Open limp, ring games (no play content)

[leo doc]

I may be bordering on heresy here, but I gotta ask...

What hands, if any, would you consider open limping with in a "typical" live 10/20 or 20/40 ring game in the first three positions?

1) I have intentionally not specified what "typical" might be; feel free to define that yourself.

2) Aces, kings and, perhaps, AKs don't count 'cause you'll likely be re-raising with them.

3) Or am I really suggesting heresy here? (I.e., "I'd never open limp!")

[KitanaiCALL]

depends on the dynamics of the game but i limp with pp's 66-99 in EP.

[surfdoc]

In very loose games you can likely show a profit if you play well after the flop with any 2 suited broadways you don't wan't to raise and any pocket pair small enough you don't want to raise.

[PieInTheSky]

medium/big suited connectors(A10s - 89s), medium pp's, kj off in some games. i consider typical to mean 30-45 dollars an hour expectation.

[ssmallz]

Most suited connectors that I'm willing to play from EP I will limp with b/c they play better multiway. medium and smaller PPs I deem profitable will be limped and thats pretty much it. I really dislike open limping w/big offsuit cards like AJo, KJo, and KQo. They don't play well multiway and I consider them raise or fold depending on the opponents behind me

[leo doc]

I appreciate the responses. Let's put aces, kings and AKs into the mix. Do you ever open limp with them in the "typical" ring game or do you assume there will be enough cold callers anyway so that you always open raise with them? If you do open limp with them:

1) How frequently would you do it?

2) Would this depend on your table image at the time?

3) If you've been "caught" doing this, what other hands, if any, would you later do this with? (Assuming you want to "balance" you strategy- ala Stox's recommendation.)

[PokerBob]

[ QUOTE ]
I appreciate the responses. Let's put aces, kings and AKs into the mix. Do you ever open limp with them in the "typical" ring game or do you assume there will be enough cold callers anyway so that you always open raise with them? If you do open limp with them:

1) How frequently would you do it?

2) Would this depend on your table image at the time?

3) If you've been "caught" doing this, what other hands, if any, would you later do this with? (Assuming you want to "balance" you strategy- ala Stox's recommendation.)

[/ QUOTE ]

i never ever limp them. if i am in a game where it is advantageous to limp AA, i need to find a better game. most live players will call a raise, so punish them when you ahve a big edge.

[HOWMANY]

I probably open limp AA more than everything else I might limp combined. Once in a while I'll be in a real loose passive game where I think I need to open limp 22-66 but I still look for reasons to fold. I pretty much hate limping sooted broadways as well because I feel like I'm just setting myself up to be isolated and dominated, but there are times when I can come in with these as well.

In most the games I play open limping is not such a hot play though, I'd guess I open limp like once every 10 hours or so at most playing live. Online I can remember LRR a few times on WPEX with AA but other than that I just plain don't do it, I pretty much never play full ring online and the few times I torture myself the game is never the kind where one should open limp.

[W. Deranged]

I've stuck pretty much to a diet of medium / small pairs (55 - 88, though 77-88 are raises under certain circumstances), and the suited broadways without a ton of high-card value (JTs-KTs and QJs). Those I'll limp in most any game which I'd want to be playing in the first place. Under ideal scenarios, the other pairs (22-44), hands like 89s-9Ts and J9s, as well as something like A8s-A9s might come into the conversation.

I have trouble thinking it's correct to limp a non-pair, unsuited hand in early position without some very game-specific reason.

[PorkchopDJG]

The main condition you need if you are limping in is a very passive table. If it is now or starts to get very aggressive I wouldn't limp up front with speculative hands.
The live games I play in are very Loose/Passive. It's almost never raised preflop after a few limpers and if it is it won't usually go any higher than 2 bets. I will open limp quite often with 66-99, 2 suited broadway and some decent high offsuit hands like KQ and AJ.
If really passive I will also limp in EP with hands like Axs, 89s and lower pairs but would prefer to be the second limper in with those hands.