Poker Articles

Raising - Part 1
By Lou Krieger

This is the first in a two-article series on raising. Knowing when, and under what circumstances to raise is part of a tool bag of strategic ideas that can be used anytime during a game. Think of raising as part of an arsenal of poker weapons. Once you've acquired them, all you need do is determine which strategic concept is best employed in any given situation, and you'll be well on your way to being a significantly better poker player.

The question of when, and whether to raise is a strategic decision unrelated to the stage of the hand you're playing. You can contemplate raising at any point during a hand. Sometimes you'll want to raise with that pair of kings you've been dealt before the flop. Other times you'll wait until the turn or river and fire out a raise when you've made your straight or flush.

Players handle raising in a variety of ways -- from overly cautious, to overly aggressive, to downright maniacal. And while there are exceptions to every rule, let's see if we can build a strategy that is correct for most of the situations you're likely to encounter at the table.

Why Raise?

Raising is one of poker's eternal enigmas. Some players love to fire in raise after raise. The more action they create, the happier they are -- never mind whether their cards justify it. Others never raise unless they're holding the nuts, and even then it's done with trepidation.

I've seen some players who will raise from early position with a hand like As-8s, believing that any suited ace is a powerhouse. Other players routinely raise in early position with hands like K-J or even Q-J. Some players always raise with Big Slick. Others, far fewer in number, treat A-K like any other drawing hand, and just call with it.

Some players will raise with any pair of sevens or higher, and they'll do it from any position, regardless of the game's texture. Others never raise with aces when they're in the blind, for fear of giving away too much information about their hand.

Who's right? When should you raise, and why should you do it? To generate a plan of action, we need to explore the reasons players raise.

Here are five reasons to raise the pot in hold'em. Let's look at each of them.

• Raising To Get More Money In the Pot

  What's the most common reason for raising? This one! You've got a powerhouse hand. Someone bets, there are three callers, and it's your turn to act. What do you do? You raise. Of course! You're holding the probable winner and want more money into the pot, since that pot figures to migrate over to your stack of chips once the hand has been concluded.

  Getting more money in the pot is the most common reason players raise. But you don't always have to hold the best hand to raise. Suppose you're on the button with Ad-Kd and the flop is Jd-9d-6c. It's a loose game. The blind comes out betting and is called by 4 others. Now it's your turn to act. You're getting 5:1 on your money, and with two cards to come the odds against making the nut flush are better than 2:1. Since this bet has a positive expectation, it is worth money each time you make it regardless of whether you win that particular time.

  Since that's the case, go ahead and raise. You might as well make as much as you can when you're lucky enough to hit your hand.

• Raising To Eliminate Opponents

  You've got a pair of queens. You're in fifth position and no one has called the blinds. Your pair of queens will play better against one or two opponents than a whole slew of them. Fire when ready. Go ahead and raise.

  But it's not always that simple. Suppose you've got that same pair of queens, but now you're in fifth position, and the player to your immediate right raises. What should you do? Fire away! Make it three bets. If your opponent is the type who would raise with aces, kings, jacks or A-K, A-Q, A-J, K-Q, K-J or maybe even A-10s, the odds are against him having a pair bigger than yours. They favor his holding two big cards. Go ahead and reraise. If the flop doesn't produce any cards higher than your queens, you're the favorite.

  If two overcards fall, you're probably an underdog, and ought to give it up if your opponent bets into you. If just one overcard falls and just the two of you are contesting the pot, its a judgment call, and unless you've got a terrific read on your opponent, you'll seldom be sure where you stand.

  If he's clever, and tries for a checkraise by checking the flop and turn, go ahead and check behind him. If he bets the river, you're going to call him anyway, but you've also given him an opportunity to bluff with a hand which is worse than your pair of queens, so calling is not that bad an option.

  But if you bet and he checkraises on the turn, you're probably beaten. Fold.

  Any time you've got a hand that plays better against fewer, rather than many opponents, raise or reraise to limit your opposition.

• Raising To Get a Free Card on a More Expensive Street

  You're last to act with a Q-J. The flop was 10-9-4 of mixed suits and you're facing three opponents. The player who is first to act bets, and is called by the others. Can you raise? Sure! If the turn card is not the king or eight you're looking for, the fact that you raised may enable you to see the next card for free, as long as the bettor and subsequent callers each check. And if you make a straight, well, you've gotten more money in a pot -- that by all appearances will soon belong to you.

  The second and final article in this series continues to explore the whys and wherefores of raising. You'll learn about raising to define your hand, and when to raise to prevent your opponent from getting a free card. As always, we'll summarize the lessons learned in these two articles. Until then, keep flopping aces.