From: mitch@lsil.com (Mitch Sako)
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
Subject: Re: Hold'Em question
Date: 6 Nov 92 19:34:11 GMT
Reply-To: mitch@lsil.com
Organization: LSI Computing Systems

In article 1dcb4vINNb41@fido.asd.sgi.com, leej@diver.asd.sgi.com (Lee Jones) writes:
>I'm posing this question in a hold 'em context, but it's applicable in many
>poker situations.  The short question is: If you're holding a premium hand,
>but one that prefers play against few opponents, do you raise if there are
>already many callers in front of you?
>Suppose you are on the button in a limit hold 'em game, and find yourself
>holding pocket rockets.  Good.  But suppose there are five callers in front
>of you.  Bad.  The traditional wisdom is that you raise pre-flop with these
>big hands to thin the field.  You're not going to be thinning anything with
>a raise at this point.  In the games I normally play ($6-12 and $10-20) if
>the big blind looks down and sees two cards from the same deck, he's calling
>the raise.  Even forgetting about the big blind for a moment, all of the
>previous callers are going to call (you may even incite a raising war for
>which you really have no desire at this point).

This is a very good question and there is no conventional wisdom regarding
an easy answer.  I will put in my two cents, for what it's worth.

I believe that you have to read the "texture" of the game.  If it's a tight
game then you definitely should raise.  If it's a loose game then you probably
should raise (I always do with AA) because you still hold the best hand at 
this time.  What you need to ask yourself is, "am I building a bigger pot
that will yield a price such that the long-odd draws are going to call
because they are still getting a good price?"  This is obviously your main
concern.  I don't mind the raising war so much as finding a 4-6 suited
catching his second pair on the river.

>
>Of course, you're a big favorite over any *one* of the other players at this
>point, but your chances of beating them *all* are not good unless you help
>on the flop.   My new thinking: with four or more opponents, I'm inclined
>to smooth call.  If the flop comes off the way I'd like (I mean like a King
>high with the ranks spread), then you play it fast because you're going
>to get plenty of action from a King.  However, if there's a pair in the flop,
>and you've got 5-6 opponents, you are in deep doo-doo.  

Not necessarily.  Play AA like you have the best hand until somebody shows
you otherwise.  
>
>So, what's the net.thought on this?  I've read all the books multiple times,
>but I doubt Sklansky sees very many flops with 5-6 opponents.

First, don't hold any special worship out for Sklansky.  Second, don't rely
on those books for much either.  They don't take into consideration the
criminal time charges that the California joints (with the exception of Sycuan)
chop from the money pool either.  Because of the cost of playing in California
you have to play much faster than these "gurus" suggest.

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