Minimum raising preflop online

[k3nt]

DON'T DO IT. JUST DON'T DO IT.

Yes Sklansky and Miller's new book recommends it occasionally. IIRC, their example hand is something like Ax suited. The section in the book suggests that in that type of situation, you have effectively "doubled the stakes." And yes, I suppose it makes sense, if everybody has $1000 in a $1/2 game, it's going to be tough to stack anybody in an unraised pot. So if you minimum raise, you double the stakes. If you minimum raise and happen to hit a nut flush against another decent hand, the amount you will win probably doubles. Your initial risk doubles but so does your payoff. So yeah, you've effectively doubled the stakes.

But online, situations where a significant number of players have 300xBB or 500xBB or more -- just doesn't happen often. If and when it does, then sure, think about what Miller and Sklansky say. But 99.9999% of the time, just forget it. It doesn't apply online.

Online, if you minimum raise with Axs, you have not "doubled the stakes." You have only made a raise that gives information about your hand, folds nobody, and lowers your implied odds.

Comments...?

[iceman5]

90% of min raises online are Axs or a smallish pair. If someone min raises and goes berzerk when a flush hits, I WILL NOT pay them off because its too obvious.

Ive been wondering for a year now if there was a book somewhere that said to min raise with Axs because SOOOOOOO many people do it. It doesnt work. Sklansky is a moron as far as Im concerned.

Also, alot of the time when I see someone min raise, I will flat call with a big ace because they wont want to fold their A6s when an ace flops. I will also reraise rather large with lots of hands if Im in position because they will usually fold their Axs and if they have a small pair, they have to fold almost every flop unless they hit a set.

[AlexMR]

I reraise min raisers with position with almost any playable hand and they either fold right there or to the CB.

Sometimes they go nuts and push all in and in that case you know is a moron with AA or KK, giving you a cheap and easy lay down with AJ or even QQ.

Some people DO minraise preflop with those hands...at least at NL$50.

[DaHitDogg]

I tried to think of a time when a min-raise is a good idea, but couldn't. Against observant opponents you would have to do it sometimes with big hands that you would 3-bet or trap with or, like Ice said, it's easy to put you on a hand. I do like do it in position in PLO, but that's a different story altogether.

[Aisthesis]

[hard2tel]

[iceman5]

[adamh]

[shamdonk]

[SNGfan]

I will admit, I was a min-raiser.

As most of you know I recently started playing NL and Im doing ok vs the usual fish in my $5 game. In an attempt to elevate my game I bought the NL book that was mentioned. I did get a few good ideas to help me understand the game but I did get a few bad ones too. I thought after first reading the min raise section that I would be the man.

After posting a few hands for discussion on this board I was eventually corrected. In fact Stoneburg gave me my choice of punishment if I ever did it again.

I now use the 4+1 rule. Its not the best but it beats what I was doing.

I will stick to the ABC style of poker as that is getting me 18 PTBB/100

[hard2tel]

[SNGfan]