Just this morning, I played in a MTT online NL tournament. I don’t know much about the players there as I was just moved from another table.

I was on the button w/ 22. UTG when I raised 3 times the blind. Eventually, everyone folded to me. What do you think, how many chips do I need to call the raise? How about 10 times the raise, as the minimum? 15 times? Or else something much higher? What’s your idea about this?

By the way, what if there is a caller in front of me? Or worser, 2 callers? Another thing, about 56 suited, is it as good as the 22 or does the math change eventually?

Thank you.

Bodie

Bodie,

To call a raise with 2-2 preflop in a tournament, you need to pretty much either be calling the raise of a short stack or have a fairly large stack.

If you raise preflop with 2-2 and get two callers, then you need to flop a set. At best you are a coin flip to win.

5-6 suited in a heads up pot is actually slightly ahead of 2-2 preflop. The reason is due to the fact that both cards are overcards and that they are suited. It’s still a coin flip however.

I play no limit poker. Oftentimes, I win. Typically, I just win enough but at least on a regular basis.

In general, I consider myself as an analytical player who is usually bothered psychologically. Over the years, I’ve tried to change this by increasing my skills or the like. I’ve also tried to discuss some related matters over my mind.

At a certain point, I question myself about the reasons why should I call rather than fold or raise post flop. Well, there’s no problem when I am into a full game, most especially in a multi-way pot. But unfortunately, not in short handed games, specifically when there is a heads up confrontation.

Any piece of advice? Do you have any idea about calling a bet on the flop in cases where ordinarily a player would either fold a marginal hand or re-raise with a hand that is more or less ahead?

I’m not sure to say this, and I also don’t want to sound defensive but the thing is short handed poker is the hardest to master for an analytical player like me. Well, I’m not sure but this is what I feel.

Thanks for your time.

Allie

Allie,

Short handed and heads up confrontations are situations where marginal hands and draws tend to pick up value. As far as calling as opposed to raising, I would continue to raise if I were you when you are ahead. Otherwise you are inviting players to outdraw you regularly. In relation to calling as opposed to folding, you will need to probably look into staying in with your marginal hands that connect in some way or with your draws more in a short handed game.

I’ll start by sharing that I love playing 5/10 and 10/20 NL holdem online. I regularly play those kinds, and I actually earn lots of money. But just recently, I’ve read something which I know will not make money whatsoever.

It’s actually something written by Doyle and something that discusses the trouble one can be into whenever he or she call raises with hands like AJ, AQ, KJ, KQ, etc. due to the pots.

With confidence, Doyle recommends calling with hands that are speculative, let’s say for an instance 65s or 79s. Sometimes a raise and a call for re-raise is also advised.

In my case, once I tried to call with hands like AJ. But there’s a problem. Doyle was actually playing at tables by which people have stacks by which 200+ times the size of the big blind. While online at a 10/20 NL table, the max buy in is 75 big blinds, and 50 big blinds is the average stack. So if in case I follow Doyle’s advice, there’s nothing much to gain I guess.

So now I’m wondering, if calling a raise with AQ, AJ, KQ, KJ, etc. is bad and calling with 65s will not lead you to proper odds, then what do you think should you call raises with? Personally, what do you think? Please help me.

Thanks!

Bryan

Bryan,

You also have to remember that Doyle Brunson has been playing at the largest stakes cash games for decades. The skills and reads that he has developed are far beyond your current training. Doyle’s tips are actually very valid and can win money, but they also come with large swings. If you have a winning style already, work on improving your winning style. Super System is not the only way to learn to play poker.

I am a recovering successful poker player. Why have I said this? Well, it’s because I’m patching things up in the literature of middle limit NL holdem games.

Before, the tight aggressive strategy at the table is effective and in fact I win effortlessly because of the said strategy. But lately, in the modern middle limit NL holdem games, things have been a little different. I noticed that players usually play using the same strategy and for that beat me in the end.

Hoping to find clarity unto what’s going on, I tried to search for some articles about poker particularly about middle limit NL holdem games. I stumbled on so many sites but it is your site I find really interesting. From your site, if I’ve absorbed things right, I’ve learned that players now have to play more raggedy looking hands such as 64s and A2s by limping in preflop and hoping for a good flop and trying to break someone with TPTK or a high pocket pair.

However, one idea bothered me. Is it true that if possible players have to see flops cheaply with suited connectors or gappers? What’s your idea on this.

