FR Theory: KTs on the button, 3 limpers in front

[diebitter]

Average NL50 table, no one particularly out of line, but you get 3 limpers and look down to see KTs and you're on the button. What do you do, and why?

[Mike Kelley]

For me it depends on the profiles of the 3 limpers, what position they limped from, also whether I had been active before this hand or not.

no one particularly out of line = standard 20/10/2 players?


My default play is probably to raise it and try to isolate one of them (flop big or take it down with a CB bet,or if I get 3 callers hope to flop a big hand in position and win a stack.


Why is because I have position. I think KTs plays well in a limped pot also, so I don't really have a preference one way or the other. Probably depends mostly on what my activity has been previous to this hand.

[swainy]

it depends... if i think some of them will fold then i'll raise to about $3.50 and try and play HU against one of them.

If they regularly limp and then call a raise OOP then i'll probably just smooth call and hope for a favourable flop. I don't want to build a ~$12, 3-4 way pot before the flop holding only KTs, even if i do have the button.

[Landlord79]

[ QUOTE ]
standard 20/10/2 players?

[/ QUOTE ]

If these guys are the standard at this table, I'm changing tables.

I probably limp behind because I'm a weak tight nit who wants to see the flop before committing any chips.

[threads13]

I think the default play should be to limp as you have a marginal hand and not much fold equity. If these players are tight I might make a raise to about 5x or 6x in hopes of stealing.

Too many variables with marginal hands like this to say I would do X 100% of the time.

[ActionStan]

I'm not particularly in love with KTs. It makes a lot of second best hands.

That said, I play this with a raise. It's too much hand to fold on the button. I think this kind of hand doesn't make a playable, winning hand on the flop often enough not to steal. With a bunch of weakness in front of you, now is a good time for that.

I tend to limit my limping to hands that will make a hand that has value in it's own right on the flop. For example, I'll limp occasionally with smaller pocket pairs and sometimes JTs and QJs. Those hands are a little less likely to be dominated than KT but will make sets or decent top pairs in unraised pots but aren't so good that you get yourself into trouble. Also, those hands play well with higher SPRs post flop. QJ and JT make good draws with which to apply pressure. Limping can set the pot up to apply maximum pressure if you catch a good flop. KTs is less likely to do that for you. Also, people habitually play suited A's. I think you find yourself stacking off with the second nuts, where you'd be less inclined to make a big call with a hand like 67s. So, raise it up. C-bet most flops. Be careful with top pairs and non-nut draws.

[PokerFun007]

I like the limp here. Chances are if we get a great hand we'll get paid off if there are three others in the hand with us -- especially with position.

I do like the raising line also, but lately I've been preferring to play for the big hand in nl50 as too many people call down light.

Folding is obviously not an option.

[Das Budrick]

[ QUOTE ]
I think the default play should be to limp as you have a marginal hand and not much fold equity. If these players are tight I might make a raise to about 5x or 6x in hopes of stealing.

Too many variables with marginal hands like this to say I would do X 100% of the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like this reasoning. I think it came up in Bottomset's recent video and he just called KTs or KJs OTB with a couple of limpers. Of course it could be in a different video but I know I saw this just the other day [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[nation]

i limp in here unless tight players are the guys who limped. i used to raise this all the time, but i just got too much action and didn't take it down unimproved enough to raise blindly. the tight guys will fold pf a lot and when one or two call, they almost always are set mining (aka what the limp/call equals) so i cbet and win a lot.

makes sense to limp in against loose players because when you make good hands they will give you value because they like to gamble.

[br.bm]

[ QUOTE ]
it depends... if i think some of them will fold then i'll raise to about $3.50 and try and play HU against one of them.

If they regularly limp and then call a raise OOP then i'll probably just smooth call and hope for a favourable flop. I don't want to build a ~$12, 3-4 way pot before the flop holding only KTs, even if i do have the button.

[/ QUOTE ]