How afraid of limpers should I be

[Crash0veride]

If limper is habitual than I raise and try to isolate them/out play them post flop. Same case if limper is a weak player. Early position limpers I am more afraid of than most players and fold or limp behind with anything reasonable.

[WJL]

I'm FOS, but here's what I think.

I welcome limpers with AA-KK. The only time they get me is if I play my TPGK hands too aggressively, which I sometimes do; however, I'm gonna win a lot from them if I hit a good draw. So if this is bothering you, play a little more conservative with TPGK and control pot size. When you get big draws, play them a little more aggressively on the flop; their response to the flop bet will often give you an idea of what you are up against. If you hit the turn, you're ready to roll. The rest of the hand is just poker.

I've had AA-KK cracked too many times to ever play them slow, except in particular situations against specific villains. I love it when someone else plays them slow and lets me hit my 2-pair/set/trips/OESD/flush on the flop for cheap. In the end, it won't be cheap for them.

[wizard]

You are right! It is not a given that the limper will call. Raise away and discover that yoou will get the blinds and a limp more often than you will be played with. You are so sound that you will outplay better hands with your position anyway. Have no fear.

[crankalicious]

Early on in tournaments I find myself very entertained by the numerous limpers and the elation you get to see (or the conceit in more cases) of the person who takes down the pot thinking that they're playing good poker because they outwitted the four other limpers at the table or because they showed aggression after the flop and everyone else folded. Inevitably, I'm sitting at the table well into the middle and late rounds while those limpers are all gone.

Is that necessarily the way to go: waiting them out? No, but I think you can learn a lot more about them while they're playing that way then they learn about you and that information pays off big later on.

[ssnyc]

good post Barry...I still want the magic solution though...this happens to me a lot when blinds are high too and I want to steal in LP with QK A8ish type hands...I'm ready to push and a big stack limps in front so I usually dump it...

[BarryLyndon]

[ QUOTE ]
good post Barry...I still want the magic solution though...this happens to me a lot when blinds are high too and I want to steal in LP with QK A8ish type hands...I'm ready to push and a big stack limps in front so I usually dump it...

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, let me clarify. I'm not worried about limpers at 10/20, 15/30, 20/40, or even 30/60, for that matter, I couldn't give a [censored] about them, if I'm at that sort of table, I'll go get a snack and take a dump and just llimp alongside with suited connectors, raise my strong hands, and maybe put in an open raise with just about any two the first chance I get not to look like I'm that dormant. One raise is enough so that 15 mintues later if I get KK and I raise, I get 4 callers, so I'm OK.

I'm concerned about that period between 50/100, 60/120, 80/160, 100/200/25 when my stack is anywhere between 3500 and 5000 chips and I'm STILL at a table where UTG limps and two others follow. Or just UTG limps. That's what I'm concerned about, really. I guess the stated solution is to just tighten up your range and try to get in some small pots with Q10-QJ; K10-KJ; suited connectors 87s+; A9s+; A10o+; 22-77. Raise 88+; KQ+. Then play post flop accordingly. So:

1. tighten up raising range
2. Expand limping range a little to include rags you really hate to open large multis with, but can gauge really easily if you are head postflop. e.g., You have QT and the flop comes out Q 2 5. It's checked to you or one of the pussies bets 100 into 600. Well, ur ahead, so you can play accordingly. In the long run, I think that you win a pot like 900 or so enough to make it profitable.

3. Cont. bet some flops when checked to.

4. If UTG gets cute, that's OK, because at least now if you have a real hand, UTG or whomever can try to get cute again and get smacked with your [censored].

Barry

[ssnyc]

Barry...agree early on really doesnt matter that much but I like to keep overlimps to a minimum and usually in LP with implied odds hands...my problem is even later than what you mention...when blinds get higher and I'm in the 8-20 BB range...Get pushable hands when I am first in but get preempted by limpers who can afford to gamble

[SFF1]

I would use my position to play. but i would raise more often than not, establishing a tighter image and raising hard when there's many limpers work as well