Limping with AA in NL and in tornies

[BrianSwa]

anyone else do this? I have been doing this over at full tilt at $25 NL and it seems to be making me alot more money. I mean limping in early position, I have been limping with it and having someone raise in late position and then comming over the top and making good money. There is always that chance that its not gonna be raised but I think thats a chance im willing to take.

Am I making a mistake by limping with it?

[Reel Deal]

Does this really need to be answered?

[BrianSwa]

Id like to know, I know it can bite you in the ass but is there certain times you can justify doing it?

If you all dont want to answer it fine Ill get it answered elsewere.

[junYUN]

the only reason i limp with AA is if im at a table full of maniacs.. or im in the SB and everyone folds to me. there's no way you can justify limping with this hand in just a random $25NL table.. you're just asking for trouble.

i dont even know why im bothering, because you should know the answer to this question, but whatever.

[BrianSwa]

thank you Jun....


Im a fish, I dont know nothing about this silly game you know that. Thanks again for answer.

[Talking Poker]

It's perfectly fine to limp in with AA from EP on occasion, but I wouldn't make a habit of it. I believe Harrington recomments doing it about 20% of the time.... I find myself doing it about 5% of the time (if that).

I HATE losing with AA though, so I prefer to decrease the chance of that happening by playing it strong. I'd much rather win a small pot with AA than lose a big one with it...

[BrianSwa]

I know what you mean a guy just let me see a flop supercheap think he doubled the blind at most so I called with KJ and flop came down KK-, he had AA and lost a $100 pot. I guess its only Ok to do if you are able to get away from AA, for players that cant seem to lay down AA dont think limping should ever be done.

[Zybomb]

Limping in with AA for me comes down to a few issues, all of which must be met (usually)

- I must be UTG or UTG+1 ... at an extremely aggressive table I may violate this rule.... my position would not matter as much as if I am the first one entering....once there is a limp in front of me (even UTG and Im UTG+1) I will never limp, it just encourages too much (unwanted) action

- I must believe that there will be a PFR by someone at least 66% of the time

- It is not common for once a person limps, several others to limp also, including with strong but not huge hands they would normally raise with

Side Notes: Now people are cautious when they see an UTG or UTG +1 (full table) limper and are raising with less hands -- this decreases the effectiveness of this move... however you can use that to your advantage sometimes without AA. Say you limp UTG with XX, it is folded to LP who raises and there is one caller....you can now represent AA by tossing in a large reraise.... even if you are called, unless the caller connects big with the flop (ID say TP if its AK only, or an over pair are the BARE minimum that people would even consider a call with.) you should take down the pot with a CB

It is also important to have strong post flop play if you plan on limping with AA assuming no raise occurs. Play it hard and fast, but be able to read the board, put your opponents on hands, and fold the over pair if you believe 1 pair is not good.

In HU I limp with AA 50% of the time and raise 50%. The times that I limp, I play it extremely hard after the flop every time. Bet and raise. I dont want people catching up.

[badblood44]

Ya know...AA is just another hand. If you can disassociate yourself from it's inherent pre-flop strength and realize post flop that it's more often than not, just a high pair, you may find it easier to lay down when the situation dictates.

I guess I'm just saying don't fall in love with AA. It'll only bring you heartache.

[Reel Deal]

I can understand some of the rare circumstances where one might limp with aces, but to me it would be the same as having TPTK or two pair after the flop with a draw-heavy board, you gonna check or lead out with a weak bet then? No, of course not, so why do essentially the same thing pre-flop? It just rarely makes sense to me. You're well ahead preflop so why let people in on the cheap?

[Talking Poker]

That's not it... It's not that I can't lay it down, because I can. That just falls into the "losing with it" category. All I'm saying is that it frustrates me, and that can't be good for my game (at that very momemt).

Let me give you two non-extreme scenarios and try to illustrate my mental health after each of them:

1. I get AA, raise, get one caller, make a CB at the flop and he folds. I won some chips, and I'm feeling good. I just had AA. Things are going my way.

2. I get AA, limp, 3 others follow. The board seems harmless enough, but I run into major resistance when I lead at the pot (usually a big raise on the turn) and now have myself in a tough spot. I ended up folding or maybe losing a pretty big pot to some goofy two pair, like J8. Now I'm mad at myself for not just raising preflop and taking down a small pot there.

I understand that there are many other scenarios, including ones where I limp in and take down a big pot and certainly ones where I raise preflop and lose anyway... I just prefer to "play it right" - that way, even if I lose, I'm not second guessing myself and mad at myself for getting cute.

Does that make sense?

I definitely think people SHOULD limp in with AA from EP 10-20% of the time.... I just have trouble doing that myself.

[bdawg31]

Cloutier talks about doing it in his book too - but he is basically looking for a limp-raise situation. If I remember correctly, he is looking to limp in, someone raise and then you come over the top of him hard.

He basically says (if i remember correctly) that if your plan does not work and you end up with 3 or 4 callers - you have to be ready to let it go. Flop comes - make your customary bet, but be willing to dump it if you get a lot of resistance. I think he wants you to do this to be able to isolate with a big pot or jam it hard and take it down preflop.

[badblood44]

I understand now. Basically you're saying that if you lose w/AA because you limped instead of raised, that would upset you. I agree with that sentiment for sure.

[Talking Poker]

Yes... AND I feel that that may have more of a negative effect on my game than if I always raise with AA and miss out on winning a few big pots here and there by playing it slowly.

[SirFWALGMan]

I hardly ever limp with AA because of two things. A) The weak ass people I play with sometimes never raise. B) It gets really hard to put someone on any kind of hand. 26o could have caught his two pair.

I think it is the same mentality I have with sets. If you can get away from the hand when it turns bad, then why not slow play it or limp? If I hit a set on a board, even a scary one, I usually let the other guy bet out and see how much I can take.. If the flush or obvious straight comes I need to be able to fold or else it is stupid to slow play it.

I notice I do this alot too. I have AA. I raise pre-flop, and the flop is all undercards. I then get the urge to go all in or bet alot or call an all in bet. Alot of the time you end up getting beat by a lucky set of 3's or some crap like that. Laying down AA or any TPTK is hard. But I think the better players (better than me at least) can do it in a hurry. When I am REALLY on my game I can let go of these hands with out any problem, when I am giving it away I cling onto these way too far.

[oketz7777]

if you limp in and get no raisers then what on the flop your in trouble because unless you hit a third ace youll never be quite sure that your the best on the table