[Albert Moulton]

[ QUOTE ]
I never open limp any cards. It is just how I play.

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My guess is that you play on line instead of live, is that right?

Guys open limp all the time live without too much trouble.

For example, if you have a small pair UTG in a 50bb NL live game that sees relatively few preflop raises but lots of action post flop with any 2-pair, TPWK, and all draws, then a limp for set value is probably better than a raise. You get paid off fairly often when you hit, even though you are OOP. And if you raise, then you either c/f when you miss your set (bad, since the pfr was probably 10% of your stack), or else you c-b into a bunch of calling stations for 50% of your stack.

There are times and games for open limping. For example, I played 2/2 NL 100-max live yesterday for about 20 minutes while I was waiting for a 5/5 NL game to open. It was incredibly loose passive, with one bad LAG who could be counted on to raise with crap if he has any playable hand and no raise in front of him. I was UTG with AA. If I raised 4xbb, then I'd probably have 5-7 callers having to play a big pot OOP with my one pair. That might be OK, but I'd rather play heads up. So, I limp, it's limped to LAG (with about $40) who raises to 8, one caller, then back to me who bumps it to 28, folded to LAG who is the only caller. The flop is 8-high and semi-coordinated, LAG has only about 20 left, so I put him all in. And he folded. If I'd open raised, then I probably would have been multi-way, and very well might have lost $100 instead of winning about $35. And if I'd open raised too much, then I would have gotten no caller, most likely. The LAG, it turned out, had something like KJo which I think he would have folded if I'd opened for $10 or more. Of course, I find it funny that he'd have folded if I'd raised big, but felt compelled to call my limp rr for a larger amount. But that's the kind of guy he was.

Anyway, I think "it depends" is better than never. Although I don't see "never open-limping" as a leak if you play 100bb on-line games, especially short handed.