by Felonius_Monk » Tue Mar 14, 2006 4:24 pm
My thinking behind that is that a) I don't want to give myself the opportunity to make a big mistake on the flop; by putting in, say $65 preflop on a $100 table, that makes a $130 pot with $35 left to bet. Even if your opponent flops a set and puts you in, you likely aren't making a mistake by calling (or pushing yourself, if first to act) yet, on the flipside, you may be able to make him mistakenly fold a few hands if you get chance to bet it yourself (even ones which might have more than enough equity to call, such as a single pair or most gutshots, or a relatively weak hand like 1 or2 pair that you semi-bluff out of it on a single-suit flop).
b) I don't mind putting in the majority of my stack when I know for sure I'm ahead (typically no more than 60-40, but against some hands, notably ones which I have blocked or semi-blocked (like ones containing an ace, lower flush draws to the one I hold etc) it might be more than that)
and c) I dramatically reduce the implied odds for my opponent, which can sometimes be a powerful tool when playing against a re-raise preflop (for instance, I sometimes relax my calling requirements against some opponents preflop if they make a re-raise and there's money left behind, say they get $30 in on a $100 table, I'll see the flop with a wide variety of hands, because the opponent will be very transparent and easy to play against, I know the likely types of flops I can bluff on, I know when a relatively mediocre flop makes me favourite or +EV to get to the felt with him on the flop, and I'm not likely to be surprised very often by what he flips up; wacky sets or straights coming from seemingly out of nowhere are unlikely as I know two of his cards are aces. Even though he's got 30% of his stack in as a slight favourite, the energy of the hand lies with me because I have a huge advantage for the remaining 70% of our stacks we have to play with, especially if I hold position).
The Monkman J[c]
"Informer, you no say daddy me snow me Ill go blame,
A licky boom boom down.
Detective mon said daddy me snow me stab someone down the lane,
A licky boom boom down." - Snow, 1993