KK in small blind, seven (count 'em seven) limpers

[pauly2x]

This is a hand that has been bugging me for a few weeks. Playing in a 5-10 casino game, I'm in the SB and find kings. Much to my dismay, seven people limp to me (one fold in MP) and I decide to limp as well, BB checks, nine to the flop. The game was very loose (ex: people cold calling EP raises with 7Ts or J4h and calling down only to land river flushes) and raises haven't been met with much respect. I figured (based on play thusfar through the evening) that raising would not cause anyone to fold and would make my kings (or aces) pretty obvious. This being the case, kings against any random eight hands in bad position is a very tough place to be. Is this play overly weak? Just curious what you 2+2 gurus would make of this hand. My buddy insists I should have jammed more chips in "when you have the best of it," but I didn't see this situation as being profitable. Thoughts?

p.s., flop is 5-6-8, I bet out, BB raises, LP reraises I decide to fold. Turn is pairs the 5, river is a blank. Flop, turn and river all capped. Quad fives beat (pocket 6s) sixes full in the biggest 5-10 pot I've seen in a long time.

[rkiray]

I think your play was ok. I didn't think I'd ever say that calling with KK preflop was correct, but in the table you describe it is probably correct. That hand would scare me to death. If you don't flop a set you don't have much of a chance. With that many people in, someone will almost catch something that beats KK. Of course you could get lucky and get a flush or a straight, but of course neither would be the nuts (unless an ace is on the board).

[bernie]

i raise alot. but not really my sb. i limp alot in there. but here i think you can play it both ways. both have merits. one thing that goes through my mind in this situation is it could be a long way to showdown. a raise preflop gives many odds to call the flop bet with just about anything. which then gives odds to call the turn...etc...

but it is nice to jam it down their throat and win the pot too.

nice fold on the flop, btw. many would call this all the way out. and even reraised the flop. nice read. and many wouldve lost much more. ive played KK similar at times and it is a nice feeling to get away from it early and save chips.

b

[angry young man]

and I decide to limp as well

I stopped reading your post right here. NEVER limp with KK in the SB (okay, maybe heads up. no scratch that, even then I raise). Especially not with 7 people with much much much worse hands than you that are guaranteed to call the raise. You shouldn't be dismayed at the large field, you should be overjoyed. These aren't nines you're dealing with here, you've got kings. Raise, re-raise or cap, whatever the dealer will let you do. The big field only increases the chance that the A won't hit the flop. This is a terrible mistake preflop.

[sam h]

"kings against any random eight hands in bad position is a very tough place to be."

Sort of. You'll probably lose the pot. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't raise for value here. Some will argue that you're inflating the pot size and making your opponents play better after the flop, but with KK you're so far ahead of most of your opponents that raising here has to be best.

[Jeffage]

Quite frankly, the preflop limp is horrible imo. You are leaving money on the table when there are seven limpers willing to call when you raise with the best hand. It might even get reraised and then you can cap it. You want lots of money in with this holding out of position or not. Once you call preflop you should then look to checkraise to make anyone with a lone 7 or pair pay to suck out on you and protect your hand. Don't lead into the field since you disguised your hand with the limp and the board comes draw heavy with you out of position (it may even have been correct to go for the checkraise if u had raised pre even though it's "obvious" just to protect ur hand). But don't limp. Period.