How about in these situations for an instance:

1. You are seated at a table and everyone else has tightened up. With 75s, you are in middle position and no limpers to be found. What will you do? Are you going to limp or raise and why? And if you limped on then the guy on the button raised to about five times the big blind, will you call or fold? Say you feel he has AA or something close to it and both of you are sitting on about 100 Big blinds.

How about the 75s, will it hit enough?

2. You are seated at a table and almost all others seated were playing tight. Then several guys raised four to six times the big blind preflop with a majority of their hands. But later on they just check fold if they can’t hit or make a continuation bet. If they encounter action, they give up.

Say you then have 75s and was actually seated in MP. Suddenly, a guy raised 5 times in EP, what will you do? Call, fold or re-raise?

3. I’ve tried to call a raise with a rag hand or the like. Have you also tried doing so? If so, what are the things you’ve considered before doing it?

At some point, I’ve tried to limp in and call raises only when I have reason to believe they have a big pair in the hole and are breakable actually. But things for me seemed out of the track. Any idea to share with me?

William

William,

I’m going to address your questions one at a time.

1. 7-5 is a hand that can hit big but also can lose you a lot of money due to the weakness of the straights and flushes it hits. Lets say you have 7-5 and the flop comes 6-8-9. You have flopped a straight. What about when the turn fall a 10? You now have a sucker straight. If you flop or turn a flush, its going to be the weakest type of flush you can make. You have to play these hands carefully. You really want to limp in with these hands. Calling big raises is not a smart play.
   
2. The player raised in early position. This is not a good time to play your rags.
   
3. When I consider calling a raise with a rag hand, the first thing I consider is how many people are in the pot? If I am getting good odds on my money, I will call. If they are particularly weak-tight, then I might consider the call. Obviously, I want position on this player.

I’ve heard that aggressive poker is actually a good poker, and that an aggressive player always wins the pot. Is this true?

How about if an ABC player raise with preflop (AA, KK, QQ, AK), and some suited connectors or AQ or even AJ in late position will be added, what do you think will this be sensible? I guess it will just increase the rate at which I’m losing, so it’s nonsense at all.

How about for an instance in a $3/6 NL game online the players are pretty decent so when you bet 2/3 the pot at a 842 flop, they have just figured out you are just betting overcards, therefore they just thought of either calling or re-raising. What’s your insight on this? I have actually experienced this one and I lost about 1/6th my buy in.

Do you think being aggressive at the table is the better way out and the better way to win the pot? If not, then should I tighten up? But I have already tried to tighten up and it wasn’t that effective.

How about if I try to be passive? Well, I also tried to be passive once and the results were not that good. But at some point, I thought that maybe everything was because of a bad beat or maybe wrong moves that came out of the blue.

So what now? I think I need some improvements. I think I need to develop sort of aggression on my plays. Also, I need to know when to slow play or re-raise a good hand as well as on how to get paid off with your good hands, particularly when you are playing ABC poker.

Can you help me? Please.

Thanks!

Carter

Carter,

Phil Gordon likes to state that “aggressive poker is winning poker.” Aggression is good for driving people out of pots. If you have what appears to be the lead or the clear edge, you need to bet to force players out or make them pay to draw out on you.

When you have good hands, you need to be aggressive with them. Slow playing should be done when you flop a monster hand or pick up a monster on later streets. With slow playing you need to be sure you are not giving them opportunities to outdraw you, such as slow playing a set when there is 2 spades on board.

First, I would like to congratulate you for having a great site. It’s been very helpful to many poker players across the globe. Thanks a lot!

Well, I actually drop by because I’m now having problems about calling from the small blind. I believe everyone loses money playing from the blinds. But I’m now bothered, because of trying to control those losses, I may be already folding hands despite proper odds to call.

Consider in a Holdem No Limit 10 Seat ring game by which middle position player called the BB. Then 4 others called as well. And to see the flop, you have to place 1/2 a bet. And to call the bet, 9/1 by which you can call with any two cards then verify if you hit the flop.

Later on, only a couple of players called and so unfortunately will only be getting about 5/1 for half bet made. If you were on my shoes, what kind of cards should I play?

Then let’s say BB made a limit raise to two times the BB and then everyone at the table called to you therefore would only mean 5 or 6/1 for you. In your own point of view, should the raise be called? If in case it should be, what hands would you call with?

Thanks a lot!

