Need some help with this situation

Xandit

Xandit

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(I know this was covered in the blog as a limit issue but this is more for tourny play)

This is something that i find comes up quite often for myself in tournement play. In the small blind early in the event (blinds 10-20, 20-40 ect) and have say K10s, J10s Q10o, there have been say 1-2 limpers, I find myself at a loss as to what to do here. Do you just limp and try to see the flop due to the good pot odds? A standard raise of 3-4 will more than likely just induce the callers to come along. I raise now i am out of position with no reads on the players hands ect. The flop misses me, which seems to happen more and more. Do i fire a contunation bet? perhaps a probe bet? And then i get a caller. now what? If i check, and someone bets do i just lay the hand down.
If that is the case then why don't i just fold preflop instead! It's not as if the cards in my hand are terrible and unplayable. They are decent starting cards
Any tips?
 
t1riel

t1riel

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Play agreesive with it. If you raise and they call because it will "induce the callers to come along." Even if you miss the flop, make a decent size bet again. More than likely they will fold unless they got something on the flop. This is probably one of these occasions where you could probably bluff them out. If you don't bluff well, limp in and if you get nothing on the flop. Check/Fold.
 
Dorkus Malorkus

Dorkus Malorkus

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Early on I just ditch them. Of course, you could get a miracle flop, but more likely you're going to get drawn into a pot you have no business in with something like top pair weak kicker. I just fold and save the chips so that I can hopefully get as much as possible out of my premium hands in the early tourney stages.

Perhaps if the table is very loose-passive preflop and aggressive postflop I'll limp for implied odds, but I have no problem with still folding in that situation.

Of course when blinds get meaningful hands like KT become raising hands in decent position. :)
 
S

Styrofoam

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when you get a stronger self image and table image, a raise here is the right call. about 4x BB. From the SB, a Raise should almost always be respected...especially if you've shown down a few winners that weren't suck outs.

I would like to point out that KT, QT, and QJ aren't that great played from the small blind. Even if you hit a pair (say Tens) you're out of position, and anyone playing position will almost always raise you out of the pot. You can't feel good about flopping a pair of Kings on a board like KQrag if you have KT since most people playing Kings are going to play KJ or better. (I rarely play KT or worse unless they're suited, and only then if its a free card from the BB or a cheap flop from late position). I will almost always FOLD these hands if the pot is even minimum raised, and with KT or QT i almost always limp hope to hit a flush or flush draw with a pair. If i don't hit i check and fold. QJs i will raise with almost always from any position, but i LOVE suited connectors, so... you know. A bit off topic, I applogize.

I guess i'm trying to say it depends on the situation... Try and build a strong tight/aggressive table image...if you do that, you'll win the pots more often than not. But you will NOT build that image if you go like this:

Preflop raise
flop bet
turn check...

if you are pushing the pot, you have to keep at it.
 
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