How Much to Bet?
In the chart above, S&M have arranged the hands into groups. Each grouping has different rules to follow. S&M put forth a general guideline that is still in use today, and makes great sense.
Generally speaking, for group 1 and 2 hands, you want to raise 4 bets pre-flop. In No-Limit, this means 4x the big blind. Group 3 hands you want to raise 1 bet, just to eliminate the riff-raff, or enrich the pot.
I would say, group 4 to 6, I would look at your position, and how much they are asking to see the flop.
Group 7&8 you ONLY want to limp-in, and mostly, ONLY from LATE position. I don’t know about ONLY playing 7’s and 8’s from late position, but ANYWHERE you play them, you need to play them with DISCIPLINE.
Assuming you limped it in with only paying the big blind, you need to know to FOLD if you do not hit a 4-card flush draw, trips, or 2 pair. DISCIPLINE. Do not chase ANYTHING but the flush. If everyone just checks it around, then yeah, stay in the hand, but definitely don’t call a raise.
There are correct ways to play the top hands, and you NEED to know how to play them in order to get the value you deserve from them. They are rare, and hopefully, if you get them, you will get some sucker that lets you double or triple up with them.
You need to KNOW YOUR TABLE. If you are playing an SNG, and you get AA and raise a 15 blind to 75 and get zero callers, then the game is pretty darn tight. You will need to remember that for later. But, if you raise the 75 with AA, and get 5 callers, you obviously undershot and have a good chance at losing.
In a real money game, with $.50 blinds, I’ve seen everyone fold to a $2, but 6 people call to a $1. Sometimes, with the better hands, you just end up eating the blinds. Which is just fine later in an SNG game when the blinds are up there. In a ring game where the blinds stay the same, you don’t want to make only $0.75 every time you get AA.
You need to know your table and see how much money to get callers, and how much to get folders. Hopefully, you won’t be dealt any of these group 1’s or 2’s until a few hands in so you can get a feel of how tight, or loose, the table is. Generally, at a $6 SNG, the table is pretty loose. For a 75-chip bet, you will usually get 2 or 3 callers, which is just fine.
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