Warm regards,
Jacob

Jacob,

When you are in the small blind to no raise and are getting at least 3 to 1 on your money, you need to call the blind. Personally, I will call with literally any hand in this scenario.

When you are facing a limit raise from the small blind, first you want to see at least two or more players in with you before expanding your range of hands. At that point, I would call with any reasonable hand. You don’t want to call with stuff like 8-2 offsuit, but any ace, any two big cards, and most suited connectors are reasonable.

I have a question about pushing or calling all in with a draw. Hope you can help me with this one.

For an instance, I was at .25/50c no limit cash table online and I was dealt A/8H. Then, I was given the chance to limp in. Finally, the flop came 9s/ 5h / 7h. Well, the first player to act raised $2 and so as I result I re-raised him to $4. Then, he opted to have all in for my last $12 or more.

For a reason, I called and for the nut flush rivered the 3h. Well, eventually, I took down a nice little pot. What do you think, did I played well or just fair enough?

Thank you.

Ryan

Ryan,

You had a few more outs here than you give yourself credit for. My guess is your opponent called you with either top pair or an over pair, such as kings. On the flop, you had 9 outs for the flush, 4 outs for a gutshot straight, and if my assumption was right, 3 outs to catch an ace to make a better pair. With 16 outs, you had an 80% chance to catch a winning hand by the river. Your $12 call represented 70% of the pot. Believe it or not, you had pot odds. You made a good call and it paid off.

Before I bring out my questions, I would like to first thank you for all the help you’ve extended. You can’t imagine perhaps how grateful I am for all the information, advices, suggestions, tips, etc. you’ve shared to me. Because of you, I’m now on my way to fulfilling my dream since I was 10 years old – make money and live comfortably without doing things I don’t like.

Soon, because of your help, I’ll be an instructor making about $2500-$3000 a month.

Thanks a lot!

Well, for my questions, hope you can find some time to answer them.

1. In a 10 handed 1/2 NL holdem game, I have AK UTG and seated one seat from the player first to act. To make the long story short, I opened to $7 and then a middle position player called. Eventually, BB re-raised to $24. I called, same thing with the middle position player. Then flop came K-7-4 rainbow. BB checked, I and the middle position player also did. The turn then was a Q making a board of K-7-4-Q. BB checked and I bet $24. Middle position player folded. Then BB called. River was an 8 for a board of K-7-4-Q-8. BB checked and I bet $30. As a result, BB re-raised all-in for my remaining $62 and I called.

Later on I showed him AK and he showed me QQ and that’s the end for me. It looked like I had a beat. But I guess it was more on wrong moves and decisions similarly like calling with AK, checking the flop, and betting $30 after he checked. What do you think?

2. I have many bad run of cards experience. At most, I seemed like a bystander watching unlikely things as they take place. At some point, I also appeared like a machine that just plays hand after hand in a predetermined way just waiting for the beats to happen. Eventually, I’ve learned to take things with calmness and good composure. I don’t know if this is a good thing or just something that prevents me from getting off of that bad streak quickly.
3. By playing poker, I know I’ll win money. But still, every time I lose I worry about my monthly earnings, my bankroll, and every thing about money. I know even pros lose sometimes, but still I’m bothered and I can’t exactly explain why.
4. It’s unexplainable but I usually find myself thinking other players have stronger holdings then they actually do. Thus, because of this, I often lose some value on my winning hands cause I submit to checking the river instead of betting or forcing out hands. Any advice for me?

Thanks again.

Martin

Martin,

1. You let your opponent outdraw you. You needed to bet the flop at least. If you bet the flop properly, say at least ¾ of the pot or more and they call, then you could say you got unlucky. Otherwise, you need to say you let them get there.
2. You need to focus on making good decision and playing your hands properly. You also need to evaluate your game and see if there is anything that you need to do to improve your game or stop some bad habits. If you have a friend or poker mentor that you can talk to about your game, this helps immensely.
3. Many pros will say that in order to play poker for a living, you have to have a disregard for money. Is poker your only source of income? If so, then I can understand why you are concerned as you are trying to earn a living. If it is not, then you need to learn to not stress yourself over losses. Swings happen in poker and are a normal part of the game. Also, are you playing at a limit that puts added stress on you? If so, drop down in levels so that the swings aren’t as bothersome.
4. You need to work on putting players on hands and paying attention to their betting patterns. Players that tend to give their opponents too much credit are really just guessing or looking at the worst case scenario and not going by past information presented.