Lust1. Raising marginal hands in early position

On the surface, this appears to be a beginner’s mistake, but time and time again I see experienced players raising with marginal hands in early position. How many times do you get a hand like A-J or K-Q suited under the gun and think to yourself ‘oh boy, first good hand I’ve had in an hour – got to play it’ and open the pot for a raise. Don’t lie to yourself. You know you do it. And you’re probably wondering what exactly is the problem? Well, when you act in early position with a marginal hand you face the dilemma of reacting to your opponents.