Limp/calling with aces

[betgo]

I know the books and the consensus on this forum indicate that when you limp with aces, you should reraise when raised.

I have had some success with limp calling and I have seen other people use this play. It creates great deception and works at any buyin level. The raiser is sure you have a marginal or speculative hand and is almost certain to make a continuation bet.

To make this play, you need aces, not kings or whatever. You need to have only one opponent. Also, the money need to be reasonably deep. It can be real deep or just deep enough so that villain will have trouble calling a limpraise. You prefer that villain raised from late position, so he probably doesn't have a big hand. If you think villain has JJ-KK or AK, go ahead and limpraise. You also prefer that the opponent is in the blinds so you have position. Normally you would try this against an opponent in the blinds if you limped from mid to late position, so the player in the blinds doesn't need a big hand to raise. The flat call should thoroughly convince him you have a marginal hand. You want an aggressive opponent. You want to do this when you think your opponent will read the limpraise correctly.

I see people play aces in ways that make it fairly obvious that they have aces. This approach makes it almost impossible that your opponent will consider you might have aces.

[Lloyd]

This is one of those examples where I have to say "duh, obviously". But you're right, I rarely see people limp call with Aces. To re-raise all the time gives away your hand instantly. But you better have some decent post-flop play if you're going to be tricky and like you said I want it to be heads up.

[betgo]

[ QUOTE ]
This is one of those examples where I have to say "duh, obviously". But you're right, I rarely see people limp call with Aces. To re-raise all the time gives away your hand instantly. But you better have some decent post-flop play if you're going to be tricky and like you said I want it to be heads up.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't want to belabor the obvious, but I really haven't seen much discussion of this play and when it is appropriate in print or online.

[RichC.]

This is something I have noticed a lot lately. Only problem is, people arent just doing it with AA but KK and QQ as well. Not only that, they are doing it with 4 or 5 others in the pot already. I usually only resort to this type of play when I am shortstacked and its a limp raise with that. I usually just make the standard 3x raise and go from there.

[betgo]

[ QUOTE ]
This is something I have noticed a lot lately. Only problem is, people arent just doing it with AA but KK and QQ as well. Not only that, they are doing it with 4 or 5 others in the pot already. I usually only resort to this type of play when I am shortstacked and its a limp raise with that. I usually just make the standard 3x raise and go from there.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is generally a bad fish-type trapping play if you do it multiway or with QQ or KK.

[BPA234]

Like every play this is very read dependent. Here are some places where I like this play:

I particularly like this play when against an aggressive vill. who has little to no read on me. Additionally, if the hand occurrs at a critical/inflection point in the tournament I may decide to commit to the hand and let the vill. play the hand for me regardless of the board. I am pushing preflop through my opponent's post flop aggression.

Another PRO for smooth calling AA after limping utg or erly, is that late position, strong to medium A's and QQ-99 will reraise you to try and find out where they are preflop. The scenarios for getting all the money in post flop, where you remain a hvy favorite, are endless.

Finally, during bubble or late stage mtt, if a good player makes a standard blind stealing raise from middle or late, if you reraise they will fold unless they have a very strong hand. I think you have to smooth call to get full value.

[McMelchior]

[ QUOTE ]
It creates great deception and works at any buyin level.

[/ QUOTE ]
This ploy might be worth the effort at higher buy-ins, but I really don't think it is relevant (on-line) at the buy-in levels I usually play - $20 freeze-outs and $5 rebuys.

Not until we're down to the final two tables (at the most) does a proportion of the players high enough to warrant such sneakyness pay any attention to how you play your Aces, and the idea that limp-re-raise should give away your hand is just asking for too much.

Here limp-push by far most often means either mediocre middle pair putting the raiser on a strong Ace, or a blatant steal. Limp-call would be giving up a ton of chips.

I'm sure it's different at higher buy-ins.

Best,

McMelchior (Johan)

[RichC.]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This is something I have noticed a lot lately. Only problem is, people arent just doing it with AA but KK and QQ as well. Not only that, they are doing it with 4 or 5 others in the pot already. I usually only resort to this type of play when I am shortstacked and its a limp raise with that. I usually just make the standard 3x raise and go from there.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is generally a bad fish-type trapping play if you do it multiway or with QQ or KK.

[/ QUOTE ]

Especially facing 4 or 5 limpers and the blinds to act yet. I saw this several times yesterday alone, and numerous times over the last couple of weeks. Maybe its me and there is something about myself that I dont know yet. Tons probably. Poker Office rates me as a Semi-Loose PF and Ag Post Flop. I just cant help playing those suited Aces. Smack me please.

[betgo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It creates great deception and works at any buyin level.

[/ QUOTE ]
This ploy might be worth the effort at higher buy-ins, but I really don't think it is relevant (on-line) at the buy-in levels I usually play - $20 freeze-outs and $5 rebuys.

Not until we're down to the final two tables (at the most) does a proportion of the players high enough to warrant such sneakyness pay any attention to how you play your Aces, and the idea that limp-re-raise should give away your hand is just asking for too much.

Here limp-push by far most often means either mediocre middle pair putting the raiser on a strong Ace, or a blatant steal. Limp-call would be giving up a ton of chips.

I'm sure it's different at higher buy-ins.

Best,

McMelchior (Johan)

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe not in a $20- MTT. I have used it in $15 turbo SNGs and 2-table SNGs, but the play level there is generally better than early in a $10 MTT and people are cautious about commiting their stacks, hoping to cash.

[NHFunkii]

agreed, that's a similar level that I play at, and whenever I see a limp push I immediately put them on a medium pocket pair with a slight possibility of ak and a slight possibility of high pair. But it's like 90% medium pair.