Save me from the dreaded limpers

[gingerwizard]

Hi,

I'm relatively new to cash games as I usually play sngs. Ive been playing the .05/.10 NL to try and get a feel for it and I'm doing terribly.

Im about $30 or $40 down and I can't seem to work out how to beat these guys. The problem is that nearly every hand has around 6 or 7 limpers in it. I figured that if I camped out waiting for big pre flop hands to raise with or pairs/suited connectors to limp with for set/straight/flush value then id eventually take some big pots down.

Unfortunately when I do pick up hands eg KK I raise (even as much as 9xBB with 6 limpers) and always get at least three callers. Almost always i end up losing big to someone who flopped two pair (8's and T's it was last time!!).

How can I handle the limpers? Should i just fish for big hands all the time? In SNGs my edge comes from my short stack and bubble play. Where should it come from in cash games?

[flotu]

It's probably just some bad variance so far. If you get multiple callers when you raise to 8bb's preflop you're pretty much bound to win money.

Definitely try to catch big hands with suited connectors, suited aces and small pocket pairs when you're playing vs calling stations.

[swiggidy]

Definitely try to catch big hands with suited connectors, suited aces and small pocket pairs when you're playing vs calling stations.

If they are playing passively post-flop this is where you'll make $$. Call min-bets on the flop just to see if the turn gives you more outs.

If there are multiple limpers, limp un-suited one-gappers, etc. (Aside, I like one-gappers because you can hit a nut straight and it's concealed. I don't like Kx because every donk can see the flush and even when you hit you're possibly still behind.) I am still more selective from EP since it's harder to extract when you do hit.

The converse of this is not bluffing. If you raise 8x with AK, you get multiple callers, and it's a rag flop, don't c-bet. Just give up. When you do hit bet strong (PSB), value betting is key.

You are playing the player by adjusting your starting hand selection and playing made hands strongly, not by making moves and exploiting weakness.

{EDIT: also, if the table is passive, beware of raises, check-raises, and strong bets. They usually have the goods}

[Rondavu]

Limp everything but AA/KK/QQ/AK. Outplay your limping opponents after the flop by building big pots with two pair or better.

[dpe8598]

Limp everything but AA/KK/QQ/AK. Outplay your limping opponents after the flop by building big pots with two pair or better.

Yeppers. I will add that w/ AA, KK, QQ, and AK, you should be raising it as much as it takes to narrow the field to 1 or maybe 2 opponents. You say 9XBB isn't doing it. Fine, raise 15 or 20xBB. Seriously, if they will call it, raise it, because you are almost certainly way way ahead.

[mcatdog]

Limp everything but AA/KK/QQ/AK. Outplay your limping opponents after the flop by building big pots with two pair or better.

Why not raise the roof with jacks and tens as well, especially in late position? If these guys are terrible enough to call a huge raise with crap hands I'm gonna make them pay for it.

[Rondavu]

Limp everything but AA/KK/QQ/AK. Outplay your limping opponents after the flop by building big pots with two pair or better.

Why not raise the roof with jacks and tens as well, especially in late position? If these guys are terrible enough to call a huge raise with crap hands I'm gonna make them pay for it.

JJ or TT can go either way. Personally, I don't like throwing a big hunk of committment in the middle with JJ or TT in a game where I'm not even sure I can isolate with a 15x raise.