Balancing pre flop range

I

Izaak

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Now I have been taking a weird approach to pre flop play lately in hold em. I used to be so against limping with anything other than 22-77. But now I've noticed it's way harder to get paid off with my sets when I limp with my small pocket pairs because it's obvious what I have. So what I have found myself doing to balance my range is limping with hands I would usually raise with e.g ak, aq ect suited connecters and so on.. Is this strategy ok? If not how else can I balance my rnge? Or should I just alwayscomw in for a raise pre flop? Also one more thing people keep having a go at me when I play hands like a7 from let's say in middle position. The math says (this I heard from Phil gordan) that to find out if you have the strongest ace from when 4 or more players are left to act u have to look at your non ace card and if that's a higher number than the amount of players left to act you mathematically are ahead. Is this fact true? If so whatever wrong with playing a7 when 6 players are still to act?
 
WVHillbilly

WVHillbilly

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Raise unopened pots with any hand you want to play. Range balanced.
 
LuckyChippy

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Never always raise and you're balanced.

Thinking about balancing is a natural progression but it's strange that your first reaction was to balance by limping more than stopping limping. I'm sure when you think about it you'll see that raising produces more valuable situations overall.
 
fletchdad

fletchdad

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Izaak, I have read a few of your posts. You are trying to get info to better yourself at this complicated game. I dont know what books you may have already read - obv. something form Phil Gordan - but I would suggest to read more. Look at the hand analysis section and look at hands you have wonered about. Post your hands. It is a better way than generically asking "what do I do with this or that". Just cause the "math" may be right - and I dont think Gordon was talking about micro stakes online poker - is only the tip of the iceberg.

I would pretty much raise any hand I am gonna play if unopened, and call, fold or 3 bet any opened hand. Your PP are good calling hands if there has already been a raiser, for example but, sorry to have to use this expression again, it depends.Limping any hand is gonna put you in a position where you dont know what to do if someone raises you. Say you have a mediocre hand like 33 and you limp EP. If someone calls and then someone raises what are you gonna do now? Lose money. Until you are more experienced, your best play is to avoid situations where you are not sure what to do. Limping EP will put you there a lot. Limping anywhere will do this. Raise and think ahead of time how you will react to anything that may happen. Say you have JJ in CO and a LAG guy in the SB who you have seen showing down 44, AT type hands that he has 3 bet. You want to raise and shove on his 3 bet. You know this ahead of time. You have a TAG good player in the BB with 9/4 stats. If he calls or raises after the SB you will need to re evaluate. Do you get where I am going with this? Just saying A7 with 6 players to come is way to general a way to think about what you are doing.
 
smokeme

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when you say unopened it means.. havnt been raised yet wen it comes to you? or like your in late position and nobody raised it to you. just making sure with the lingo. and if it means it hasnt been raised to you does it matter where your sitting?
 
OMGITSOVER9K

OMGITSOVER9K

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when you say unopened it means.. havnt been raised yet wen it comes to you? or like your in late position and nobody raised it to you. just making sure with the lingo. and if it means it hasnt been raised to you does it matter where your sitting?

yeah unopened means nobody's raised it before you, and position ALWAYS matters when considering opening a pot.. you should always be looking to your left, and checking to see who's in the blinds this hand to try and predict what could happen and what you would do in those situations.. i.e. you've got an aggro monkey on your left with a high 3bet stat, opening loose might not be best since its highly likely your going to have to play a bloated pot out of position against an aggressive player.. on the other hand, if you have a weak tight player on your left opening light is profitable
 
fletchdad

fletchdad

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yeah unopened means nobody's raised it before you, and position ALWAYS matters when considering opening a pot.. you should always be looking to your left, and checking to see who's in the blinds this hand to try and predict what could happen and what you would do in those situations.. i.e. you've got an aggro monkey on your left with a high 3bet stat, opening loose might not be best since its highly likely your going to have to play a bloated pot out of position against an aggressive player.. on the other hand, if you have a weak tight player on your left opening light is profitable


One of the best new member posts I have seen yet. Good explanation.

Welcome to CC!
 
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BlueNowhere

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Wouldn't worry about balancing your range yet, if you're playing 2NL you'll be playing people who play their cards and their cards only (well the vast majority).
 
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