These are hypothetical hands, and, while they really should be pretty standard, I just haven't had them since re-entering the cash game arena. So, just wanted some expert opinions from you guys (also related closely imo to the whole "aggression factor" discussion we've been having). I'll just assume .50/1 game with $100 stacks.

Let's say you have KQo in MP 4-handed and a flop of K with 2 rags. Pot is $4 and EP or early MP bets $4 at you. Raise here to about $12 for information?

Now, on KJ (I have had hands like KT in this situation, which I just have been laying down) what do you do? As I recall, my old habit was to flat call with KJ, but, honestly, I wonder if the best move isn't to just lay it down, unless you have players in front who are playing K7 or such. Then, I think KJ is probably also raisable for the same.

Anyhow, the habit of players at my current game is to just flat call all the way through, but I don't like that at all. I don't have a problem betting TP decent kicker to no heat, but my current philosophy is pretty much: Find out immediately whether your kicker is good, whether they may have 2 pair or whatever, and then proceed accordingly on these things (basically, if my raise is then called, I'm planning on just checking the turn. I've shown about as much strength there as I care to. I'll probably still call a really weak river bet, but that's about it).

If you think you may have your own kicker issues going on, just lay them down in position without losing anything but your limp.

So, I guess what I'm basically saying here is: Raise the thing (healthy but not huge) or just lay it down.

Anyone have strong opinions as to whether this is good or bad?

I rather think this will make decent money on the hands in question, and it also sets up a similar raise on sets if you're playing against the same people regularly.

I think with KQ you need to raise the flop. There was no raise preflop, so the likelihood of AK is very remote. However, I don't like putting myself in these situations. Why not raise the hand preflop? By doing so you accomplish a couple things.

1. Narrow the range of hands your opponents can hold (ESPECIALLY the blinds)
-I hate playing this hand knowing the blinds hands are random. With a raise, you can often rule out 2 pair type hands depending on flop texture.

2. Taking control of the pot preflop often gets you to a headsup situation. Essentially, giving you a 66% chance of winning the pot with a flop bet. The downside is investing extra money in pots with marginal holdings. Obviously, this doesn't work well in calling station environments like you have described in some other posts.

As far as the flop play is concerned; I play this hand differently depending on the opponent.

1. Against LAG types, I like to call and keep the pot size as small as possible and read his play on the turn. Often times, he will bluff off his chips. The better LAGS might shut down on the turn. If he checks the turn, I will bet the pot. By doing so, you set yourself up to win some pots with positional bets later on. (By showing a solid hand here, you will gain repsect for positional bets later on)

2. Against TAG players, there is nothing wrong with raising for information. However, if he isn't the type to limp with AK what can he hold here that beats your KQ? He doesn't have 2 pair. The main question is whether he will bet into an unraised pot with a set. This is a "know your player" situation.

3. Against your average opponent. I think raising/calling are both profitable options. I don't like folding hands like KJ/KT here to a single bet when you have the positional advantage. If you are going to meekly fold these marginal situations quit playing those hands. The flop doesn't get a lot better than this one for those type hands without being a "dream" flop.

wsaul

I don't think I'd play KJ for TP value without a read - when you have KQ and someone bets, you're basically hoping they have KJ. So when you have KJ, what are you hoping they have?

I don't think this necessarily means you shouldn't play KJ ad KT - you get flush value, straight value, you get money against drawers, and you get money against players you have a read on.

I think I just call with KQ if there are players to act behind me. Otherwise, I usually raise (but call aggressive players down).

Yeah, the straight and flush value were also things I was thinking about. Moreover, KJ looks a lot better when you hit the J as TP rather than the K--hoping for QJ or JT rather than AJ.

At these hyper-loose tables, I almost wonder if one should even bother with KJo, though, maybe just try KJs with decent position.

What I can actually hope for against some players on KJ, though, is K6 UTG, believe it or not. I do think that kind of looseness makes KJ actually raisable, although just decent TP with 6 players in the hand scares me a bit, even if I do think I have them outkicked most of the time.

You may also run into someone who has bottom two or such, but I figured that it's around 2% only that you flop 2 pair, so the risk should be fairly low even with 6 players in--and I'd still like to know what I'm getting into. Oh, one other advantage to the raise is that if there's a player behind you with some kind of draw, a raise makes his odds absolutely horrible (which isn't necessarily to say that he won't play it, but it makes it tough). I'd almost say that the situational question (to be determined by reads) is: Do you more often than not have the best kicker here? Usually, you can really only be fairly confident of that with KQo in an unraised pot.

I agree wholeheartedly that you really need some kind of handle on the field here.

You're playing 4-handed. RAISE

He could easily have Kx s here.

If you are going to lay this down on the flop, why even call it preflop.

You're playing 4-handed. RAISE

He could easily have Kx s here.

If you are going to lay this down on the flop, why even call it preflop.