Having a little problem on nl4. I start with the minimum buyin of $2.00. I wait and wait for a premium hand thats listed in the shc. Im looking for aa, kk, ak, ak, qq, powerful hands like that. Lets go through a hypothetical situation.
Im utg +3, 2 players limp in front of me, I raise 4 times the big blind + 1 additional blind for the two limpers. I raise $0.24 in total. Lets say the button calls and one of the limpers calls. There is now $0.82 cents in the pot. Lets assume I started out the hand with $1.80, my raise leaves me with $1.56. I have ak. Flop comes out, its an ace, nine and a two. Rainbow flop and no straight draw possible. Looks like a pretty safe flop for me. Action is checked to me Im second to act. I bet two thirds of the pot lets say I bet $0.60 cents, the button folds but the early position caller calls. Im now scared to death, Im representing the ace but he still calls. I now have $0.94 cents left in my stack. The pot is now at $2.02. The turn comes lets say its a five. Still looks like a safe card for me. Im now pot committed I've commited almost half my stack to this pot. I think I may be beat at this point since the other player called my big bet. I can't check because my opponent will bet, I can either check/fold or I can bet the rest of my stack. I usually bet the rest. Im not usually up against two pair, usually the other player has a set and im drawing nearly dead. Lets say he had a set and I lost the hand.
Here are my questions.
1) Should I raise more preflop? If so how much?
2) Once I've hit my card on the flop, should I just move in?
In question 1 if I raise more preflop maybe I can get some of the players with small pairs to fold.
In question 2 my sss basically leaves me with a preflop raise, big bet after the flop, and the rest of my stack after the turn. Since most of my money is in the pot after the flop(preflop raise and bet after the flop) doesn't it make more sense just to move in after the flop. And if someone has me beat so be it. I know by doing that I will only get called with a better hand. But maybe someone will call me with aq, aj, qq, jj or 10,10 where I would have them in a dominating position.
The shc is great for hands to play but it has a drawback. That is your not going to improve your hand all that much. If I play with a big ace a pair of aces is probably going to be my finishing hand. If I play aa, kk, jj, or 10, 10 that hand will probably have to stand up for me to win the hand. I don't flop sets all that often.
Also one more question.
Im not sure what to do with aj or kq. Lets say you pick that hand up in very early position. Shc says to raise but those hands seem to get me into alot of trouble in early position. What do you think? Thanks for any help?
