Ultimate Holdem Strategy - Preflop Raising Hands
April 22nd, 2012 at 12:52:04 PM
permalink
Thank you so much for the Ultimate Holdem strategy guide, in the time that I have been using it the results of my game have already improved greatly.
In reviewing the return table for starting hands, a question has come up. Of all the hands that have a positive EV, there are three which are not raised pre-flop:
Hand EV
9/10 suited .205485
8/10 suited .075411
8/9 suited .051069
And 5 of the preflop hands actually have a negative value:
Hand EV
6/Q suited -.006074
6/K suited -.020774
8/Q suited -.069429
2/K suited -.074507
5/K suited -.117582
Why would certain hands with a positive EV not be raised pre-flop while other hands with a negative EV be raised? Shouldn't all of the positive EV hands be raised before the flop?
In reviewing the return table for starting hands, a question has come up. Of all the hands that have a positive EV, there are three which are not raised pre-flop:
Hand EV
9/10 suited .205485
8/10 suited .075411
8/9 suited .051069
And 5 of the preflop hands actually have a negative value:
Hand EV
6/Q suited -.006074
6/K suited -.020774
8/Q suited -.069429
2/K suited -.074507
5/K suited -.117582
Why would certain hands with a positive EV not be raised pre-flop while other hands with a negative EV be raised? Shouldn't all of the positive EV hands be raised before the flop?
April 22nd, 2012 at 1:11:10 PM
permalink
Whichever play has the highest EV is the better play. For example, with suited 9-10, the EV of raising is 0.185169 and the EV of checking is 0.205485. Therefore, checking is the better play.
Likewise, with 6-Q suited, the EV of raising is -0.006074 and the EV of checking is -0.028120, making raising the best play because you'll lose less in the long run by always raising with it.
Likewise, with 6-Q suited, the EV of raising is -0.006074 and the EV of checking is -0.028120, making raising the best play because you'll lose less in the long run by always raising with it.
April 22nd, 2012 at 1:14:06 PM
permalink
Its not a matter of whether a decision has a positive or negative EV, its a matter of which decision (in this case, checking or raising) provides the better EV. For the 9/10 suited condition, the 0.205485 EV that you quote is actually the EV of checking. The EV of raising with those cards is 0.185169. The EV of checking is greater than the EV of raising, so checking is the correct strategy.
If the question is WHY checking provides the better EV, I presume that much of the return from these starting cards comes from the possibility of making a straight or flush. If you wait, you can get an idea as to whether the straight or flush is developing before committing additional chips. The payoff is less, but the probability of winning once you commit is much greater if you delay.
If the question is WHY checking provides the better EV, I presume that much of the return from these starting cards comes from the possibility of making a straight or flush. If you wait, you can get an idea as to whether the straight or flush is developing before committing additional chips. The payoff is less, but the probability of winning once you commit is much greater if you delay.
