Adjusting strategy to limpers

[roy3]

Dear all!
I‘d love some pointers on how to adjust pre-flop strategy (raising/calling criteria) to the number of limpers who have entered the pot. What are the general issues one should think about?

Clearly, limpers reduce the chances of stealing the pot. Limpers also sweeten the pot-odds.

I guess I'm looking for a formula... Say, 1-2 limpers use these criteria, 3+ use others.

How do you masters adjust your strategy in Late Position?
Or in the Small Blind?

Thanx in advance,
roy3

raise a little more with limpers in the pot so they don't get good implied odds against you

[fjuanl]

There isn't really a "forumla" you can use to make decisions based on limpers, but consider this before you decide :

1. What are the blinds in comparison to my stack?
2. Is the table playing generally loose or tight?

I would love to help you more but your question is a little too general for an answer. If you would post some hand histories from situations where you were weren't sure of what to do, I'm sure someone will give you some good advice. Also, is this question for ring games or tournaments?

[journey075]

ill usually raise in lp behind a few limpers to isolate them. put out another bet on the flop and usually ill win uncontested.

the times i win greatly outnumber the times they call/bet/raise.

[martindcx1e]

Well I still play the .05/.10 NL tables and I usually start with a 6x BB raise and add 1 BB for each additional limper. Don't know how well this would work for NL 25 and up though.

[DimitriT]

There are quite a few considerations. It depends on the position of the limpers and their style of play, your position and your hand. If you see a guy playing KT and A8 from OOP and he limps into a pot, he will get less respect from me than a guy who's only showed AK or better.

In general you don't want limpers in your pot when you are playing strong high-cards... but, you DO want limpers in the pot when you are playing for a set or suited connectors.

In the former case, you are looking to make TP types of hands and you are vulnerable to 2pr and drawing hands. In the latter case you are trying to flop a monster hand which you can slow-play to draw money into a huge pot.