how do you feel about minraises?

[Skidmark]

For me I'll do min raise against an aggressive table, when I have AK or better, with the expectation of getting reraised against one of the bluffers, or someone on tilt perhaps.

and then when u 4bet ur hand is very obvious.
and can u tell me why min raising with premium hands with the expectation of getting reraised is better than limp reraising?
imo limpers gets raised more often than minraisers.

 

[MIKECRUMBS]

DEPENDS

i like them in a tournament if your starting with a premium hand hi pocket but then you have to watch what flops if you get those flops where it is likely for someone to call the raise with Q 10 K 10 K 9 Q 9 J 10 J 9 and the flop comes any of those combos then watch out. ITS ALL ABOUT FEEL AND DONT BE AFRAID TO FOLD THOSE BIG POCKET PAIRS

 

[spacemiu]

I personally hate it, and there is no value in it if u always do it (it's a fish play), but I do it rarely to keep my opponents off the track. I mostly raise x3 or x2.5 depending on the blinds(tournament)/or the table(cash), and if I have been raising quite a lot, then I minraise with a worse hand now and then, because when u do that, they always notice and think he must have aces or kings and fold to that. always works!

 

[FEARFACTOR]

I try and keep all my raises the same (3bet) no matter what the hand. Nobody can get a read on you that way. If you bet Q-J the same as A-A or 9-9 or little suited connectors, you'll keep em guessing.

 

[monster]

i dont like miniraise at all... i find that ur not putting enough presure on the other players at ur table so what will happen is ull see to many garbage hands calling ur little miniraise and making a good hand ...not what i want to see when i have a PP or 2 overcards....

 

[Divebitch]

With a hand like 98 suited (which is screaming for a flop) many will try just joining the limpers but many times I see where a min raise is more likely to get to the flop without facing another raise compared to just plain limping.

this is my 3 aces post (111)

Congrats on your 111th! Just made 1000 myself. Excellent post, and I find this to be true, especially in EP. Others also made good points, i.e. crystalblue on the late tourney/high blinds issue. Weirdhotshot, with a min-raise, especially in late postion, you are NOT trying to get anyone off their hand, unless you are a total noob. On the contrary (and this is particularly true in pot limit), it serves to build a pot should you hit, giving you the opportunity to put in a huge bet post-flop, and easily get away from if you don't. All in all, it can better set up a bluff, but position and the entire table also factor in. Agreed it is stupid with an AA (made hand, but you need to narrow the field).

 

[dumpy620_84]

Again, I will point out the huge differences between online poker and real poker. If you are in a live game, you will see physical patterns of showing strength and weakness. If he looks at his chips repeatedly, or looks at his hole cards frequently, or drinks/smokes, looks around, leans over the table to see, etc. then you have picked up a tell and can make a better decision. There's no ONE way to approach this situation. Sense weakness and obviously raise. Sense he's on a weaker draw and obviously raise. Sense he's made his hand but could lose to you if you hit and maybe call. Again, the tells you pick up will give you your answer. If you are strictly referring to online play, you have to go more with odds and judgments based on limited information.

 

[rwilson]

I'm not a fan of min raises at all. There's a few rare places that come to mind where you'd consider it, but not many.

 

[deumsac]

If you are strictly referring to online play, you have to go more with odds and judgments based on limited information.

Does this mean good online pokers or competent Long-Term online players need to be able to calculate odds and go with odds and judgments equally?

If so, maybe I should learn more about calculating odds on the spur of the moment when I am not confident in my judgment?? The reason I am wondering is because somewhere else on the forum I saw people writing about how some players (someone mentioned Phil Ivey) play the odds.

I do not really calculate odds in the time given unless it is pre-flop or a 4-flush or open ended straight, and sometimes odds are complicated (such as both players having a gutshot straight draw etc. post flop, turn)

 

[TheKAAHK]

Oh, i got another smart-ass remark about minraising:

Minraises are from people who feel that they really should raise their hand, but don't have the stones to do it properly.

 

[TheKAAHK]

What the heck are those facts from?!? Little known indeed! From my experience, newer players throw too much out when they see a big pair, mostly because they can`t wait to get paid big. Nothing personal but I`d love to know where those stats are from. Maybe online its true but I play cash games in AC, NJ all the time and its super easy to spot when a newbie gets a great hand. A min raise is a great tool to use just to throw a change of pace at the table when you usually go 4x or 5x the BB. It usually is met with a weird look and a cautious call. But I never use it with good cards and out of position, you gotta weed out bad cards and narrow out the field. I always try to keep `em thinking.

LOL. First of all, I made that up from my own experience at the tables. Also, I am a tourney player and the minraise in a cash game and a tourney have different dynamics.

 

[manalva]

Hi.

What VerbalKint says is true. I'm a newbie player and always fall in that minraise traps. Of course I don't fall all the time, but once in a while I fall like a kid.

