LImping with AK and AQ in early levels

[sng-sam]

What are your thoughts on this?

Straight Flushes,

SAM

[Snarf]

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.

[tjh]

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

[Pasterbator]

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.

[Postiga]

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

[Snarf]

[ 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.

[Maulik]

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.

[KingDan]

Maulik, why muck it?

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

[ace_in_the_hole]

I think taking the structure into account you have to raise especially up to the $55's. You would be amazed at how amny people will give you their stack with a weaker ace when they hit top pair with you. I think when you limp it is just too hard to find out where you are at with six people to a flop, unless you flop the nuts.

[tigerite]

[ QUOTE ]
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.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. I sometimes limp AQo behind limpers, but I will raise AQs behind limpers (both from a late enough position of course).