Pre-Flop Raising vs Table Full of Calling Stations

[jn137]

Here is a situation I seem to run into frequently in cash games.
**I'd like to add - I am not referring to having a call-station at the table, rather the table is basically full of them**

You have a table full of call-happy gamblers that want to be in every hand. Throw it all out the window - Range, Position, Bet sizing is no factor to them here, because once upon a time they saw the flop come out 7,7,2. They limp in with basically everything, whether its AA or J3o, then snap call any reasonably sized raise.

My issue here, is that I tend to struggle between (what I would consider) the basically two types of play you have to choose from in these situations. Considering that "standard" pre-flop play / sizing will basically get you nowhere as you will be heading 5, 6 or more ways to the flop seemingly every hand.

So, your options are to:
-Over bet, by a huge amount, hoping to actually isolate at least a few players.
-Or, you can limp in with them into the flops you'd like to play and see what happens. I am not a fan of limping except in very specific situations, however, if we are raising 3x, 4x, 5x bb and getting the entire table to call, what really is the difference other than potentially losing more $?

How do you like to handle these situations?

 

[Andyreas]

I'm not a cash player but sometimes I also experience something similar in my MTTs.

Maybe not a table full of calling stations but quite a few limpers who call a raise anyway.

I've also made a few bad experiences with raising big, since they'll call anyway, as you said. And you can still miss the flop with AK or even if you hit a pair, since they have any two cards, they can also have two pair or whatever. 🤣

So I tend to fold my weakest hands, limp behind with any decent hand and only raise the true monsters but here I raise big.

Still hard to handle but at least in the MTTs at some point those fishies will drop out - opposed to the cash table.

Maybe you can also try to change the table?

 

[722Wade722]

Here is a situation I seem to run into frequently in cash games.
**I'd like to add - I am not referring to having a call-station at the table, rather the table is basically full of them**

You have a table full of call-happy gamblers that want to be in every hand. Throw it all out the window - Range, Position, Bet sizing is no factor to them here, because once upon a time they saw the flop come out 7,7,2. They limp in with basically everything, whether its AA or J3o, then snap call any reasonably sized raise.

My issue here, is that I tend to struggle between (what I would consider) the basically two types of play you have to choose from in these situations. Considering that "standard" pre-flop play / sizing will basically get you nowhere as you will be heading 5, 6 or more ways to the flop seemingly every hand.

So, your options are to:
-Over bet, by a huge amount, hoping to actually isolate at least a few players.
-Or, you can limp in with them into the flops you'd like to play and see what happens. I am not a fan of limping except in very specific situations, however, if we are raising 3x, 4x, 5x bb and getting the entire table to call, what really is the difference other than potentially losing more $?

How do you like to handle these situations?

I tighten up my ranges, and will make an open with a premium hand accounting for all those that have limped in(ill 3x open and add a BB for each limped hand) knowing it’s possible they all may call and go from there. If it continues to be a bingo table I’ll bounce and find another table. I luckily have ran into this once before but I found once I started playing my hands and bets a bit more aggressively they stopped limping every hand or they left lol

 

[steve01991]

when that happens, i go with the flow and only play premium hands, never raising until after the flop. better to judge who stays in and what they can possible have

 

[kunkgreen]

I'm not a cash game player either.
In the mtts of life, if I have patience, I just wait for premium cards to come, and I play more passively.
If I'm not patient enough, I'll fight fire with fire! hahahaha
I start playing like an idiot... opening raises to 15x preflop and so on.

So in short, it depends on my mood.
Limpers are annoying... people who have aces limp damage are bound to be losers at poker. This is a fact!
Not that there is a manual that we should follow, but anyone who plays poker knows how 'dumb' this attitude is...
ps: in PLO I love to limp! hahahaha

 

[vardann]

if you play by bankroll management and stick to the table for preflop games, I do not understand, sorry, what is your difficulty, are you absolutely right in your judgments and an inflated 3 bet bet or if several players entered the hand to raise 4 or 5 bet does not solve your problem? ՛it should be in your favor that at the table several players come into the hand with all sorts of hands, play your game
it's much harder when everyone is playing tight

 

[LUKADONCICMVP]

tight is right like Phill Helmuth said

 

[kitchy65]

I'm not a cash player but sometimes I also experience something similar in my MTTs.

Maybe not a table full of calling stations but quite a few limpers who call a raise anyway.

I've also made a few bad experiences with raising big, since they'll call anyway, as you said. And you can still miss the flop with AK

A significant number of poker players would agree with you...I used to be like that.

It's holding you back. Stop limping.

Yes, you are going to be beat by stupid people. There's little point calling them recreational players, they're just stupid people.

But if you don't raise correctly with your good hands, when you do hit you aren't going to be winning big pots.

 

[Kinalha]

Here is a situation I seem to run into frequently in cash games.
**I'd like to add - I am not referring to having a call-station at the table, rather the table is basically full of them**

You have a table full of call-happy gamblers that want to be in every hand. Throw it all out the window - Range, Position, Bet sizing is no factor to them here, because once upon a time they saw the flop come out 7,7,2. They limp in with basically everything, whether its AA or J3o, then snap call any reasonably sized raise.

My issue here, is that I tend to struggle between (what I would consider) the basically two types of play you have to choose from in these situations. Considering that "standard" pre-flop play / sizing will basically get you nowhere as you will be heading 5, 6 or more ways to the flop seemingly every hand.

So, your options are to:
-Over bet, by a huge amount, hoping to actually isolate at least a few players.
-Or, you can limp in with them into the flops you'd like to play and see what happens. I am not a fan of limping except in very specific situations, however, if we are raising 3x, 4x, 5x bb and getting the entire table to call, what really is the difference other than potentially losing more $?

How do you like to handle these situations?

if you is playing at 9 seats table, go to tables 6-max, and make a agressive play against limpers, 90% of the time vs your premium hands, the limps are for hit trash hands, and you gonna win the most of the time

 

[Gallarado777]

I think not only in cash games this is how to fight with different hands and are put on any raise and call with such cards that it's very funny to see how to fight this later I think you should just play better because you have to play and you will always be in the black at distances

 

[hilary antonik filho]

Here is a situation I seem to run into frequently in cash games.
**I'd like to add - I am not referring to having a call-station at the table, rather the table is basically full of them**

You have a table full of call-happy gamblers that want to be in every hand. Throw it all out the window - Range, Position, Bet sizing is no factor to them here, because once upon a time they saw the flop come out 7,7,2. They limp in with basically everything, whether its AA or J3o, then snap call any reasonably sized raise.

My issue here, is that I tend to struggle between (what I would consider) the basically two types of play you have to choose from in these situations. Considering that "standard" pre-flop play / sizing will basically get you nowhere as you will be heading 5, 6 or more ways to the flop seemingly every hand.

So, your options are to:
-Over bet, by a huge amount, hoping to actually isolate at least a few players.
-Or, you can limp in with them into the flops you'd like to play and see what happens. I am not a fan of limping except in very specific situations, however, if we are raising 3x, 4x, 5x bb and getting the entire table to call, what really is the difference other than potentially losing more $?

How do you like to handle these situations?

I agree with you, what difference does it make besides losing money, I'm kind of crazy, when you give me five minutes, I throw everything on the table, it's difficult, I've witnessed this situation, I don't want to give an opinion, any opinion of mine, it's going to be worse than you can imagine , good luck, and a lot of patience