Poker Tournament Strategy – Avoiding The Limp
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.
There are of course times when you do want to limp in a tournament, and typically that will be when you are holding a strong hand and want to trap your opponent. By limping in you\’re showing weakness in the hope your opponents will bet, allowing you to extract more money from the pot. A good player may even limp with the intention of outplaying their opponents post-flop, but in a standard online tournament, starting with only 1500 chips, there really isn\’t a lot of room for this type of manouver.
Low blind limping can often be attributed to players holding lower pairs, suited connectors or weak aces. So if you\’re in late position and you have a big pair or a strong ace you should be trying to take command of the pot by raising pre-flop. Usually a continuation bet is going to win the hand for you.
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Nice article,
As a fairly new player in the online poker world I must admit I’m guilty of limping in early position too often even though I know I shouldn’t. Seems like the biggest opponent you have to defeat is yourself sometimes.
Chris.