Limping In Poker Tournaments, And When To Avoid It
You know you have limped in no limit tournaments, just like everybody else. Limping seems week, because usually the act of calling releases control of the hand to someone else at the table. But is limping a viable strategy when all of the poker training you hear about these days always leans to play more aggressive?
Surely, as in all poker situations the answer is of course “it depends”. There is to be sure, a reason to limp in particular situations. The problem with limping however, is that uninitiated players tend to do it excessively, and from the wrong position. Consistent limping in early position in online poker tournament is a formula for a poor strategy.
Limping from early position can be very costly. For a start, you don’t know what players behind you are going to do, and you could end up limping and then being forced to call a larger bet, or fold because your hand simply isn’t strong enough. Don’t forget that in a tournament you’re not playing for cash, and so mathematically correct plays are not always best – your only concern is increasing your stack and a bet saved is as good as a bet won.
The second problem with limping is simply that most flops will not even give you a pair. In fact only around one in three flops will pair with one of your hold cards. And of course when you miss the flop, you risk your opponent taking control of the hand with a post flop raise, putting you in a tough spot.
Now you can use limping to your advantage however, and this is virtually always done in position or in an effort to set a trap. Good players in fact, will use this as a tactic with the purpose of out-playing their adversaries after the flop, while utilizing pot control and profiling. Still however, if your normal starting chips are only fifteen hundred you’ll won’t have much room for error, so strategically, limping is better in order to keep your costs low.
Often when you see players limping when the blinds are low, you can put them on small pairs, suited connectors or ace-rags. If you’re holding a decent hand like a big pair or big slick, you can often take control by reraising. A continuation bet after the flop will then likely win the pot assuming your oppont misses the flop.
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