Tag play and Raise Amounts

[Jay67s]

I recently moved from Limit to No-Limit -- so I am trying to get used to being able to bet different amounts. I have been playing $50 NL (big Blind is $.50). My standard raise has been $2 or $2.25 (sometimes $1.75) -- and I am raising for value and to isolate, but it seems that alot of times I just collect the blinds. I feel that I am getting no action on my premium hands.

I raise that amount no matter what I hold (sometimes more if alot of limpers and I want to isolate).

I also don't play many hands 17 to 18% VPIP. So am I scaring too many players off? Should I lower my standard raise amount?

Any thoughts on Preflop raisers and the style you are playing would be helpful.

[Rondavu]

Get out of the frame of mind that you're going to raise a certain amount with premium hands and stick with it. You have to find what amount it is that will isolate you with someone on THAT table.

Some tables require a 10x raise for isolation. Some you can raise 3x and feel comfortable all day long. If your raises are scaring out callers then your raises are too large for that tight table. Reduce it down until you get what you're looking for. You could even try raising 72 offsuit, bluffing someone out and showing. Don't think your just going to sit down at a no-limit table, wait on good hands, and then get action on them. You have to stimulate action.

You'll know you're in a good zone when your doubled up and everyone at the table is ranting about you in the chat module because you're bluffing them. I call it smacking the bees nest. Now you tighten up and get payed for your goods. When the action dries up, smack the bees nest again. Before you know it everyone will be scratching their head looking at your mega high stack. I wish you the best of luck in No Limit. Remember to mold your image continuously.

[alias2211]

You'll know you're in a good zone when your doubled up and everyone at the table is ranting about you in the chat module because you're bluffing them. I call it smacking the bees nest. Now you tighten up and get payed for your goods.

Rondavu, I like the smacking the bees nest metaphor, now I finally have a name for that approach.

I just did this yesterday: grinded up to a double buyin stack over the course of about an hour through tight agressive play, then the comments started coming about how obvious I was in my bluffing (even though I really wasn't). So I raised 5BB from the button to steal the blinds w/ 69 suited, showed it when they folded and typed in: Big Lick (which I picked up from someone's sig here at FTR: I will credit if I can find that sig). Next hand dealt to me was AA and I doubled up off two sucka MCs with marginal hands, ending the session up to 4x max buyin

It was, how you say, magnifique!

[Rondavu]

You'll know you're in a good zone when your doubled up and everyone at the table is ranting about you in the chat module because you're bluffing them. I call it smacking the bees nest. Now you tighten up and get payed for your goods.

Rondavu, I like the smacking the bees nest metaphor, now I finally have a name for that approach.

I just did this yesterday: grinded up to a double buyin stack over the course of about an hour through tight aggressive play, then the comments started coming about how obvious I was in my bluffing (even though I really wasn't). So I raised 5BB from the button to steal the blinds w/ 69 suited, showed it when they folded and typed in: Big Lick (which I picked up from someone's sig here at FTR: I will credit if I can find that sig). Next hand dealt to me was AA and I doubled up off two sucka MCs with marginal hands, ending the session up to 4x max buyin

It was, how you say, magnifique!

And of course this is exactly how you want your aces to play out. I always get action on my good hands. Once you scalp a couple people with your high pockets after making your image loose aggressive it turns into a bloodfest because you now have everyone so off balance. Then you follow a few hands later with an AK scalping. Then you hit a straight and act like your bluffing to get it payed. You basically own the table for a little while after something like this happens because every loose read on you has been destroyed. This is the ultimate goal of any person sitting down at a NL table. NO READS ON YOU

[Element187]

i do the same... but once people start typing in the chat that i'm a fish, i pounce on them and piss them off... its fun to put people on tilt.