button raise?

I've seen many players that are otherwise TAG raising on the button preflop every time. It is quickly obvious that they could have any 2 cards. I understand the power of position but these people usually wind up folding to a decent reraise. Are they investing in a future monster hand on the button, waiting to trap? Is this a sound strategy?

I don't think that a pre-flop button raise is any strategy at all. Given the situation, if many players called the BB's bet pre-flop, and the button raises, then most likely at least 20% of the players in early and middle position will call the button's raise or re-raise.

I wouldn't understand why the button would constantly raise preflop unless he has a hand worth raising with.

You need to pay attention to the his hole cards at showdown, and his betting manner post-flop.

My opinion on this kind of player is that they always want to keep people guessing, they are trying to play the player. Really if you do call the raise, unless you have a pocket pair, how often is it that your cards do match the flop? The raiser is more than likely going to make the continuation bet and it is likely that the player that just called is going to fold. Sure after a couple times they will get reraised and will fold, but on the same note when they do have a hand and get reraised they are going to either trap or reraise because they know they have a slight advantage in knowing others may think they are bluffing. I have seen many players do this and it works quite well for them, but i think you really have to be a good player to pull this off or else its just going to blow up in their faces.
But then i always try to remember that these players do tend to get lucky with crap hands so i try to be careful when playing them.

Chuck, Liam, Chris - your thoughts please.

The math is against you in these situations for the raiser.

nobody in the pot you risk 3BB to win 1.5. You have to be sucuessful 66% of the time to make any real profit otherwise you are leaking money.

2 others in the pot you have to raise home so you are risking 4BB or 5BB to win 3.5. Now you really need to risk more to win more but the odds move closer to making it worth a shot.

The thing people don't get is that the only time it is truely profitable to steal is when there are antes in the middle it increase the pot without any other players in the hand.

PS has 100/200 level and 100/200 25 ante. Compare the pots before someone acts
100/200= 300 you raise to 600 to try to steal. 2=1 on your money
100/200 + 7 people gives and extra 175 = 475, you raise to 600 is over 3=2 on your money. That is worth a steal now and again.

Well this is very dependant on the table, but against weak opponents raising P/F on your button could be a very profitable excercise. In late stage tournament play raising with any 2 on the button is almost essential if its folded to you if you want to go deep.

In a NL ring game, it depends on how many times on average it will work. Example : 3 Limpers, i raise 5xBB on the button and get one caller. He folds to a 5xBB C/B bet 70% of the time and check/raises 20% of the time. Loose example.

So looking at it, im winning 7 bets 70% of the time , and assuming i NEVER have a hand losing 10 bets 30% of the time, for a net win of 4.7 bets per hand And thats assuming that we never have a hand the times we get Check raised.

Thats lots of assumptions, but in a NL ring game, you should be raising lots from not just the button but from L/P. If my math is off then plz forgive my impertance, quick top of my head stuff this.

It's a straegy effective for once in a while,if you have the table image to pull it off. If you overuse it, and get caught a couple times, then it's a millstone around yer neck, 'cause nobody will respect your representation of power.

Tenbob,

You say raising with any 2 on the button is almost essential.

We raise with 9,2os. SB calls or re-raises, or even worse the BB gets involved.

Goodbye Chips?

Or is this a "it depends" move.

I think Dorkus mentions something about standard OTB raises in one of his vids

You dont get it i think. Raising with position is very important, but you also have another skill set, in effect raising on the button with 92o and get a caller, its probably better doing this than with a hand like K10, essentially you should be aware when your done with the hand. Its a steal