After reading something on Chris Ferguson's site I have become more consistent with raising anytime I am the first to enter a pot. I don't play too many hands from EP so it doesn't come up too often, but here's a situation from a full ring 1/2 game on FTP.

I am UTG and have 88o. I am up maybe 15 BB so far and have shown down nothing but big hands. I have taken a few pots uncontested with preflop raises. I decide to raise my 88 here and see what happens. No great reads on anyone but the SB, who is a terribly weak LAG and has helped my stack considerably so far thanks to calling down with any ace to the end.

UTG+1 flat calls, one MP flat calls, and the BB calls. Flop comes 872 rainbow. Nice. BB checks, I check, UTG+1 bets, MP calls, BB folds, I just call, planning on popping the turn.

The turn brings an offsuit K. I like this card and am hoping for someone playing AK or KQ. I check, UTG+1 bets, MP calls, I checkraise. UTG+1 reraises, MP folds. Hmm...

Could he be holding KK? I find it hard to believe that he'd slow play it on the flop, but he has only been at the table for one orbit so who knows. I decide to pop it again and he calls.

River is a 4, off suit, but there is a possibility of a straight. I just don't see him playing 56, and if he did then why reraise me on the turn? I think my only fear is for KK and I have to trust my read, so I bet. He raises.

I really think I chickened out here because I just called him. If I'm beat then oh well, but I think I have to trust my read all the way and hit it again.

Results in white below:


He shows AA and I win a very healthy pot. I absolutely hate his flat call preflop from EP there, but if I'm raising with AK or AQ then he would be in good shape. He grumbled a bit in the chat about it but I just gave him a 'ty' and left it at that.

I like your raise especially if you have a tight image. 88 UTG is raise or fold to me. However, i bet out the flop but just call if raised since there is no flush draw, he will not likely be raising for a free card so you can checkraise him on the turn. In this case, I wouldn't slow down at all putting in bets. If he has KK on the turn or 56 on the river, so be it, I'm giving him 4 bets then.

88 UTG? Yeah, i think its a marginal raising situation-- Atta tight table, First-to-enter a pot (UTG included) Is almost as good of a steal position as the button, when everyone folds around.

As far as the AA play, ill say this:- if you raise in a multi player table, and i flat call you from the CO (meaning im the next person to put in money behind you)- there is only one hand that i will ever have, and that is AA.

I dont mind his flat call, especially at a tight table, because aces are strong enough that they can face a field of more than one opponent. If he had kings, id say he was an idiot. Aces...meh... Im pretty shure that my practice of doing that makes $ in the long run- not that i dont kick myeslf once innawhile when I get evicserated by 2-5 sooooooted.

Of course, you snapped him off pretty good. He underplayed his hand early, and overplayed it when it got expensive, and it was YOU who slowed down finally! I mean jeez, after the 4th turn bet, just what did he think you had? KT? Christ. Nice hand.

Yeah, had I not hit the 8 on the flop I'd have bet it but then let it go if there was any significant action. The last thing I wanna do is have a board of 742 and 3 guys seeing the river when an overcard hits.

I actually thought it was weird for A-A to put in that river raise until I realized that you raised preflop, check-called a weak flop, and then came alive on the turn when a king fell. I'm 100% sure that A-A put YOU on A-K (like Nortonesque said) and that is why he continued to raise you on the river. This is where taking your game to the "next level" (what do your opponents think you have?) could really pay off.