Limping and Calling
Hello, everybody,
Because of a few instances I've run across recently I thought I'd spew my thoughts out about what I see as one of the worst plays, typically, in poker. Limping into a pot and then calling large raises.
First, let's divide the different scenarios for each limping and calling:
1. Limping with a monster in hopes someone with raise behind you
2. Limping with a mediocre, 2 paint, type hand
3. Limping with suited connectors, gap connectors
4. Limping with small to medium pocket pairs
5. Limping with junk hands - do I really need to give examples? - to 'see' flops
Second, depending on cash games, early tournament, mid tournament, latter tournament, all the above scenarios would play differently. I'll try to focus on mid to latter tournament play.
1) Limping with AA or KK in hopes of a raise behind is a very dangerous maneuver depending on the current play at the table. If there is a lot of raising pre-flop at the table, this could effectively trap those behind you who like to bet pot size to chase people away. Calling the raise in this situation, I would only advise if you're going to be heads-up with your opponent who raise, after the flop. Typically you'd check to the aggressive player in hopes that he stabs at the pot, if he does, there is no more fooling around, you have to make a raise at that point.
Preferred to this, in every situation, I would make a standard raise, 2 to 3x the BB amount, and hope that someone wakes up with a playable hand. The problem with limping is if the pot is not raised after you, you may end facing a multi-way pot with AA or KK, which is very dangerous.
2) Limping in with mediocre hands, QJ, KT, KJ, QT, JT, A9, AT, even AJ etc., before the flop, especially in early position is probably the most, even including garbage, perplexing of all these scenarios. It is so easy for someone to wake with a hand that has you dominated before or after the flop. If no one raises and you see the flop and hit top pair, you could very easily ship large amounts of chips to your opponent due to a kicker situation or them hitting 2 pr, straights, etc. And, if you do call a reraise in this situation, you are almost always behind, either to a pocket pair, or to a big card, big kicker combo. In my opinion, I would avoid playing these hands from early position at all, if you do play them, be the first to enter (including any limpers) and raise. If your raise is called before the flop and you are out of position, against 1 person, I usually would suggest betting at the flop in most situations. If it comes with an Ace, you could be able to get away from the hand and be confident your opponent may have that Ace. If you are reraised preflop, you are most certainly beat, and depending on chip situation, knowledge of your opponent, you can lay the hand down without anymore invested. I recently saw a person call the BB from UTG with QJo, and then call an all-in for nearly 7x the BB, this with 7 people left in a tournament.. If you think it's good enough to win against an all-in like that why wouldn't you raise?
3) Many people love suited and gap connectors because of the pots they can win if they hit against good hands. Problem in NL Hold-em is that unless you hit a monster flop with them, you can throw away a lot of money chasing if you are calling decent raises before the flop. Limping in with these hands is not a terrible option, but you have to be willing to lay them down before you see the flop if there is a decent raise. Again, raising with these hands, preferably in position is a great move. There is an element of deception obviously, and if you do hit your flop, your opponents will usually be unaware of how strong your hand is, if you miss your flop, you can still, with position, put pressure on your opponent to fold.
4) Limping in with small to medium pocket pairs seems to be the preferred way to play these hands by most people. Typically, I still prefer the raise, as it typically reduces the number of opponents who see the flop, and the number of overcards you will be up against. Again, position is very key with these hands, and if you are in early position a limp to see the flop and hit the magic set is not a bad play. If you are raised preflop, the more callers the better your odds are to call, but even so, I would only recommend calling a significant raise when you've limped before the flop, if the amount of chips you can win if you hit your set are worth it. To me, you shouldn't put more than 5%-10% of your chips in the pot when you call the raise. You are not then pot committed after the flop, but if you hit your set, you can bust a monster overpair, or top pair/top kicker type hand and make it worth the risk. Calling close to 20% - 25% of your chips with these pairs is a terrible move and will send you to the rail quickly unless you get extremely lucky.
5) Finally, limping in with garbage hands. Well, some people do this because they just enjoy to play, see flops, outplay their opponents, etc. If you're going to play garbage hands, play them aggresively in position. But the biggest suggestion, don't play them!
In closing, all of these plays have some merit in different situations, and you obviously have to play to whatever is most your style of play. You also have to keep in mind, the opponent you are playing against and their tendencies if you know them.
