Been lurking for a while, but this is my first post because I believe I've found a leak in my game and I want advice on plugging it. Any advice here is appreciated...

The question is, with what range of hands do you reraise out of the blinds? Specifically, I play NLH at low limits where very frequently 5+ players limp in. With what range of hands should I raise here? I obviously need a strong hand as I could get several callers, but how strong? And do you handle it differently in the small blind vs big blind? Thanks in advance...

When in the blinds i would suggest raising with the same hands you would raise with in early position. If there is 5 limpers then I would make a pretty large raise. Good rule of thumb would be 3x the bb + the amount of all the limpers. Example you have AQs in the sb, there have been 5 limpers, and the game is .25/.50. I would raise the 3x the bb ($1.50) plus ($2.50) for all the limpers. I would make it $4.00 in this case.

You ask about the difference between the small and big blinds. I would raise more frequently from the small blind, but would raise the same amounts for both.

Furthermore, you need to be raising to either thin the field, or make a larger pot. It has been discussed here many times, that sometimes the 3x BB raise will not get people to fold. So you need to find an amount that will get them to fold. If they keep calling your raises of 3x the BB, then try 4, then 5, ect.

The whole idea of raising out of the blinds with all these limpers is to take the pot down without a flop. This is not likely, but you are going to be out of position throughout the hand.

Most of the time in low-limit NLHE, I like to have tens or better when raising out of the blinds against multiple limpers. I'll sometimes raise it up with an AQ or 99, but that's about as weak as I personally like to go. When I raise, I'd ideally like to take it down without a fight or only have to face one or two callers, so I bet whatever I think will achieve that. Seems to have worked well for me over my poker career. Also, I think a large part of raising from the blinds is going to depend on your table image and your opponents.

Let me say this also...

I've run across opponents who like to frequently steal limped pots from the blinds with rather light holdings. When I come across them, the limp re-raise becomes a very helpful move - whether it's a real hand or a re-steal.

I am really from the Harrington school when it comes to this situation in low limits.

I will need AA-QQ to raise from the blinds, especially from the BB. SB however, I would also occasionally raise with JJ, AK or AQs.

Otherwise, you will run into two problems:
1) You will find yourself playing big pots out of position.
2)More often than not AK, AQ, or any drawing hand misses. Then you are forced to lead with your bluff continuation bet, or write off the hand right there with a check.

Also you are disclosing the strength of a hand that could be well hidden. Given that you did not raise pre-flop, check raise when you hit and take control of the hand.

That is helpful. Maybe the key isn't my hand selection to raise in this spot, but the amount of my raise. The games I play usually take substantially raises to drive everyone out, so I'll try jacking up the size of my raise. Thanks.

I dunno, how good are you at playing out of position?

I tend to raise from the blinds for one of two reasons.

1. I have a premium hand. KK or AA.

2. As a re-raise in an attempt to isolate the initial raiser who's a very, very, bad player.

That being said, calling a raise out of the blinds is a completely different story. To a standard raise from a loose player, I'll call a raise out of the blinds with any pp, any suited connector, any suited one gapper, any two 'big cards'.

To a standard raise from a tight player, I'll fold AQ, AJ, AK sometimes, KQ, KJ, pocket pairs 55-TT, most suited connectors (everything except 98s, T9s, and JTs, likely).

To a standarad raise from an unknown, probably about the same as the standard raise of a tight player, though I might pop it back one time to see how serious they were or to attempt and get a read on the villain.

The key is to have a purpose when calling a raise out of the blind, not just hoping to hit something. Same with raising the blinds.

In general I'm pretty confident playing out of position. This is a game I almost always beat (unless the deck is killing me). I'm usually the aggressor and post-flop aggression is what usually beats this game. Anyway, all that to say, I ok with playing out of position. But I guess the question I need to answer is, "what am I trying to accomplish with this raise?" That is what I struggle with with hands like AQs and 88-TT. Below that and I am willing to try and hit my hand, above that at this level should be auto-raise. It's those middling hands that look a lot sweeter than they taste that I've been struggling with.

Playing a hand like AQs for a raise is a shitty proposition. I don't mind calling a raise or trying to isolate with it, but, I really dont know that it's a hand that I want to be playing big pots OOP with.

Any pocket pair TT or lower should pretty much be played to hit a set out of the blinds and almost never for a raise.