Multiple Pre-Flop questions 1/2 NL

[Keigo]

I have pocket 8’s on the Button. There are 6 Limpers, do I raise here? My guess is yes because I have position, but equally if I hit a set with a bunch of people in, it could be really lucrative. Any help with my strategy here?

I have JJ mid-position and UTG+2 just raised it, should I raise him here? 4 more people left to go after me. I think yes because I have position, but I do like just calling and playing the flop.

I look at KJos in the HJ, someone raised, not sure who, is it profitable to be calling here?

Thanks everyone for your time and advice!

[David Wibel]

1. Yes, you want to raise. Imagine not hitting you set and just one over card comes when 8 people called… you are very rarely good. Make it like 10-12BB and evaluate later streets.

2. JJ are one of those border 3-bet hands. I would raise here to keep the number of callers down but a call is fine.

3. It’s worth a call. Just evaluate each street. Sure sometimes you are dominated but it is quite possible hitting top pair is good, just don’t try for 3 streets of value with just top pair.

[John S]

I pretty much agree with David on all of these.

Hand 1: Absolutely raise. There is profit in attacking dead money to drive out weak hands, and there is profit in playing a less multiway pot. Put in a big raise and try to take it down now.

Hand 2: This really depends on who is raising. If this is a super tight player, an OMC, or something like that, I probably just call since chances are they have overcards or overpairs. If it’s a player that raises a lot, I definitely raise here and put pressure on them.

Hand 3: Same as above. This is a fold to a tight player since you’re often dominated if they’re only raising QQ+ or AK. Against a player with a looser open you can certainly call. If this was suited I would pretty much always call one pre-flop raise and evaluate.

[Matt Petermann]

1. I would raise 100% of the time in this situation. Acting as a squeeze play, you drive out hands like JTo and other middling hands that may have limped. With so many other people in the hand it is important to get them to fold so you can deny them equity from hitting an over card (a very likely scenario given how many people are in the hand and any A down to 9 that could create a tough situation). By doing this, you’re also protecting your own equity since more often than not you will not hit a set as you are drawing to a two-outer. As mentioned earlier, 10-12 BB is a good sized raise here that should really close up the opponents’ ranges.

2. Tough spot with this many people left to act after you. With a middling hand like this it really depends on what the table dynamic looks like. Against loose players you will be good most of the time and can raise. With a tight table it’s probably best to flat as an UTG+2 raise will be suited broadways and over pairs a good chunk of the time so a 3-bet may well result in facing a 4-bet.

3. Similar situation in the last one but being close to the button I would raise most of the time. Even a very tight player will have under pairs a lot of the time in which case you are flipping and a raise can get them to fold and deny them equity. With position my general rule of thumb is to play aggressively and raise with a wider range.

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