Quick fix 1, Stop Limping!

When players first start playing poker they often treat it like many other forms of gambling, where you don't have an influence over the result. So, they will limp in on a wide range of cards, hoping that they hit the flop much like a slot machine pull.

So what is the trouble with this approach? Why is it a money looser long term?

Firstly, limping into a pot does very little to deter other players from the pot. So, your odds of winning the hand are reduced simply because there are more players in the hand, and more players holding cards that can hit on the flop and beyond. So the first reason for not limping is that you will be facing lots of other players, and they have the same odds as you for hitting their cards, so your odds of winning the hand are reduced.

Now, what if you limp and someone raises? If you have a standard limped hand, such as Q 10, then you are likely behind here, to a stronger queen, or a hand such as A J. So the wise choice here would be to fold, as you know that your odds of winning against a better hand are considerably reduced. But the problem for most limpers is that they will call modest raises, because they are still approaching this as pure gambling, and waiting for the flop. If you play in 1$ or free tournaments you will see pots where there are multiple limpers and then 1 raiser, and all the limpers also end up calling making multi-way flopped pots. All of those limpers likely have reduced chances of winning a hand against a raiser, so folding would have been a better choice, and not limping at all an even better one.

What happens post flop to the limpers who called the raise? If one of them has a Q 10, and the queen hits on the flop, now what? Someone raised preflop so if they do have the queen, they certainly have a better one. And here is the real reason limping is so bad. If you do have the Q 10, and the queen does hit, then you are likely to loose a lot of chips finding out that someone else has a better kicker than you. Because hitting their high card is what limpers want, and its how better players quickly learn to take advantage of them.

So the real key with limping is not necessarily the small loss you take from limping and folding, its playing that weaker hand post flop. If someone has raised you pre flop, then even hitting your high card does not guarantee a win, and instead you may be loosing any chips you invest in the hand. Post flop play is another key reason limpers loose so much money, its hard to fold a hand when your top pair hits, but against a pre-flop raising player who calls or makes big bets post flop, folding would most likely be the best alternative.

If you have raised pre-flop with K Q, and your king or queen hits, then, due to two things:

1. People folding to your raise preflop
2. You having a strong kicker

You are most likely ahead in the hand. So your odds of winning are high. This is the situation you are trying to create. And the reason for not limping.

In poker, you are always trying to increase your odds of winning. This is done by hand selection, reducing the number of players by pre-flop raising, and responding to other players shows of strength appropriately.

Limping is a valid choice in some situations, but generally, limping should be the action you perform the least, fold most hands, raise with good hands, only limp very occasionally. Increase your odds of winning by kicking the limping habit.