How to Limp Into Pots Pre-Flop?

Some positive things do happen when you limp into pots, but they don’t happen all too often. Most times the best play will always be to put in a raise before the flop, and try and win the hand before any cards come out. The main reason you limp into hands is if you are playing in a live cash game. Almost always you will be able to limp into a live cash game at the lower stakes and can see a flop very cheap. If you look to raise in weak low stakes cash games you could end up losing more than you are making from players calling. Almost always it is different when playing in live cash games compared to online cash games. Online cash games you should never limp into pots before the flop mainly because it doesn’t make sense to do so. If you play 10 tables of online cash games at once you shouldn’t limp into pots for more reasons than it is just horrible. It is horrible because when you limp into a pot, you have now opened yourself up to be run over. You have shown that you have a weak hand and online players will instantly attack you, and put you to a tough decision. This tough decision can cost you your stack if you aren’t careful.

When you raise before the flop, you are also indicating to a poker table that you have a good hand. This good hand doesn’t have to be a monster hand, but it is good enough for you to raise with and the rest of the table to fold to. When you see that this is happening it is a good thing, and you shouldn’t look to not keep doing it. If you notice that a table is three betting a ton before the flop and forcing you to fold, you can either look to four bet before the flop or limp into pots and just call pre-flop raises. Often times limping and calling is a very weak play, but one instance where it is almost undetected is in $1/$2 live cash games, with buy-ins ranging from $100-$400.

When you sit down to play a session of live no limit poker you should think about certain things at all times. One of those things is how to get value from the other players at the table. This should be at the top of your list because when you get the maximum value, you make more money per session. Little things about poker sessions can make or break you in the end and limping into pots in small stakes games is a good start in the right direction. The reason it is acceptable to limp into pots before the flop in 200NL live cash games is because no player pays attention to pre-flop aggression. Post flop play and value betting hands is about all it is when playing 200NL. You should almost never bluff and you shouldn’t raise pots with marginal hands. You can easily get it all in after the flop or turn regardless of what money is in the pot to start off. It is remarkable really that if you go to any casino you will find that all the players and games are virtually the same. All of the players are bad, and they actually allow you to get away with limping into a pot from early position. If you start to put in a raise before the flop often times you get smack three bet and have to fold before the flop. A smack three bet is like you opening a pot to $8 and them bumping it to $50. This is not what you want to happen ever. You just want to see a flop and get value post flop if you make your hand. Hands that are good to limp with in live cash games are almost every suited connector and all smaller to middle pocket pairs. If you stick to that range of hands, you should have some success and get paid off when you make your hands.