What to do about limpers

jugglegeek

I've always thought that if your hand is good enough to play (pre-flop) then always raise, by at least 3x the BB. But so often, in live games and online, I find myself able to check from the big blind with any two cards.

This presents a number of problems. When I raise with good hole cards it gets no respect and I frequently come un-stuck because someone called with K3 and hit two-pair against my AK or something.

Then what do you do if you check from the big blind with four or five limpers and then hit top pair on the flop? If you have T4off and you hit top pair with a pair of tens. Chances are you are either ahead with many opponants holding over cards, or behind with kicker issues.

My recent tactic on cash games was to make redonkulous overbets pre-flop to scare off the limpers. But that makes poker much more expensive

jugglegeek

Classic example. Why is this dude calling with the hand he has pre-flop?

Player	Action	Cards	Amount	Pot	Balance
jugglegeek	Small blind		£0.05	£0.05	£6.32
mickyg52	Big blind		£0.10	£0.15	£6.90
	Your hole cards	K K
livs99	Call		£0.10	£0.25	£12.47
Doherty14	Raise		£0.20	£0.45	£4.60
jugglegeek	Raise		£0.45	£0.90	£5.87
mickyg52	Fold
livs99	Call		£0.40	£1.30	£12.07
Doherty14	Call		£0.30	£1.60	£4.30
Flop
		8 J 2
jugglegeek	Bet		£1.60	£3.20	£4.27
livs99	Raise		£3.20	£6.40	£8.87
Doherty14	Fold
jugglegeek	All-in		£4.27	£10.67	£0.00
livs99	Call		£2.67	£13.34	£6.20
jugglegeek	Show	K K
livs99	Show	J 8
Turn
		3
River
		A
livs99	Win	Two Pairs, Jacks and 8s	£12.33		£18.53

djgrevo

I would raise more pre, over bet for value at lower stakes. You don't want so many callers with KK, you want to be heads up towards the flop i would suggest.
Regards
Dan

hamster880

Hi

The situation above with the raise and re-raise and then the limpers calling I think your main mistake was not to re-raise again. With cards like aces/kk you do not want more than two, ideally one person in the pot -too easily cracked. Or alternatively get in all in preflop, if you are called by someone, unless you are against aces, you are a massive favourite to win.

You also got to remember the more limpers into the pot more appealing the pot odds are - so you are likely to get caller with crapper hands. Hence, when the pot preflop is already quite big cos of alot of limpers, and say your are in the big blind with a very strong hand you must not raise mulitples of the blinds, but multiples of the pot to force people to have unappealing pot odds to call.

Just my thoughts...

penguin7

This is just a sick bad beat and they happen ! Being critical your preflop reraise could have been bigger and was always likely to end up with you seeing a flop 3 handed. Always think of what you are trying to acheive with a reraise.

Starting the hand with only £6.32 in front of you is also a factor. Players may have a go with marginal hands if they have a larger stack, knowing you cant put them allin.

I think its worth topping up if you go down to less than  80% of the maximum. If you are not comfortable doing this you are probably playing at too high a level.

unknown_username

In Response to Re: What to do about limpers:

This is just a sick bad beat and they happen ! Being critical your preflop reraise could have been bigger and was always likely to end up with you seeing a flop 3 handed . Always think of what you are trying to acheive with a reraise. Starting the hand with only £6.32 in front of you is also a factor. Players may have a go with marginal hands if they have a larger stack, knowing you cant put them allin. I think its worth topping up if you go down to less than  80% of the maximum. If you are not comfortable doing this you are probably playing at too high a level.
Posted by penguin7

+1. Could'nt agree more. I play on the smaller tables and a bigger re-raise would have been a lot better here. I find big overbets at this level work quite well also and as Penguin says an all-in with your stack gets called quite alot. Also, i find waiting for the monster hands on these tables works well with the amount of callers, you were just unfortunate on your example, basically, play tight and aggressive and you will see results from my experience.