Min raises

Am I missing some poker knowledge or is there actually a reason for doing it? I've recently moved up a BI and the $3.50 entry SnGs seem to have a fair few who do it. the $1.50 BI had hardly anybody who did it. The only time I'd ever min bet is heads up as I do with every hand from the SB.

Other than that the only reason I'll do it is:
1) to try to induce a shove or big raise versus my monster
2) they let me get away with it on some spec hands
But both of those are irregular and not standard in my playbook at all.

i know i've started to make this part of my game in MTTs & SnGs, since it seems, in some cases, to have the same effect as a standard raise and, obviously, if you think you have game, then you prefer to play smaller/safer pots in between your big card hands

^^^^^^^^^Pretty much the reasoning for it being done. Although some times when u find a min raiser it could be a new player and they really dont know much about bet/raise. If you are playing against seasoned player and get min raised most likely its a trap. I will say I use it mostly heads-up when playing a weaker player which always fold to a 3bet/4bet but will always call a min raise. But for the most part its a great tool to piss ur opponent off! Most players hate min raises.

Minraises or 2xbb is good for mid-late stages of a MTT.
When stacks are shallow,the need to preserve a BB is huge.Everyone's range tighten during bubble or final table bubble (so use this effectively to gain some chips)

Avoid calling stations and big stacks when doing this!

LOL! A great tilt-inducing tool!

I'm probably a donkey when it comes to that trap then because I just put in a raise about 10x min bet to get them to **** off min raising. I've just been looking through hand histories of people that went to SD and it looks like a lot were playing suited connectors like this, I think a hefty raise is good because they stopped playing like that against me. Obviously leaving myself very susceptible to a trap but it does look +ev.

Yeah I'd say most people are using it on their spec hands to see the flop. Pound em and teach em some manners Just be very careful when a guy like me comes along. You better have been paying attention to the fact I wasn't one of those guys for the last two hours and I all of sudden try to come in weak.
Its amazing how many just do not pay attention to who is doing what at the table. Amazing but GREAT.

Proper betting always throws people off. I suggest picking up Daniel negreanu's Power holdem book he talks A TON about it in there.

Yea I usually try and punish them for it. Althought i do generally play 4 games at a time so i don't really know who's doing it which does leave me pretty exposed to the trap.

I'd actually differ here on what you've said.
"most people are using it on their spec hands to see the flop"
As blinds go up in SNG's we can make smaller preflop raises & still get the same result (some use 2.5x at 50/100, some drop to 2x, .. others somewhere inbetween). We are typically on shallow stacks in SNG's & the better players will know this.. & typically aren't 'calling' raises preflop (instead are more apt. to rrai or 3bet to induce a 4bai, depending on a bunch of factors). There are also other benefits to raising 'min' (or 2.3x) besides a 'cheaper steal'... it also sets us up so we can take the pot down on the flop with a smaller cbet.
To assume the 'min-raise' = weak hand is a BIG mistake. The better players won't be alternating their preflop raise sizing (min. could equal steal attempt or could be a monster). Most (if not all) the SNG regs. are making 2-2.5x raises in mid-later levels.
I actually mark players who continue to raise '3x' in mid to later levels as the weaker players on the table.

I'd agree that late on it isn't a bad stratergy but I've seen a ton of people bet 20 into a 140 pot when blinds are 10/20 with stacks of 1500 then fold to a raise of 200, early on in tournys its ridiculous. Also min raising every street then flipping over 78s

Concur - my fault - I haven't played a SnG since early April (reason is obvious) and my brain is now in constant live ring or deepstack tourney mode.

I use it on a speclative hand usually when several people are in a hand to gather information to see where I sit..particullarly when I am out of position.

min raise is use when you wanna play small ball poker. to keep the pot down. also it is use in SnG because the stacks are small, hence if you make a 4bb raise you almost commited if anyone shoves. So in SnG you will see a lot of min raises also if f.eks starting stacks is around 1000 or so as soon as you are at 50 in the bb, then a 4bet commits you and a 3bet is hard to fold to.
You have to look at the raises from sthe stacks point of view, that is also why a lot of min raises occurs in late and in late mid. tourney mtt play.
Basically your saying I want to see a flop and I have a decent hand, and I might shove on you if you 3 bet me and also (I will help putting pressure on the big blind, especially if the BB is the short stack.).
Basically I do agree with Poker Orifice even thou I don't like it..... ;-)

yes. reason #2 is why i do it.
and i only do it if i'm bigger stacked,
or they're skeered of me for some other reason.
(recent scary shown cards or showdown)

ht

well the other thing is, there is less reward for their risk in pushing. so they realize that over 100 times, they're not gonna win as much as they would like and might be -EV altogether. i just don't like to tempt anyone into pushing, b/c i am such a tightass!