Small/Medium PP vs limpers...

[azureXsmurF]

Okay, so I'm BB with pocket 6s. I get 4 callers, should I raise and try to force people limping with crap hands to fold, or should I check to possibly get a set for free?

EDIT: This was a hand I played early on in a NLHE freeroll on Pokerstars (one of the ones that qualifies you for a prize money tournament), so a lot of fish were still there, two of the callers seemed to be playing pretty well, taking down many pots and whenever it went to a showdown they had a hand.

[Irisheyes]

r should I check to possibly get a set for free?

most definitly. You want other people to hit their A or whatever on the flop so you can take chips off them with your well disguised set.

[azureXsmurF]

r should I check to possibly get a set for free?

most definitly. You want other people to hit their A or whatever on the flop so you can take chips off them with your well disguised set.

That's what I figured (and what I ended up doing). The only thing that made me wonder if I should maybe just put a 4BB raise was that it was a pretty loose table, and didn't want anyone to hit a better hand after a ragged flop.

[Miffed22001]

always take the free card
Its btter you flop a free monster than try to buy the pot and end up putting chips into a wasted effort especially an mtt.
Of course, you can always gambOOl....

[Lukie]

easy check

flop em or drop em

no reason to put another chip into the pot unless you spike a 6, or get some other kind of very favorable cards.

[underminedsk]

my favored play in this situation is to raise 1-2xbb (some amount that everyone will most likely to call), to try to get the pot a bit bigger when I do hit my set.

It seems to be working so far, but do people think this is worth it, or will I lose money in the long run by doing this?

[AHiltz]

If you are raising 1-2bb to build a pot, me thinks your postflop skills need work.

[underminedsk]

If you are raising 1-2bb to build a pot, me thinks your postflop skills need work.

This was my thinking:

Most of the pot building still comes post flop, but if I can spend 2xbb to pump a 5xbb pot to a 15xbb pot preflop, then I think thats worth it. The guy that flops top pair will have to lead for 10-15xbb to protect his hand, instead of 3, and at that point its going to become pretty hard for him to get away from the hand without losing a large chunk or all of his stack, especially if it goes three-way to the turn. Plus, the dead money from the other callers will help pay for the times that I raise and dont hit my set.

Basically to me it seems like im spending 2xbb to make the final pot 2-3x as big. It seems worth it to me.

Thoughts?

[azureXsmurF]

If you are raising 1-2bb to build a pot, me thinks your postflop skills need work.

This was my thinking:

Most of the pot building still comes post flop, but if I can spend 2xbb to pump a 5xbb pot to a 15xbb pot preflop, then I think thats worth it. The guy that flops top pair will have to lead for 10-15xbb to protect his hand, instead of 3, and at that point its going to become pretty hard for him to get away from the hand without losing a large chunk or all of his stack, especially if it goes three-way to the turn. Plus, the dead money from the other callers will help pay for the times that I raise and dont hit my set.

Basically to me it seems like im spending 2xbb to make the final pot 2-3x as big. It seems worth it to me.

Thoughts?

The only problem would be if you get a run of smaller pps and never hit your set, you lose a lot of money you could use on another pot.

[BankItDrew]

If you raise pre-flop with low pockets and (at 2nd best get 1 caller), you are probably only a coinflip from there, excluding positional power.

Check. If you hit the devil, you'll have 4 others trying to win a pot that you'll probably be ahead in.

[Fnord]

If you raise pre-flop with low pockets and (at 2nd best get 1 caller), you are probably only a coinflip from there, excluding positional power.

With lots of money behind, positional power is everything. Quite often the better hand pair has to fold post-flop and the over-cards fold without seeing a turn or river.

[Irisheyes]

The only problem would be if you get a run of smaller pps and never hit your set, you lose a lot of money you could use on another pot.

This is a really bad way to think about any poker situation. No decision should be based on getting a 'run' of any sort. Every deal of the cards is a completely independant event. You need to start thinking about the long long term where all 'runs' tend towards an infinite average.

[ponyboy]

This is a really bad way to think about any poker situation. No decision should be based on getting a 'run' of any sort. Every deal of the cards is a completely independant event. You need to start thinking about the long long term where all 'runs' tend towards an infinite average.

This should be on a sticky note above my computer. Amen.