midpocket pairs revisited

[amoeba]

about a year ago, I asked this forum whether limping say 55 is ok.

General consensus here was that this is a terrible play. a lot of people sited that it was easier to stack somebody in a reraised pot with a set, you keep initiative, etc....

But in this current state of mid stakes poker where there are liberal reraises preflop, and where we can't call a reraise just for setvalue but the stack size is such that its also very difficult to 4 bet, I ask again, is there any merit to limping midpocket pairs?

[LegallyBlind]

in a vacum i think it makes sense.

but im not a huge fan of the idea because anyone paying attention will be able to peg you for exactly what you have and just play you like a fiddle postflop. unless your going to start limping with other hands, but i think then it just doesn't become worth it.

[jkkkk]

You would have to start limping a lot of other hands also in order for this strategy to work, and I believe we all already know the disadvantages of limping other hands such as high pocket pairs or broadway cards.

[amoeba]

what about selective limping of suited connectors and midpocket pairs?

[KRANTZ]

i think it's ok in selective spots. i also think it should be ideally meshed with a strategy involving LRRing. and i think if someone could develop this strategy effectively they could absolutely destroy, although the learning curve is likely pretty steep as far as experimenting, and i would think you'd need to relearn how to read hands.

[LegallyBlind]

i think the best strategy if your unwilling to make a std raise with your low pp's is to raise something small like 2.5bbs, this way if you get reraise you can call and still have a lot of money behind on the flop and not committ too much money preflop if you decide to call, and also you could occasionally make this raise with anything (AA-SCs) to help make your action preflop not so obvious.

[jkkkk]

limping SC's from UTG or HJ is yuck, CO or BN maybe, its still going to be blindingly obviously though that when you turn the heat on you will have a set/straight/flush or w/e.

[amoeba]

[ QUOTE ]
i think it's ok in selective spots. i also think it should be ideally meshed with a strategy involving LRRing. and i think if someone could develop this strategy effectively they could absolutely destroy, although the learning curve is likely pretty steep as far as experimenting, and i would think you'd need to relearn how to read hands.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like this idea. its funny how the liberal 3 bet environment has made it where we almost seek to be OOP as long as we are the one with the initiative.

[Clayton]

[ QUOTE ]
limping SC's from UTG or HJ is yuck, CO or BN maybe, its still going to be blindingly obviously though that when you turn the heat on you will have a set/straight/flush or w/e.

[/ QUOTE ]

right, and im comfy playing pps and scs to reraises in position

its about balancing, if ur opponents are cognizant at all they will pick up quick that u are only open limping a few select hands and as such will play accordingly, putting hero at a disadvantage.

[Trix]

Bluff more after then flop then if you expect them to fold everything else than sets...