by Aisthesis » Sat Feb 23, 2008 12:03 pm
This is an idea I just had stemming in part from the article redhouse linked (sorry, don't have it) about 4bet/pushing AXs against a light re-raiser.
Anyhow, suppose LP raises your blind. Well, this is a very wide range, including lots and lot of very weak hands, often AX. In the past, I've often been calling with AXs, but I think that's rather leaky, as you're getting yourself in trouble with questionable kickers, the X is only relevant in exceptional cases, and the flush draw is nice but happens a bit too rarely.
So, I was thinking AXs with X<T might be a good hand to re-raise. My other point of departure is game-theory, which says that your bluff-re-raises should be the top end of your fold hands. Well, I'm thinking that ATs, etc. are perfectly acceptable call hands because they put villain in the pot often with a dominated hand and all the problems that go with that.
And if you re-raise here (I really prefer a quantity that forces villain to push or fold rather than draw to anything--20% of stack is usually about right, although it's probably a bit much if you're deep) with A2s-A9s, TT+ and AK, that gives a pretty decent proportion of very strong hands to hands that are really a bit dubious for a call (ok, A9s could probably be called with profitably, too, but I feel like ATs is a little more secure).
Thoughts?