How to play against a swarm of limpers / calling stations ?

Fahrenheit451

Fahrenheit451

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Hi !

Some days ago I played a freeroll at intertops.
It was the most unusual scene I've ever seen in tournaments: Everyone limps in on every hand. If someone raises, everyone calls (except me).

What are most usefull strategy in such cases ?
Participate in LimpFest ?
You cannot bluff and if you wait for a strong hand, you could wait forever.

This reminds me of home poker where all go to showdown and strongest hand wins.
 
Robochick

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If it were me I would wait for a good hand.
 
Fahrenheit451

Fahrenheit451

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If it were me I would wait for a good hand.

That's what I've done.
I was happy to get some monster hands and doubled my stack 3 or four times. Then I was able to bully them all, ... some time, before I was busted ;)

But I'm not sure, that was right strategy.
 
Andrew Popov

Andrew Popov

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You have three options:
1. Do not play with these people ...
2. Play your best hands, waiting for their dozens of hands.
3. Play as they do.

The third option is not complicated. See cheap flops with potentially strong hands and be active when you get your nuts.
 
F

Fastone2

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I would wait to get pocket 88 or better, then go all in. Or play a higher stakes game an bluff more often...
 
BuzzKillington

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Fold and wait for a hand that does better in multi-way pots, or join the limp fest.

If I have a premium hand (QQ+), then raise the pot to a huge amount. This will usually eliminate most limpers, except for one or two.
 
B

Bowanawana2

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Exercise patience, sit out, go get a drink, don't think about it. or just go all in like any fish would do.
 
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Bowanawana2

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You have three options:
1. Do not play with these people ...
2. Play your best hands, waiting for their dozens of hands.
3. Play as they do.

The third option is not complicated. See cheap flops with potentially strong hands and be active when you get your nuts.
I agree!
 
Douglas Gonzaga

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Wait a strong hand and send it all
 
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Jon474

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Just my thoughts, not saying they are correct...

Have a hand and be in position. If you just want one opponent then raise. If you want a multiway pot then bet to add value to the pot...they are going to call, after all.

Perhaps play a few tournaments where you don’t mind about the result or your table image (you are investing in your poker) and just try out raises against them until you find their folding threshold? 2BB, 3BB, 1/2 pot...

Folding happily
Jon
 
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agriggy

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just make it expensive to call with a decent hand and take them to the bank with a good hand.
 
Fahrenheit451

Fahrenheit451

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You have three options:
1. Do not play with these people ...
2. Play your best hands, waiting for their dozens of hands.
3. Play as they do.

The third option is not complicated. See cheap flops with potentially strong hands and be active when you get your nuts.

I agree with you.
The pity is that not one of these strategies give me an advantage.
 
T

the0

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the best poker style is loose aggressive Imo
 
K

karl coakley

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You have three options:
1. Do not play with these people ...
2. Play your best hands, waiting for their dozens of hands.
3. Play as they do.

The third option is not complicated. See cheap flops with potentially strong hands and be active when you get your nuts.

I think this is the right answer.

Except I would add a 4th option. Start shoving.

That is most likely what I would do. It would be # 1 (sit out) or my #4 (start shoving) depending on the blinds.

I would avoid 2 and 3 for two reasons.

First, if I play as they do I'm just going to be leaking chips. This is a hole in your game if you even consider it, is only encouraging them, and can lead to bad habits.

Second, playing your best hands can also be a bad idea. When you are playing a bunch of calling stations that are going to take 3,4,5 hands to a flop against yours, that is all kinds of bad. Even AA is only going to be 50/50 which is not what I'm looking for. You are putting yourself in a position to lose a big pot.
 
pr0serbian

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1.Hit big against calling station
2.Milk him like a cow lool
 
Shalarin

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easy way...playing super tight and waiting for your monsters..don't waste monea in limping..it's useless between all those idiots :)
 
U

UrsinusMaximus

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If everyone is limping, then there is a great opportunity to limp with your suited connectors or even non-suited connectors. Most of the time you can just fold on the flop in response to any action, but if you hit you will end up with a big multiway pot.
Since noone is paying attention to your tendencies in freerolls, you can raise your premium hands enormously and usually end up heads up or three-way to the flop.
 
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zzOGzz

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play tight and to play premium hands as aggressively as possible.
 
Shalarin

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It turns out so to play?:confused:

Yes it does for me. But of course it depends on the kind of tournament. But I try to avoid limping mostly. It get's you so much often in difficult situations were you loose chips. saving the chips and using them if you have a nice hand to pay agressive fells much better and is more successfull (for me) :)
 
Bozovicdj

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Well, there is no good answer here. Logical explanation is to wait for monsters and exploit limpers, but it is too much of a wait, and knowing freerolls, your chips are getting burned pretty fast with blinds getting up. I would suggest trying to limp as well with suited connectors, or raising pot size pre flop with medium hands, which you are hoping will induce others to just fold and give you several blinds every time they limp and u raise.
 
eidikos

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hi!
i belive you had to be tight aggressive
with bigger raises preflop, most times with position
 
Fahrenheit451

Fahrenheit451

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Playing tight aggressive as many here advocate is worst strategy.
1) you can wait for hours, or until blinds eat you up
2) in 7 way pot you will be busted with your AA easy
 
Anatoliy Tolik

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These situations need to be seen clearly, but most likely the thing is wrong bets
 
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ucdengboss

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Playing tight aggressive as many here advocate is worst strategy.
1) you can wait for hours, or until blinds eat you up
2) in 7 way pot you will be busted with your AA easy
Yes you may wait only to find yourself in a 5+ handed pot with AA or KK. Just remember that if you shove pre not all 5 or 7 may call. Maybe 3 or 4 will. While this still may be too many for comfort when your hand does hold up you are not doubling up, you are tripling or quadrupling up. This should give you some time to wait for another premium hand as the blinds start to eat at you.

If the pots are not raised seeing the flop with a small or medium pair hoping to hit a set is a good idea. A set is very strong and holds well in multi way pots.

Remember that in these free rolls it is very common not only to have 5+ to the flop but that 3 or 4 make it to showdown. Therefore you need to realize situations where you showdown a strong hand.
 
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fezjones

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Jam 77+ as long as there's 6 people or fewer in the pot
 
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