[frob23]

In live cash games at low limits (like the $1/$2 NL mentioned above)... the standard raise is insanely small if you expect any fold equity. It's not uncommon to see someone raise 10xBB UTG and get 3-4 callers anyway. Less than that, and you're begging for a flop with 5+ people.


I do not use the standard raise... although I am aware of it. I raise 2.5-5 times the big blind if I am first to enter. And I typically follow the standard raise (although a bit on the larger side) if there is only one limper I might be doing 5-6xBB. When there are 2 or more limpers, I am raising much stronger. In the range of 150%-175% of the pot... on top of what I am already calling.

For 50/100 with 3 limpers when it got to me... pot of 450, 100 for my call... I am raising 850 more than my call... so I'm betting 950 there (9.5xBB). As it is... 6xBB (the standard raise) is just not enough to move people off the hand. When it comes back to the first limper, assuming everyone else folds, it will be 500 more but the pot would be 1,050... a little better than 2-1. Those aren't great odds but one of those 3 limpers might be willing to take them -- and if one does the next has even more reason to.

With my raise, it's 850 more... for 1,400 or about 1.6-1 pot odds... a bit less inviting. They're going to have to want to play their hand. Of course, in tournaments where the stacks aren't deep enough... the standard raise or even less might be all you can make before someone involved is pot-committed. But if you're playing 200xBB or deeper, the big raise is important to both clear people out and to reduce the implied odds as well. It can be more important to raise larger if you're playing very small limits. If I am playing 20/50cNL live (yes we do play this with a $100 min-buy in at times)... I am going to need to raise more just because people respect the money less. A larger bet lets them know I am serious about this hand.

Edit: position also matters. If I am 4th to act after 3 limpers... that is different from being on the button. In the first case, I also have to worry about the players who haven't acted yet... so I want to raise more to discourage them. They might call a standard raise expecting at least 1-2 callers from the blinds and early limpers (yeah, low-limit online people play like this... it's bad but they do). On the button, a raise closer to the standard raise makes more sense because I have fewer people to go through. Still, I prefer larger raises.