I can't limp. Help me.

[Hulk Hogan]

I realized tonight that I pretty much cannot limp anymore except in highly specialized cases, such as a low PP or suited conns after many callers in LP or stuff like that. When I go into a hand, I raise every single time othewise.

I think I am missing out on profitable limps, and sometimes overplaying marginal raising hands. For example, tonight I was 2 off the button with JQ off and one limper before me. I wanted to play the hand, but I couldn't hit call and I wasn't willing to put in a raise with that hand when I'd be out of position on one of the players. Not to be results oriented, but of course I see a couple of Js hit the flop and I curse myself.

The thing is that I think sometimes limping would be best just to see if I hit flops with semi-decent hands, but I can't seem to do it unless I can pull the trigger on a raise.

Any thoughts?

[Cornell Fiji]

I think the correct answer is dependent on what games you are playing. I am sure this is a profitable strategy for many online games (especially at lower limits) however, as you obviously realize, there are some hands that could be very profitable on certain flops but not on others (78s, Axs, AJ, JQ...) There are other hands, like in the example that you cited, that are profitable in late position but not in early position. Two off the button it would be nice to raise to try to knock out the CO and the button but if they fold often this could be a good hand to limp with in position. Lastly, and the importance of this again varies due to the games that you are playing in, it is often important to play hands that are not worth a raise in an attempt to disguise your holding when you are in a pot in the future.

-Steve