VPIP ~11.5% Give me more hands to play.

[TheScientist]

Just to give you some background, I've been playing in mainly the tougher 1/2s for bonuses and as a result my game has tightened considerably. Gone are the days when I limp KTs from middle position, I mean, what if you run into KJ, KQ, AK? Domination, baby! Since I can no longer count on 14 people limping into the pot behind me like I used to, I'm really in a pickle.

So what hands are you guys playing in the tighter games to boost your VPIP and pick up a little +EV? What becomes playable on the button with a limper in front of you? What do you play from the BB when faced with a raise?

Give me examples of what your standards are, a rebuttal will follow.

[MrWookie]

If the game is generally tough, then this can't be answered precisely at all. It a function of who limped and who's left.

If the lone limper is the one player at the table who sucks and the blinds are tight, my button raising range will be almost as wide as my blind stealing range. Bare minimum: 44+, A2+, K2s+, K5o+, Q6s+, Q7o+, J7+, T8s+, T9o. Where your VPIP really should grow is when it's folded to you. Look at my raising range for the button. Trim off the bottom two hands of each group or so, and that's a reasonable CO opening range. Trim off one more from each group, and that's your MP3 opening range. One more from that, and that's MP2 opening. If the game is really tough, you should be much less inclined to limp anything, and virtually never open limp from any position, but you can raise a lot, especially if you can get HU with the one player who's giving away money.

Edit: you should probably trim off a few more of the weaker K's than my rule of thumb implied, but it's still a good start.

[zPro]

Work on open raising more often.
I open raise KTs from MP2+.
Ease into stealing from LP and Late MP.

[bottomset]

I guareentee you don't openraise/steal 1/3rd as much as you should

KTs is an openraise from MP2+

[TheScientist]

Here are the problems I see with expanding my range (just playing devils advocate here).

I raise KTs from MP2, all fold to the TAG on the BB, who calls. The flop comes rainbow, rags. Either the BB donks into me (correctly assuming I have overcards), or I'm check raised. What line should I take?

It just seems like if I don't hit top pair or flush draw, I'm in trouble. I just feel like I bleed all my money away on these marginal situations.

Blind defending seems to put me in a similar situation. I just feel like getting out of the way while the pot is small. Playing out of position sucks.

Is it just the standard answer; practice, practice, and you will get used to it..

[shant]

You should be raising this range of hands from at least the CO. Some from MP3 and some from MP2.

[ QUOTE ]
any ace, K5s/K7+, Q5s/Q7+, J6s/J7+, T7s/T8+, 97s/98, 76s+, any pair

[/ QUOTE ]

Read this thread for blind stealing advice. LINK