Raise don't limp

[jake-free]

Any time I raise preflop good things happen,if I hit it's good,if I miss I get a free card or a free ride,so I shouldn't limp but fold or raise?
comments

[eMarkM]

In general, yes, raising preflop puts others on the defensive. There are arguments that can be made for never open limping, i.e., no one can ever put you on a hand if you always raise first in.

But to say you should always raise preflop isn't wise. Often you have a hand that wants to see the flop cheaply. You ruin your odds for stuff like suited connectors and the like that wants a big field. Sometimes you limp with a small pair, hoping others will limp behind to give you odds to hit your set, etc. You don't want to raise something like 44 in EP if you play it. Raising in LP after a lot of limpers is a good move, however, with small/mid pairs and suited connectors for pumping the pot.

That, and if you always raise whenever you come in preflop, astute players will notice and won't put as much credence in your raises. Essentially you'll be labelled a maniac.

[SoBeDude]

In HPFAP, they talk about how in mid and late position, it is usually correct to open-raise with almost anything playable from those positions.

And I don't like playing 44 from EP except in a VERY passive game.

And in many games it is good to raise with suited connectors because loose players will still call and if you make a good hand they will pay you off.

And raising several callers with a small/mid pair seems like chip-suicide to me. You want to limp so it doesn't ruin your implied odds if you do make your set.

-Scott

[Zedd X]

I find this strategy to be effective in tight games and tournaments where people are playing more or less correctly. However this is not usually the case nowadays (especially if you play internet poker [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]).

In very loose games however this play can lose you alot of money. Often times when the pot is large due to raising preflop, even when you hit your hand, bad players will be getting the correct pot odds to chase a seemingly hopeless hand to the river (i.e. small pair or a gutshot straight). You want them to make -ev plays (After all, thats how you make your money). Call preflop and let them make the wrong decision when they continue in a hand that you hit. An exception is if you have a hand that plays very well in a multiway pot (i.e. QJs, JTs). This is a mistake that I think many low limit players (including myself) make way too often.

Therefore raise/fold if you are in a tight game and you think it will get the pot shorthanded (unless you want a multiway pot). But use your judgment and always consider your oponants, how many are already in, and your position. However, NEVER limping in is probably an inefective strategy in any type of game.

On the other side of the spectrum, if the game is loose, and your raise will not get the respect it desreves, it is most often best just to call.