Limping in early position in a 9 handed cash game

[Terremoto]

It may be a leak for me, but if I feel the table will allow limpers, I will sometimes limp with suited connectors and medium to small pp's from early position. I'm looking to see a flop cheaply and my post flop decisions are generally easy, because I either hit the flop, or I don't. Hands like AT and KJ tend to be a little tricky in early position. A lot of times I will fold, but if I do play them, I would much rather see 10 high on the flop holding AT, than I would the A. An argument can be made to raise as well, open limping is generally considered bad. If I hit my hand I want a decent sized pot, plus it disguises my hand as well, especially w/med. to small pp's. I think most players will put you on high cards in that situation.

[Albert Moulton]

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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.

[Albert Moulton]

[ QUOTE ]
If no one raises PF, and many see the flop -> Why not limp with every suited Ace ?

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Reverse implied odds. Even if the game is relatively passive preflop, you will have a hard time winning a big pot OOP when you hit, but you will end up semi-bluffing or calling a lot when you lose.

Position = power.

Drawing hands like A-rag-sited out of position post flop = reverse implied odds.

Small and medium pocket pairs are something of an exception because if you flop a set, you can often win a good amount in a small stakes game even OOP vs draws, 2-pairs, and TPWK.

So, I'd be careful playing ace-rag-suited in EP even in a loose passive game. It's better to play from LP or the button.

[king10off]

are you j lauzon of tuf fame

[Greg Miller]

[ QUOTE ]
Is it ever appropriate to limp in a cash game from an early positon hoping to see a cheap flop with marginal hands?


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Depends on what game you're playing. I don't open limp in limit, but I do fairly often in NL.

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Heres a few hands, would you limp, fold or raise, in early position of a 9 handed game?


[/ QUOTE ]

For NL:

[ QUOTE ]
A10s

[/ QUOTE ] limp/fold
[ QUOTE ]
A10o

[/ QUOTE ] fold
[ QUOTE ]
KJs

[/ QUOTE ] limp
[ QUOTE ]
K10o

[/ QUOTE ] fold
[ QUOTE ]
QKs

[/ QUOTE ] raise/limp/fold
[ QUOTE ]
88

[/ QUOTE ] limp
[ QUOTE ]
55

[/ QUOTE ] limp
[ QUOTE ]
AQo

[/ QUOTE ] raise
[ QUOTE ]
78s

[/ QUOTE ] fold/limp
[ QUOTE ]
10Js

[/ QUOTE ] limp

[pkbj1632]

so, you have A5s UTG, flop come A T 8, 5 players behind..

what you do???
RAISE 3/4 POT
if the table is pasive, you will be called by any 8, any T but for A7 A8 A9 AT, maybe reraised by better A. so you dont know where you are if you were called.

if the table is agro, you will be reraised by strnger A, but A5A9 too.. even any T, so you dont know where you are..


so I run away from dominated hands UTG . MP and first to in, maybe..