Another tip for beginners

[pirates831]

Just fold the button when you have crap. Seriously. 58o doesn't cut it. Just because you watch pros and hear them talk about playing position all the time doesn't make it a good move to raise with that.

Just watched a donk due it at a $2/$4 LHE table at Bodog. Guy checkcalled his c-bet with a pair of aces and he had to shut it down and lost money he didn't have to.

[Poker Orifice]

In MTT play, some of the regs. are calling 'utg' the new 'button' and are actually raise-stealing from utg. Sounds ludicrous (and not recommended for beginners, lol).... but might have some merit to it??? Maybe I'll try it out next time I wake up with my signature hand >>> K4o (<-- not suited, obviously).

[Alnoble]

Raising UTG does now look like a steal but I would say only at higher stakes table or large buy in tournaments. At the micro level it generally means a good hand in my experiance.

I always have the nuts when I raise UTG

[pirates831]

i am much more leery of a limp UTG ... to me a raise UTG is a guy panicking, knowing the blinds are going to hit him the next two hands - at least in a tournament. the guy is basically deciding not to get blinded out and play his UTG hand rather than his BB hand.

[willie beaman]

Playing from the button does have its advantages, but I would take into consideration the type of game that is being played as well as your image and the image of your opponents. Though I do not like to speculate about hands in examples with lack of complete information, limit hold em ring games are probably the worst spot to apply this strategy since the blinds are getting goods odds to call and occasionally will have a hand. Applying this move too often will definately get your stack punished, especially when everyone at the table knows it's coming.