Bye.
manalva

 

[KardKlub]

If your playing against good player who understand postion, a min raise UTG is a good move. If you say have AQ and you min raise UTG everyone should think "hold on he raised from the Gun" "Do i have a hand that can beat it". If they re-raise you , you can throw the AQ away with the knowledge you were probably dominated or beat without the risk of loosing alot of chips.

In a weak game however your just giving them more reason to call you, as the move appears weak when in fact its a strong move on your part as you'd have folded rubbish UTG not raised.

You would then increase the raise amount the further around the table you get to compensate for the more playable hands you'd start a raise off with to atleast put pressure on the blinds

 

[StormRaven]

Minraises are from people who feel that they really should raise their hand, but don't have the stones to do it properly.

Amen brother! I agree whole-heartedly!

The only time I min raise is utg (but never with a big ppr) - if I have a potentially strong hand I'd like to see a flop with and I feel someone may raise their QJ su in another pos to 3xbb or so, but I don't like limpers utg either, or if I have a so so hand during the early stages of a tournament (77, 89 su, etc). I''ve never min raised in any other position - I think it's a terrible play for all the reasons already listed by the other members.

Does this mean good online pokers or competent Long-Term online players need to be able to calculate odds and go with odds and judgments equally?

If so, maybe I should learn more about calculating odds on the spur of the moment when I am not confident in my judgment?? The reason I am wondering is because somewhere else on the forum I saw people writing about how some players (someone mentioned Phil Ivey) play the odds.

I do not really calculate odds in the time given unless it is pre-flop or a 4-flush or open ended straight, and sometimes odds are complicated (such as both players having a gutshot straight draw etc. post flop, turn)

IMO - this question is better answered in a seperate post. However, the short answer is this: you will find yourself making better informed decisions if you learn to calculate odds. Calculating odds isn't the end all as there are multiple factors to consider but it is a valuable tool in poker.

 

[jerry77]

mini raise only when you want to get a reraise from a player so you can in turn reraise him

 

[VerbalKint]

Oh, i got another smart-ass remark about minraising:

Minraises are from people who feel that they really should raise their hand, but don't have the stones to do it properly.

Now I like that one! Usually means unsuited two face cards or a mid pair if the player is weak. When a "regular" throws in the min raise it always sends up flags but those guys usually do it to throw you a curve. Its a cheap way to throw the dogs off your trail or at least get a laugh.

 

[allndave]

as with all poker plays it can be effective if used at the right time against the right opponant, used at the wrong time or against the wrong opponant and it will cost you chips.
i noticed that many here say it is annoying, somtimes annoying your opponant is a good thing as it will take them off thier best game.
i only play micro stake games, so lots of inexperienced players.. me included.

 

[n2kfactor]

minraises are fine in some situations, the issue is that about 1% of people who minraise actually know what these situations are.

lol...very well said...i hate minraises.....there is no diff between a limp and a minraise.....with whatever hand ur doin it..ur a total jerk to minraise.....DONKEYSSSSSSSS

 

[Skidmark]

difference between a minraise and a limp is if you get 3 betted the amount you are going to call is much less than if you minraise. saves you chips.

 

[confuzd67]

Very good question lately it seems the min raise is happening more often. Maybe it is more that new players don't really understand the game enough.
Strategically though, it can make for some poor reads by opponents and entice them to bet into you.

 

[Skidmark]

at the lower stakes a minraise on the turn or especially on the river generally means monster.

 

[bwrobbel]

I think that minraises are a good deceptive tactic. Of all the bets you can make, I think a minraise tells people the least about your hand.

Well yeah, but that is if you only min raise whenever you raise. The raises should be consistent. Min raises seems like someone is trying to get callers with Aces, but get the pot loaded. Personally, I find it stupid. I raise the same amount when I am raising. It gives no reads. If you are raising 2.5BB with QJ A10, and then just raise min, it's obvious that something is up. And also when someone raises 4 or 5xBB....there's something going on there too. People loved to raise huge or very little when they have power hands. Keep it consistent and no one will ever know. That's the best bet.

 

[GHOST 24 7]

min raise can sometimes be a great tool in early position. its like setting a trap. I would only do it with jacks or better pocket pair especially when im short stacked. People will always put u on ak or aq and mayne aj. Its really funny when u see peoples faces when u turn over pocket jacks they no there in trouble when they call u with medium pocket pairs.

 

[zachvac]

lol...very well said...i hate minraises.....there is no diff between a limp and a minraise.....with whatever hand ur doin it..ur a total jerk to minraise.....DONKEYSSSSSSSS

Want to play HU? I promise I will exclusively minraise preflop.

 

[roundcat]

Want to play HU? I promise I will exclusively minraise preflop.

Are you saying minraising is a valid strategy heads up? I'm very curious because I was recently talking with someone who suggested that, and I tried playing that way and it just didn't feel right.