Many online Texas Hold em Poker gamblers seldom very good ones fail to raise on the button in no-limit texas hold’em ring games or in heads up conditions with hands that they are going to play. There is some logic behind this if its a very good player and suspect that the hand offers a real advantage over the rest of the players.
Seldom the misconception is to play “small ball” and this one term alone has been responsible for many gamblers now limping when they has position. Let us look at a classic ring game scenario. It is folded around to our hero on the button who has the J-10 in a NL200 ring game and limps for the $2.
Now firstly when a player limps like this then several things can happen and all of them are bad. Firstly a limp implies weakness and in this instance, even though one is not weak, one’s hand cannot stand a raise either. So by not raising one self then a player encourage other gamblers to raise and either take the pot or take the initiative away from the player.
I know some of the philosophy behind this believeing, a player are hoping that by limping then a player do not scare away the two remaining gamblers who could pay a player off big time if a player happen to flop a monster hand. The question is, how often will a player flop a monster hand and how much will a player be able to extract from one’s opponents when a player has failed to raise pre-flop?
Also by not raising then one encourages the small blind to call as well. Now one’s positional advantage against two gamblers isn’t as great as it is against one player and wagering when two gamblers has checked isn’t as safe as it is when only one player remains. But let us say that a player limps and the small blind folds but the big blind raises, will a player call?
If the stacks are deep enough then a player might even limp with the purpose of following this line of play. But once again one’s opponent has the initiative and they will certainly make a continuation wager on the flop whether they has hit or missed. This almost forces a player into a type of “hit or miss” strategy and even when a player hits the flop then often a player will not like what one has hit.
What if the flop comes A-K-10 giving a player bottom pair with gutshot straight draw? Or how about if the flop comes K-K-5 and one’s opponent has raised with 10-9 and continuation wagers, how can a player continue and even if a player does then a one is gambling that one’s opponent is firing on air or a hand that they will lay down. So taking the initiative clarifies the situation more often than not and allows a player to see conditions more clearly. This is why raising pre-flop is the wagerter play even when a player raises and both of one’s opponents fold; winning the blinds without a showdown is a far wagerter result than many gamblers believe.
