Small Blind Limping

OK so a lot of people have told me never to limp in to a pot, if you are going to enter a pot enter with a raise to represent the power of your hand.

That makes a lot of sense so have been applying it a lot, however when you are in small blind position and UTG folded and UTG+1 folded, UTG+2 flat called, UTG+3 flat called and now it is on me.

Remember I play 0.02-0.04 stakes. Now I have already contributed 0.02 to the pot. Considering the 2 players behind me have only limped into pot and it will only cost me another 0.02 to enter the pot am I right to limp in with mediocre hands or am I best to just fold.

By mediocre hands I mean most connected from 78+, Q8+, most suited cards. Do you reckon I will save money in the long run by folding and saving that 0.02 ? It may sound daft as it is only a small amount but over 10k hands it will sure add up.

At the moment when in small blind I have been limping and although I win quite a few with these mediocre hands do you think I would save more in the long run by just folding ?

Thanks in advance for your answers, hope you are all having a good day.

C62

Carol_W said:

OK so a lot of people have told me never to limp in to a pot, if you are going to enter a pot enter with a raise to represent the power of your hand.

That makes a lot of sense so have been applying it a lot, however when you are in small blind position and UTG folded and UTG+1 folded, UTG+2 flat called, UTG+3 flat called and now it is on me.

Remember I play 0.02-0.04 stakes. Now I have already contributed 0.02 to the pot. Considering the 2 players behind me have only limped into pot and it will only cost me another 0.02 to enter the pot am I right to limp in with mediocre hands or am I best to just fold.

By mediocre hands I mean most connected from 78+, Q8+, most suited cards. Do you reckon I will save money in the long run by folding and saving that 0.02 ? It may sound daft as it is only a small amount but over 10k hands it will sure add up.

At the moment when in small blind I have been limping and although I win quite a few with these mediocre hands do you think I would save more in the long run by just folding ?

Thanks in advance for your answers, hope you are all having a good day.

C62

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Playing mediocre hands OOP in multiway pots is just making things hard for yourself. I'd still prefer raising over limping as you'll make more money doing this. Punishing limpers can be very profitable!

So you are saying basically even if everyone to act before you has folded and it is down to you the small blind and the big blind left in the hand, unless you have got a hand that you are willing to raise with then fold, do not open limp into the pot.

OK so I will take this on board, thanks for answering. So one last question if you do not mind. What are your thoughts on playing small pocket pairs from this position.

Small blind with say 66, UTG flat calls, next two fold and it is on you. Do you suggest I enter the pot with a raise ? No matter what hand I raise with pre flop it is always a 3bb raise.

Usually with 66 no matter what position I am in with 66+ I will open limp and hope that I hit trips, if I do not I fold to any raise or check it out if I can.

So like I said if UTG flat calls, the next 2 fold then it is on me. Would it be wise to raise my usual 3bb with 66 ? If sb and UTG call and the flop comes with say 2 over cards, do I continue bet after the flop and then if both players call, do I then check the turn or what ? Or continue bet all the way and hope they do not hit or I hit trips ?

As for continue bets in that kind of situation, what would you suggest ? I have been given some good advice to keep all bets the same size as I used to bet 50% of the pot when I hit bottom pair of the flop, 70% when I hit middle pair and the full pot when I hit top pair.

However I was told that good players will eventually pick up on this style of play so always bet the same percentage so no matter what you have it is hard for them to determine.

Therefor I have just been betting 2/3 of the pot no matter what I hit. The problem with that is that if I raise into a pot with low pockets and there is 2 over cards after the flop and I raise 2/3 the pot and get 2 callers. It is then getting dearer and dearer after the turn and then the river to keep betting 2/3 the pot.

Anyway let me know what you think please and have a good night.

C62

I think completing is fine. Raising achieves zilch since these people won't fold so why inflate the pot?

If we bink then they still wont fold and we make moneys but how often do we bink?

However, iso raising is great when IP since fish often play fit or fold in these situations when OOP.

Never limp in to a pot means you don't open limp but there is nothing wrong with limping behind a limper.

Its utterly wrong to suggest that one should never limp behind on micro stakes. I regularly see regs making absolutely stupid squeeze play OOP only to be called by the uber fish then getting called on the flop bet as well then they give up and we see the fish takes the pot with bottom pair in the end.

In the SB you can call with marginal hands if it's gonna be a multi way pot and only raise premiums from the small blind.

And btw if you have mega fish on your left playing almost every hand then it is actually okay to open limp your hands. Although I still prefer 2xBB open in such situations.

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Hi there Carol
Completing the extra 2c behind other limpers is fine but as you indicated do it with hands of promise like connectors not with hands like Q4 J3. Even winning players struggle to make any profits from the blinds. You are nearly always out of position which is a significant disadvantage against better players.
Depending on the number of limpers you also have first bet on the turn. If it gets checked around on a dry flop like Q72 and the board pairs then take a shot at it with air and you will take it down plenty. You need to bluff a bit more with these hands to offset the drain of limping oop.
When I settle in at a table and it is folded to me in the sb I always just complete to see how the bb reacts. If he 3 bets then try to play the odd decent holding against him by just completing. Blind on blind im raising any hand with a Q or better unless someone defends very aggressively.
In 9 handed full ring It doesnt often fold to the sb. If it does consider that there is a better chance than usual that the bb may have something like an ace.

Figaroo2 said:

Hi there Carol
Completing the extra 2c behind other limpers is fine but as you indicated do it with hands of promise like connectors not with hands like Q4 J3. Even winning players struggle to make any profits from the blinds. You are nearly always out of position which is a significant disadvantage against better players.
Depending on the number of limpers you also have first bet on the turn. If it gets checked around on a dry flop like Q72 and the board pairs then take a shot at it with air and you will take it down plenty. You need to bluff a bit more with these hands to offset the drain of limping oop.
When I settle in at a table and it is folded to me in the sb I always just complete to see how the bb reacts. If he 3 bets then try to play the odd decent holding against him by just completing. Blind on blind im raising any hand with a Q or better unless someone defends very aggressively.
In 9 handed full ring It doesnt often fold to the sb. If it does consider that there is a better chance than usual that the bb may have something like an ace.

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No offence but some of that advise is really bad. bluffing in the SB in multi way pots at the micros? Good luck with that.

And when the action folds around to your SB you should pretty much never limp as you want fold equity. Letting your opponent see the flop for free IP is going to do no good.

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Why would you hesitate in limping?

> with a cheap price

> and a multiway pot

Nothing wrong with limping with small pocket pair especially when you were in late position and everyone else were just calling the blind or fold to you.

hffjd2000 said:

Why would you hesitate in limping?

> with a cheap price

> and a multiway pot

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To play Devil's advocate...you have to play the worst position every subsequent street....

That being said I like completing marginal hands bc I have strong confidence in my postflop play.

WHEELMAGIC!!