Approach Eight: A Hybrid Flexible Raising Approach
Pros: Adapts to constantly changing tournament and table conditions.
Cons: Difficult for inexperienced players to properly change their plan.
The flexible approach combines all the best features of the other systems, and allows the thinking, experienced player to make a variety of plays suitable for the current conditions. This style requires a lot of experience, but once mastered, enables the expert player to control the table to their advantage.
Some of the variables that can be used to determine raise sizes:
1) Limpers (or raisers) in the pot first. The typical rule for raising with limpers is a standard raise, plus one big blind for each limper. This is not a bad rule, but it needs to be flexible based on the raiser's objective. If the point is to build a big pot with several players, a smaller raise might be in order. To isolate and hopefully get all in against one opponent, a larger raise is often necessary.
2) Activity at the table (passive, or perhaps very active with lots of raises and reraises). This is largely a feel thing. If there have been several big pots recently, especially with mediocre hands, it may be an indication that the table is ready to gamble. This is common in the early levels of rebuy tournaments. Here, even oversized raises may get action, but small raises are treated almost as limps, with several players making overcalls. At passive tables, a small raise can result in a heads up pot.
3) Table image (how active they have been in the last few hands or orbits). If you have been in a lot of pots recently, consider whether you have shown down good hands, or have been winning pots without showdown. Your raises may not get the respect they deserve, and might need to be larger as a result. On the other hand, a quiet player can get away with a small raise as described in "approach two."
4) Hand strength. As described in approaches one and two, there are various reasons to change raise sizes based on hand strength. Mixing hand strength in with all the other variables described here is the best overall approach.
5) Position. The amount of action desired can be a consideration. With more players to act behind you, the chances of getting action increase. Therefore, a larger raise is necessary if you want to limit the field, while a smaller raise might earn you a reraise, so you can then get a 4bet in. Position raises, most common in cash games, can also be used in early and middle stages of tournaments to take advantage of better position. A position raise might also be used by a late position player to "buy the button," by getting later players to fold, and gaining the right to act last postflop. Finally, when raises are all in, position is no longer a concern, since there are no postflop decisions.
6) Stage of the tournament. Early rounds, middle rounds, bubble play, and late rounds all have slightly different optimal playing styles.
7) Speed of the tournament. Slow live tournaments require more deliberate play, while turbo online tournaments require fast play and many quick double ups. In the faster tournament, you should be more inclined to make the big plays, willing to risk elimination in order to rapidly increase your stack.
Discussion of the flexible raising theory continues in part four.
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