Because of a few instances I've run across recently I thought I'd spew my thoughts out about what I see as one of the worst plays, typically, in poker. Limping into a pot and then calling large raises.
First, let's divide the different scenarios for each limping and calling:
1. Limping with a monster in hopes someone with raise behind you
2. Limping with a mediocre, 2 paint, type hand
3. Limping with suited connectors, gap connectors
4. Limping with small to medium pocket pairs
5. Limping with junk hands - do I really need to give examples? - to 'see' flops
Second, depending on cash games, early tournament, mid tournament, latter tournament, all the above scenarios would play differently. I'll try to focus on mid to latter tournament play.
1) Limping with AA or KK in hopes of a raise behind is a very dangerous maneuver depending on the current play at the table. If there is a lot of raising pre-flop at the table, this could effectively trap those behind you who like to bet pot size to chase people away. Calling the raise in this situation, I would only advise if you're going to be heads-up with your opponent who raise, after the flop. Typically you'd check to the aggressive player in hopes that he stabs at the pot, if he does, there is no more fooling around, you have to make a raise at that point.
Preferred to this, in every situation, I would make a standard raise, 2 to 3x the BB amount, and hope that someone wakes up with a playable hand. The problem with limping is if the pot is not raised after you, you may end facing a multi-way pot with AA or KK, which is very dangerous.
2) Limping in with mediocre hands, QJ, KT, KJ, QT, JT, A9, AT, even AJ etc., before the flop, especially in early position is probably the most, even including garbage, perplexing of all these scenarios. It is so easy for someone to wake with a hand that has you dominated before or after the flop. If no one raises and you see the flop and hit top pair, you could very easily ship large amounts of chips to your opponent due to a kicker situation or them hitting 2 pr, straights, etc. And, if you do call a reraise in this situation, you are almost always behind, either to a pocket pair, or to a big card, big kicker combo. In my opinion, I would avoid playing these hands from early position at all, if you do play them, be the first to enter (including any limpers) and raise. If your raise is called before the flop and you are out of position, against 1 person, I usually would suggest betting at the flop in most situations. If it comes with an Ace, you could be able to get away from the hand and be confident your opponent may have that Ace. If you are reraised preflop, you are most certainly beat, and depending on chip situation, knowledge of your opponent, you can lay the hand down without anymore invested. I recently saw a person call the BB from UTG with QJo, and then call an all-in for nearly 7x the BB, this with 7 people left in a tournament.. If you think it's good enough to win against an all-in like that why wouldn't you raise?
3) Many people love suited and gap connectors because of the pots they can win if they hit against good hands. Problem in NL Hold-em is that unless you hit a monster flop with them, you can throw away a lot of money chasing if you are calling decent raises before the flop. Limping in with these hands is not a terrible option, but you have to be willing to lay them down before you see the flop if there is a decent raise. Again, raising with these hands, preferably in position is a great move. There is an element of deception obviously, and if you do hit your flop, your opponents will usually be unaware of how strong your hand is, if you miss your flop, you can still, with position, put pressure on your opponent to fold.
4) Limping in with small to medium pocket pairs seems to be the preferred way to play these hands by most people. Typically, I still prefer the raise, as it typically reduces the number of opponents who see the flop, and the number of overcards you will be up against. Again, position is very key with these hands, and if you are in early position a limp to see the flop and hit the magic set is not a bad play. If you are raised preflop, the more callers the better your odds are to call, but even so, I would only recommend calling a significant raise when you've limped before the flop, if the amount of chips you can win if you hit your set are worth it. To me, you shouldn't put more than 5%-10% of your chips in the pot when you call the raise. You are not then pot committed after the flop, but if you hit your set, you can bust a monster overpair, or top pair/top kicker type hand and make it worth the risk. Calling close to 20% - 25% of your chips with these pairs is a terrible move and will send you to the rail quickly unless you get extremely lucky.
5) Finally, limping in with garbage hands. Well, some people do this because they just enjoy to play, see flops, outplay their opponents, etc. If you're going to play garbage hands, play them aggresively in position. But the biggest suggestion, don't play them!
In closing, all of these plays have some merit in different situations, and you obviously have to play to whatever is most your style of play. You also have to keep in mind, the opponent you are playing against and their tendencies if you know them.
posted by Corey Eslinger at 2:25 PM
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