big hole cards--few players

[Gary Frates]

When I have big cards like KK or AA in late position and only about 3 players are left, when I raise they ususally fold, so I guess I want them around most of the time (the two blinds and the button) and should just limp.

This is at .50/1.00, $1/2, or $2/4. If I go down two .25/.50, they just stick around anyway and oftentimes go to the river and draw out on my big cards.

What do people think the stategy in this situation would be(say there are no reads on the remaining players)?

[edfurlong]

I'd suggest raising when you have aces or kings, perhaps some other hands as well.

[Le Sug]

Just loosen up - if they fold to your raises raise much more often.

[Zele]

You should almost never purposely take the flop for just the BB with AA or KK. If you limp or overlimp, you should be doing so with the expectation that the pot will be raised behind you, so you can reraise.

If your raises are getting to much respect, you need to start raising with a wider range of non-AA or KK hands.

[T-God]

When I read the title I thought you were talking about large playing cards, and maybe that because of their size you could only fit so many people at the table. Needless to say, I was dissapointed by the content.

[LouisCyphre]

A significant advantage of raising pre-flop with AA/KK is that you build a pot in a hand where you are a big favorite.

[SocalHoldEem]

You just notice those annoying situations alot. Don't think it always happens

[mgobluefb]

Don't limp AA or KK preflop.

[Gary Frates]

Zele-
Good point about reraising.

I usually don't stay at a table long enough for people to see me raise with a wider range of hands such as say JTs or QJs or J9s and go all the way to the river for them to see my cards.

But maybe I should try that purposely. I'm afraid I'd waste a lot of money doing this even though I know that people play this way.

[Zetack]

[ QUOTE ]
When I have big cards like KK or AA in late position and only about 3 players are left, when I raise they ususally fold, so I guess I want them around most of the time (the two blinds and the button) and should just limp.

This is at .50/1.00, $1/2, or $2/4. If I go down two .25/.50, they just stick around anyway and oftentimes go to the river and draw out on my big cards.

What do people think the stategy in this situation would be(say there are no reads on the remaining players)?

[/ QUOTE ]

For limping to be profitable here what you need is the remaining players to have hands that are so weak that they will not call a raise, but strong enough the they will limp in turn (of course you'll get the BB to come along) but that may hit enough of the flop to pay you some more money later in the hand but that won't suck out on you.

That's a pretty small range of hands, IMO. If they have garbage PF, they're probably folding to your flop bet unless they hit big anyway.

Just make your raise. Sometimes it'll look like a steal and you'll get a lot of action from a weakish hand.

Picking up the blinds, seems to me, to be much preferable to allowing the blinds to get a chance at miracle flops for cheap/free.

Also, you lose a lot of equity when you have an opponent or two who will call a raise with their A-9 or T-T or whatever but you just limped in.

--Zetack