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topspin72 High Card
Joined: 12 Feb 2008 Posts: 1
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Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 3:24 am Post subject: Raising Pre-Flop |
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What is the strategy in raising pre-flop in heads-up play? I was under the impression that unless you held a really strong starting hand that raising pre-flop did not make sense. But then I was watching Phil Ivey play Saturday night in a $500/1000 PL Omaha game (both players with similar money on the table) and it seemed like both guys raised pre-flop nearly every hand.
Are they just action junkies, or is there a reason for this play? |
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xxsn1perxx Three of a Kind
Joined: 26 Dec 2007 Posts: 83
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:37 pm Post subject: Re: Raising Pre-Flop |
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| topspin72 wrote: |
What is the strategy in raising pre-flop in heads-up play? I was under the impression that unless you held a really strong starting hand that raising pre-flop did not make sense. But then I was watching Phil Ivey play Saturday night in a $500/1000 PL Omaha game (both players with similar money on the table) and it seemed like both guys raised pre-flop nearly every hand.
Are they just action junkies, or is there a reason for this play? |
Phil Ivey ( and the really (most likely) good player playing Phil Ivey) can raise whenever they want because they are good at reading and they can know when they are ahead or behind. For people like you or I stick to raising with strong hands. If your playing heads-up you probably don't need a really strong hand just a decent hand. |
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byamamoto1 Bay Area Bidness
Joined: 11 Aug 2005 Posts: 2076
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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you will probably notice that the players almost always raised on their button and rarely raised PF in the BB. the reason they are doing this is because they are going to try and play their position to take down any pots that their opponent does not hit. aggression in position is one of the key tools that is used by the great high stakes players. the times that their opponent does not hit a hand they'll be able to take down the pot without much effort. also, by raising almost every hand, they'll be better able to get paid off on their monster hands, as the opponent cannot give them credit for a big hand. there are many advantages to raising the pot PF.
another reason they'll be raising more often in PL omaha is to actually build the pot. since the maximum they'll be able to bet is the pot, they need to build it in order to get maximum value out of their big hands. In full ring games this is less of a concern, but seeing as they are playing heads up, the need to build a pot in essential to getting paid on their monsters. |
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