Age old discussion- The mini raise!

[George2Loose]

OK so the more I play the more I"m starting to believe the mini raise is a GOOD thing.

Despite hating it at first- I keep finding that mini raising helps:

1) Find out where you"re at in a hand at the cheapest price
2) Induce a bluff or a shove when someone holds a marginal hand.

I tend to mini raise now either when I have a weak hand but think I may be ahead (middle pair) or when I have the nuts.

What do APATers think about this??? Obviously on a draw heavy board it can be a dangerous proposition. Thoughts please?

[kinboshi]

It has its uses.  Especially if it winds people up and causes them to make a mistake on that hand or further down the line.

Can be obvious that you have a hand though when you don"t min-raise (after you have been), and you"re trying to give your opponent the wrong odds to call for his draw.

[George2Loose]

Wow didn"t realise there was a hand analysis section.

I agree Daniel- finding the right time to use it is difficult. I keep getting slapped by people mini raising me. Probably because I bluff too much!!!

[Mutantbuddy]

So what amount constitutes a mini raise then ?

[CrizzyConnor]

So what amount constitutes a mini raise then ?

Double whatever the bet/blind is...

[Mutantbuddy]

Thanks I was just unclear on the term.
I play on low limit tables and micro limit tables most of the players on those tables call down to the river anyway.Needless to say I don"t but do find a lot of stuff gets drawn out on the river.Its all learning as I "m only a year into poker and loving it.

[UKChamp]

I am a big fan of the min-raise.

The keys issues for me being how my specific opponent at that time will view them. People generally fall into two catagories, they either fear them as pot building or call them always by virtue of pot odds.  Obviously once you have put people in their respective boxes this is a good tool to either extract chips or push people off pots for cheap.

As with all things poker, its about circumstance and the texture of the play leading up, but I am definatley a user of the mighty min-raise!

I dont get all the fuss with it being a donk move. But then again I just maybe a donk. EAAW

[Swinebag]

It has its uses.  Especially if it winds people up and causes them to make a mistake on that hand or further down the line.

Thats me! (though i dont get wound up) pre flop, i will always call or reraise a min raise if I"m on BB. probably another leak in my game

[deanp27]

minraises really wind me up normally, especially preflop. But that"s me - i am easily wound up these days lol.

[ThePiranha]

i often find that mini raisers will easily fold to a reraise if of course they arent priced in. It usually gives away they have like an Ax kind of hand, normally i will shove in over the top to these kind of raisers with any pair or any big ace.

Sometimes if i also ave a big ace i will smooth call, let them try and serve and volley and shove in over the top, i found that it helps me to hoover up some easy chips, so unless i can use it to manipulate a donkey kind of player, i will never ever min raise

[Swinebag]

minraises really wind me up normally, especially preflop. But that"s me - i am easily wound up these days lol.

Me too. Its a real leak in my game. When in BB or button, I will always call a mini raise with ATC or reraise with marginal junk.

[kinboshi]

minraises really wind me up normally, especially preflop. But that"s me - i am easily wound up these days lol.

Me too. Its a real leak in my game. When in BB or button, I will always call a mini raise with ATC or reraise with marginal junk.

Isn"t that the point of a min-raise.  To annoy you (not you in particular of course, I meant the other players in general)?  I need to introduce them into my repertoire.

[Swinebag]

cant believe i"ve posted something on different days that says basically the same thing.

need to dig out those paul mckenna tapes before cardiff

"fold" "fold" "fold"

"now try a min raise.... go on... just one... you might like it..."

[Jon MW]

I never particularly used min raises before, but I"m being daring by adding 2 situations in my game to min raise.

Very late in a tournament - especially around times where the money is going up, I"ve found that with the blinds so high a min raise can be the minimum needed to force other players to fold.

When you have a mega hand on the river   this is my favourite. If anybody else has bet before you then a min raise virtually forces them to call. Obviously if I think they"ll call a bigger raise I"ll go for it, but a min raise is good for extracting an extra bet out of otherwise rock like players.

[hi_am_chris]

Depends on the standards of the players at your table, i use the mini raise often with the nuts and like other players have said they dont show it any respect and people seem to go over the top of my raise time and time again