Limping in EP first in w/ AKo and AQo (et all)

[MrStretchie]

Excellent reply Deranged. I'm going to have to do some study of game theory. Sounds like interesting stuff.

[bobbyi]

If/ when I limp with AK/ AQ, I would generally perfer to do it when I'm suited. In the unlikely case where others limp and no one raises, I have a hand that plays well multiway anyway and when someone raises and I three-bet and build a big pot, I would rather have AKs than AKo.

[MortalNuts]

When I read your post, I thought of these two old threads:

Clark limps with AQ and
Clark limps with AK

I found both of these interesting, so maybe you will too.

cheers,

mn

[jdock99]

Playing live 20-40 HE, I knew a player who I am pretty sure is a pro and a winning player who would always limp in EP with raising cards and play passively before the flop and on the flop. Then if he flopped real good or the board was unthreatening he would wait to the turn to checkraise or if things looked even a little scary he would check-call down with hands such as TPTK.

I actually liked playing with this player because he was so passive and consistent. Basically I knew to treat his early position limps preflop like a raise and not raise with hands such as AJo and just shut down on the turn/river if he called me on the flop. Although me and the other "aware" players handled this player very well, in these particular games there are plenty of aggressive, unaware players who would give him way too much action with dominated hands postflop because of his passive play preflop and on the flop. However, I do not think this player would fare well in higher games, and to the best of my knowledge he never moved up or even tried for that matter. So maybe this line has merit against aggressive unaware players such as might populate the mid limit games that Slotboom plays in and writes about.

It seems in higher limit games most of the players who "mix it up" do so by fast playing marginal hands, normally in steal situations in position, and do not do slow by slow playing strong hands out of position, although you do get the occasional limp-reraise UTG player with AA or KK.

[Net Warrior]

If nothing else, when you limp you let bb play for free. That alone makes it worthwhile raising.

[SA125]

[ QUOTE ]
It works well in games that are tightish but very aggressive. Meaning 2-3 to the flop for 2-3 bets. This gets you "isolated" by worse hands - hands that would've folded had you raised. It has to be balanced, of course, but it's a very valid strategy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Excellent point. I'm think also that it makes up more bets post flop in multi-way pots in a loose game when it hits if your hand wasn't given away. The downside is more cracked hands, but the upside is those who see the flop with any A they get and call down every time it hits. Add in those who call down with any PP or piece of the flop and it's good for a lot of c/r'd flops and BB's to the river. Not all of those A lovers coldcall A4o, but they'll limp everytime with it and call it down.

[lil feller]

Both great threads, thanks for the links.

I wonder if anybody with a monster sized DB and a knack for using the filters could come up with some numbers (like bb/hand) when limping with these hands, as opposed to raising first in.

lf

[imashyboi]

I think limping with AKs, AK, AQs, AQ really depends on the table's condition. If the table is aggressive I don't have a problem limping here with any suited AK or AQ but I'm still raising them if it's unsuited. I don't see why you'd want to limp here if the table is loose aggressive, I think your getting the most out of it when you raise rather than limping in cause there's going to be callers anyway.

The downside of limping with these hands is they're going to get cracked one way or another. Either by some mircale 2 pair, set trips, or something else that might beat top pair. If you don't have a problem losing a big pot then limping here would actually be profitable. What I hate the most is when you give the blinds a free shot to the pot, I think that's a huge mistake.

I personally would rather attack the blinds cause at least I'm getting my money's worth when I get a high broadway.