Preflop Raises in Limit Hold’em: Part V

In the last issue, we continued examining the following list of reasons for raising before the flop:

1. To build a pot
2. To win the blinds
3. To gain position
4. To gain control of the post-flop betting
5. To isolate an opponent
6. To create a false impression

We have completed the discussion of the first five reasons. This column will examine reason No. 6, and will present some general conclusions.

To create a false impression

Years ago, someone posed this poker puzzle: You are dealt pocket aces under the gun. You know that if you raise, there is an 85 percent to 90 percent chance that everyone will fold. What should you do?

My answer was — raise, and raise the next time I am in this situation, and the time after that, until they stop folding every time. This response was consistent with my overall philosophy, which is, “Play big hands like big hands, and once in a while, to be deceptive, play a little hand like a big hand.”

I don’t know about you, but I never seem to get enough big hands. When I get them, I want to get the money in. Many players are afraid that if they play their big hands too strongly, their opponents will realize what they have. So, they get pocket aces and refuse to cap the preflop betting, fearing that everyone will know what they have.

I certainly agree that you do not want to play so predictably that your opponents can read your hands, especially when you show power. But the solution is not to cleverly hold back from playing your best hands strongly. The better option is to occasionally play a weaker hand aggressively.

That brings us to this column’s topic, raising to create a false impression. In general, there are two ways to do this:

A. Make reasonable but not well-understood raises to create the impression that you raise foolishly.

B. Actually make an unreasonable raise that you hope will either win or be memorable enough that it will stick in opponents’ heads for a long time.

Method A works well when you happen to pick up exactly the right kinds of hands in the right situations. For example, you have pocket fives on the button and four or five players limp in. A raise here is an excellent +EV [positive expected value] play that nevertheless will confuse most opponents. It does increase volatility, but also may make you a great deal of money when you happen to flop a set. If you miss and everyone checks to you, check and hope to get lucky on the turn.

In a similar position, a raise from the button with J-10 suited, or even 8-7 suited, with several limpers looks foolish to many, but it’s not a bad play. Similar raises from the blinds in volume pots also work, although having to act first after the flop (and usually checking) greatly reduces your chances for a free miracle turn card.

Method B requires no such situational luck. It simply requires that you pick a hand that you would normally fold, and play it aggressively.

Now you can see just how potentially dangerous this is. There is a reason that you fold hands: They are long-term losers. Trying to turn one into a situational winner requires conditions that do not usually come up:

• You are known as a tight player, or at least you are certain that you have that image right now.
• Your opponents also are tight, or at least have excessive respect for your raises.
• You play frequently against these opponents. (Do not take risks to dazzle a group of strangers who will not be around to pay the dividends on your play.)
• You believe your play will win much of the time regardless of your hand. You should not make this sort of play for advertising purposes alone, although you do hope that will occasionally be the result.

Let’s say that you believe this situation meets these criteria, and, second under the gun, you pick up 9-7 suited. You decide to open-raise. You hope to win the blinds, or get heads up with someone who misses the flop and will fold. The best case would be to flop (or, for that matter, river) a miracle and get to show down the hand as a winner. Do not overplay the hand when things do not go as planned, such as getting three callers and the flop is J-5-2. The chances that you can win by representing aces are just too slim to keep pretending. Give it up.

Many players believe that they can play wildly and blame Method B for their foolhardy play. “I was varying my play,” they claim, whenever asked about why they raised with 5-2 or cold-called a raise with J-6 suited. If you make one of these weird plays more than every three or four sessions, you are abusing the play.

Conclusion: This concludes my series on preflop raising. As you have seen, there are many good reasons to raise preflop. The most important issue is to understand why you are raising: What are you trying to accomplish?

I stress planning a hand. Some players do a good job of this, but most seem to think that real planning begins after the flop. Even before you see your hand, you should have a general plan in mind. “I need to play solidly in this game.” “I am looking for an opportunity to get into play with George, so if he calls, I may call or raise a bit lighter than usual.” “Mario seems to be on tilt; if he raises, I will three-bet if I possibly can justify it.”

Once you see your hand, you already should have an idea of what you would like to do with various hand types. Of course, you usually will pick up trash and fold regardless of your plan, but do not let that deter you from doing the work every hand.

This leads to the most important point: Always have a reason for your play. If your poker coach walks over, taps you on the shoulder, and asks, “Hey, why did you just raise?” you must be able to articulate a reason. And it must be a real reason, not just, “I had a good hand.”

If you can do that, and understand the reasons for raising that were covered in this series, you will play more logically, and your results will dramatically improve.

Barry Tanenbaum is the author of Advanced Limit Hold’em Strategy, and collaborator on Limit Hold’em: Winning Short-Handed Strategies. Barry offers private lessons tailored to the individual student. Please see his website, www.barrytanenbaum.com, or write to him at [email protected].