I've been posting a lot lately about some LAG phases, including loose LP raises. The criterion for the loose LP raises is for me somewhere around the time when your continuation bets are getting 70% or better folds.

What I've suggested is in that case to start raising all MP playable hands from LP, but maybe that's not the best way to go in terms of hand selection.

I do like suited connectors and all pairs here simply because you CAN flop something where you really want to play a big pot. Certainly less so with QJo (except a big straight), KJo, etc.

What my real question is here is whether under such conditions AXo is a better way to go than something like KJo, and I'm really not sure about what I think on this. I will say that I just don't like AXo much, but it's more of a prejudice than anything else. It just seems like it can go nowhere that's really secure this side of 2 pair, and 2 pair is already a pretty decent hand on 72o...

One advantage I see to AXo for loose raises in LP is that it's less likely that someone is getting ready to limp re-raise AA from EP simply because there are fewer aces floating around out there.

And I suppose it leaves KJo as just a nice limp hand for taking down a pot with a legit TP.

Another thing I don't like about it is that it would increase my hands played in LP during a loose phase from 37% (which is already pretty monstrous) to 44.5%.

The idea here would be keeping the loose raise on all suited connectors and PP, just adding in any ace rather than the strongish trouble hands.

This would also increase the LP raise percent from 16.1% (raising any playable MP hand) to a whopping 22.5%.

I still don't think I like this. That's just too many raises imo. I really tend to view the whole situation as something like this: By playing an enormously disciplined game for quite a while, you eventually gain the privilege of throwing in a LAG phase until you think they've caught on, then you switch back until you think they've caught on again, etc. As long as they HAVEN'T caught on, I think the LAG phase will actually be the most profitable per hand played.

So, my real case for not throwing AXo into the mix is that your loose raises are less frequent, hence it takes them longer to catch on.

I hope someone will make a stronger case for AXo, but I'm still just not convinced about this hand even for loose play at a full table. I think other loose moves make you less readable and increase the length of your successful LAG phases. Hopefully someone will disagree...

I think it is +EV to just raise with anything on the button if you are first in the pot. WITH ANYTHING. Especially if you have a tight image. At the CO it largely depends on the tightness of the button.

You raise with AXo on the button to win the pot BEFORE the flop. But even if you are called you have at least Ace-high.

You wrote: 'This would also increase the LP raise percent from 16.1% (raising any playable MP hand) to a whopping 22.5%.'. But you forgot that you only raise being FIRST in the pot, which is maybe the case in 25% of all pots. I would not raise with AXo or even call after an EP limper because the probability is high that he limped with AK-AJ.

Regards, MHFlush

The advantage of KJo vs AXo when you're the one raising is that you're far less likely to be dominated if you're called and have more outs. If an A flops and you have KJ and you get to put in a cont bet, then they're usually only calling if they have one...the value of AX, though, is that even if you miss the flop, and they hit it but still let you put a continuation bet...then they may still fold, or at least you have outs. If you're the first one in a pot in LP, then you're raising any A, most kings, and any playable hand from MP - that's just good strategy. But, I think that you're right that if your current numbers are just shy of 40% then someone's going to be picking up that you're stealing with vulnerable hands, and I'd start reraising from the blinds to slow you down...or trap.