LImping with AK and AQ in early levels
 

What are your thoughts on this?

Straight Flushes,

SAM

Re: LImping with AK and AQ in early levels
 

I do it too.

You may lose hand value pre-flop...but you save when you miss and you gain in disguised kicker strength when you hit (bump in implied odds I mean...)

I actually like it...though I usually raise around back with a table of limpers in front of me.

Re: LImping with AK and AQ in early levels
 

There are times when I do this.

There are also times when I fold and times when I push.

First few hands I might try to catch a maniac (low buyins). They play real foolishly for the first few hands, playing slightly less foolish than them gives you an edge, get in there and take some fish stacks before some other weak loose fish gets them!! [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Plenty of times that I do not do this though. The whole double up or bust out early question, we talk about it all the time.

A lot of limpers and if it unlikely to be raised so that I can see a flop with good pot odds for cheap. I get in there.

A known or suspected maniac pushes or has limped and I think I can get him/her to call a push with a lesser hand then I push. Some dead money in the pot might make a push +EV even if they have a little pair.

Level 2 and beyond I might raise to narrow the field.

Level 1 is a special level at the low buyins and deserves special consideration. They really do some stupid stuff for the first 8 hands or so. Getting any chips in the middle early on without a plan on what to do when they push is foolish. After the maniacs bust out and some time is invested then more rational play is the rule.

--
tjh

Re: LImping with AK and AQ in early levels
 

If we are talking about 800 chip SNGs...

I'm on the fence on this. I don't like open limping AK/AQ. Sometimes when I'm in MP/LP after a couple of limpers i prefer to limp AQ rather than raising ~1/8 of your stack and having to fold to a reraise.

With AK, i still like to raise, just because (at the 33s and lower) people will still call you with AQ and stack off with TP2K. If you miss, idk, play poker?

If we are talking about 1000 chip SNGs...

Talk to someone else.

Re: LImping with AK and AQ in early levels
 

I limp in early position, raise in late. Simple as that.

Re: LImping with AK and AQ in early levels
 

[ QUOTE ]
If we are talking about 800 chip SNGs...

I'm on the fence on this. I don't like open limping AK/AQ. Sometimes when I'm in MP/LP after a couple of limpers i prefer to limp AQ rather than raising ~1/8 of your stack and having to fold to a reraise.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point. I play on PS - I bet OP does too.

Re: LImping with AK and AQ in early levels
 

raise your AKo for value if nothing else. sure you'll miss but if you raise to isolate your c-bet should work often, especially against lower buy-in opponents.

its okay to muck AQo UTG, UTG+1.

Re: LImping with AK and AQ in early levels
 

[ QUOTE ]
just because (at the 33s and lower) people will still call you with AQ and stack off with TP2K.

[/ QUOTE ]

And people willing to go down on AQ play it knowing many will go down on less. I consider it the same as losing with KK to AA. I'd only fold AQ if I knew I was up against a good player.

I don't like limping. In these short structures it's hard not to showdown overpairs and TPGK (eg AK/AQ), so I prefer to raise preflop. This causes them to make a mistake by calling preflop, and lessens any mistake I make postflop. Limping, you are giving people much better implied odds to hit 2p or something. I don't know if my thinking is correct, it's just how I feel.

Re: LImping with AK and AQ in early levels
 

I don't see how limping gives you better implied odds. It's a completely wrong way to play the hand. The point of raising with AK is to cut the action. AK in a multiway pot can lead to bad situations.

Re: LImping with AK and AQ in early levels
 

Maulik, why muck it?

Lots of idiots out there... Give them a chance to donk of their stack to you.