Minimum Raising at Poker Tables

October 12, 2008

When it comes to poker, there are only a few people who know what the best way is to play the game. One of those experts is Daniel Negreanu. Negreanu has a way of playing poker that is unlike any other – and most people think that is way is not the best way. However, you can’t argue with the number of wins that the man has.

Negreanu has recently come under mild fire for disagreeing with the idea that it is never correct to raise the minimum amount in no limit Hold’em. He says that you should never say never when it comes to poker hands because there are things that will work in the strangest of places.

He says that he teaches his student that sometimes the poker game warrants the raise – it just depends. He says that although it is not the preferred approach – there are two instances where it is warranted.

He says that when you are playing heads-up the min raise helps you play more hands in the position of being dealer than when you are not. He says that you can also use it when the raise will represent a significant portion of your chip stack or the person you are playing against. This will force your opponent to do the same.

So depending on your position in the poker game, and who your opponents are, Negreanu says that sometimes it is helpful. However, not all poker games will call for it, so it should be used sparingly.