Bug's Poker Tip #36

Don't go broke in a limped pot.

One of the common mistakes new players make in no-limit is overplaying hands like top pair in pots that were small preflop. Even hands as strong as two pair are often behind when, post flop, a preflop limping villain starts shoveling money into the middle. This is especially true in deep stacked games. The reason is that unraised pots mean your opponents' hand ranges are significantly wider than if there were preflop raises that would have thinned the field. Think of it this way, are you more likely to have low connectors, suited gappers, weak suited Aces and Kings, and other "bust'em" hands in your own calling range when an opponent open limps, or when he open raises? Obviously it's the former, not the latter. The same holds true for your opponents. This in turn means that low, uncoordinated flops are actually more likely to hit a villain's garbage range--and hit it hard.

Beware the limped pot when you get heavy action on a ragged flop.

All-in for now…

-Bug