Not to mention by limping in a loose game you can allow somebody else to raise, wait for a few callers and then come over the top of the original raise if you want to isolate heads up for a big pot or if you sense weakness, etc. Other avenues are available from the standard ABC raise.

You need to be able to react to the rest of the table, instead of the rest of the table reacting to you. Making money at loose games is about post flop play, not pre-flop, if many players are going to see a flop. Pre-flop play does not get respect and standard continuation bets are almost always called. To be a winner at these tables you have to alter standard play and combat the table with the proper play for those player types.

Many people may or may not agree with the above statements (including myself, everything is relative and situational). I am going to raise AKo under the gun most times myself, but there are times to switch it up, especially if a very loose player is being super aggressive and the rest of the table is passive. The point I am trying to make is that you should not just raise out of habit. Get creative with your plays from time to time, and keep everybody guessing. Change those gears, know why you are raising, and stay a step ahead of your opponents.