dj11
Legend
Silver Level
I used to limp a whole lot. I have changed to occasionally. I will almost always limp into a 3 limper pot from the small blind. Pot odds dictate it.
One of the great things about a big stack is the ability to limp in with a looser range of starting hands.
I do still use limping as a way to try to tone down a high flying table early in tourneys. This is a weird usage. Maniac on table, I'm sitting out unless I get dealt top 3 hands. I chat it up a bit to make sure everyone knows I'm discriminating. Meantime the maniac is raising, the action junkies are following, and it is insane. 2 orbits in, so many are gone, damaged, or have already given up, that I might limp in EP with cards I would raise in LP. Surprisingly this sometimes starts a limpfest, which has the effect of slowing down the action to something approaching 'normal'.
If it has no effect on the players, that I finally got involved and decided to just limp, then the table is not ready yet to calm down and start the grind. It seems to be working maybe 60% of the time tho.
Late in tourneys there are times to limp with drawing hands and a big stack.
Overall, I finally figured out that limping is self crippling.
As for a total 'No Limp' policy. That I think would be wrong headed. Limping is a poker tool that will perform specific jobs well, better than any other tool, but it is too often used like a screwdriver when a hammer is the right tool.
One of the great things about a big stack is the ability to limp in with a looser range of starting hands.
I do still use limping as a way to try to tone down a high flying table early in tourneys. This is a weird usage. Maniac on table, I'm sitting out unless I get dealt top 3 hands. I chat it up a bit to make sure everyone knows I'm discriminating. Meantime the maniac is raising, the action junkies are following, and it is insane. 2 orbits in, so many are gone, damaged, or have already given up, that I might limp in EP with cards I would raise in LP. Surprisingly this sometimes starts a limpfest, which has the effect of slowing down the action to something approaching 'normal'.
If it has no effect on the players, that I finally got involved and decided to just limp, then the table is not ready yet to calm down and start the grind. It seems to be working maybe 60% of the time tho.
Late in tourneys there are times to limp with drawing hands and a big stack.
Overall, I finally figured out that limping is self crippling.
As for a total 'No Limp' policy. That I think would be wrong headed. Limping is a poker tool that will perform specific jobs well, better than any other tool, but it is too often used like a screwdriver when a hammer is the right tool.
royalburrito24
Legend
Silver Level
recently I have had much success with limping in early in a large MTT.
I would limp in every suited connector and decent hand and make my normal raises with AQ and up...but limping in with pocket pairs doesnt get you in trouble
I limp early on and when i hit better than a pair I let all of the maniacs pay me off, otherwise I hardly play at all, then as soon as I accumulate enough chips and all of the donks are out, I can start playing my power poker into the money
I would limp in every suited connector and decent hand and make my normal raises with AQ and up...but limping in with pocket pairs doesnt get you in trouble
I limp early on and when i hit better than a pair I let all of the maniacs pay me off, otherwise I hardly play at all, then as soon as I accumulate enough chips and all of the donks are out, I can start playing my power poker into the money
rainsoaked
Rock Star
Silver Level
I think a no limp policy has its place early in the learning process -- to foster better hand selection, raise/fold habits, that sort of thing. (edit to add: or to correct over-limpage at any point of the learning process 
Stick66
Legend
Silver Level
Good question. For the answer, I think another question should lead up to it. That would be: Why would I be raising and not limping?
I think it depends on table read. At a mostly solid table, raising preflop weeds out marginal hands and conveys strength on later streets. But at a loose or donkish table, raising doesn't always do the job you intend it to do. Tenbob wrote up a nice post a while back regarding how to play $10NL tables. In many cases at that level, raising an unmade hand preflop doesn't have much effect. The looser the table, the more likely a gambler will call a raise just to see a flop and would stay with 3rd pair to the river. In that case, it might be better just to limp a pair of 5's rather than raise.
Anyway. Since my policy changes table to table, my answer to the original question would be "no".
I think it depends on table read. At a mostly solid table, raising preflop weeds out marginal hands and conveys strength on later streets. But at a loose or donkish table, raising doesn't always do the job you intend it to do. Tenbob wrote up a nice post a while back regarding how to play $10NL tables. In many cases at that level, raising an unmade hand preflop doesn't have much effect. The looser the table, the more likely a gambler will call a raise just to see a flop and would stay with 3rd pair to the river. In that case, it might be better just to limp a pair of 5's rather than raise.
Anyway. Since my policy changes table to table, my answer to the original question would be "no".
Dorkus Malorkus
HELLO INTERNET
Silver Level
3 players limp in EP/MP in the early stages of a tourney, you're on the button with 44, what do you do if you have a 'no limp policy' - minraise?
I guess it's a useful tool in practicing aggression, but as a standalone strategy it's inherently flawed.
Of course if you're playing with short effective stacks then never limping is far more feasible.
I guess it's a useful tool in practicing aggression, but as a standalone strategy it's inherently flawed.
Of course if you're playing with short effective stacks then never limping is far more feasible.
blankoblanco
plays poker on hard mode
Silver Level
yeah, obviously a no limp policy doesn't make sense for purposes of hands with huge implied odds like small pairs. a no open-limping policy, on the other hand, makes plenty of sense.
at 200NL 6 max i have never open limped, but i'm never going to say i never will. there are too many different circumstances and opponents in poker to be so absolute with things like that, i think. i might have a read that a player will always try to take the dead money with a raise if players limp in LP so i can potentially use that to my advantage by limping a big hand
at 200NL 6 max i have never open limped, but i'm never going to say i never will. there are too many different circumstances and opponents in poker to be so absolute with things like that, i think. i might have a read that a player will always try to take the dead money with a raise if players limp in LP so i can potentially use that to my advantage by limping a big hand
T
TheReaper
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Sorry, yeah, that's what I was talking about. I should've clarified. I've heard of people incorporating this and was interested in some feedback. I would think that having a no limp policy is going to require some pretty strong postflop play since you could be playing more marginal hands more aggressively.
tnt72
Rock Star
Silver Level
Depending on the table, if I,m in the 6th seat or better I will put a standard raise(3-4 x bb) if I'm coming in to an unraised pot (regardless of my cards) I've found this works better 1 or 2 spots off the button. This my sound a little unorthidox but you'll be suprised how many pots you'll take down right there. You have to pick your spots and know when to fold out. But all in all it's just one more weapon to use in MTT's .
.
OzExorcist
Broomcorn's uncle
Bronze Level
I played one live rebuy tournament with a no-limp strategy and did OK with it, wound up about 30th out of 150-odd players.
In general though, I don't like to set hard and fast rules on my play. For one, it makes you predictable and two, it lessens your options.
In general though, I don't like to set hard and fast rules on my play. For one, it makes you predictable and two, it lessens your options.
belladonna05
belladonkin'
Loyaler
I hope someone can give me a better idea on this, but I always limp in with small pps. Seems I don't hit on these most of the time, kinda like my always griping about jacks which should probably be listed under hex hands lol.
