How to play against a limper?

SergioV · Apr 25, 2026

Guy limps every hand. How do you play against him? What's the best strategy in these situations?

Lodestone · Apr 25, 2026

Depends on stack sizes, in short stack tourney play, limpers can be a total lifesaver. Picking up 3bb instead of 2 from stealing is huge.

More generally for preflop play, I add the value of the limps plus a bit to my raises.

SergioV · Apr 25, 2026

Lodestone said:
Depends on stack sizes, in short stack tourney play, limpers can be a total lifesaver. Picking up 3bb instead of 2 from stealing is huge.

More generally for preflop play, I add the value of the limps plus a bit to my raises.

The problem is that at micro limits they call almost any raise, they also call a continuation bet, and if you don’t hit the board, what should you do?

Lodestone · Apr 25, 2026

Give up. It sucks feeling like you're just playing bingo but you just go hard for value when you know they can't do anything but pay off.

kmiarka · Apr 25, 2026

I disagree with "giving up" when you miss against a station, @Lodestone.
If they call everything, you simply need to adjust your sizing to punish that wide range rather than playing "standard" poker.

@SergioV , try using "non-standard" sizes of 5x or 6x with your premium hands to build the pot early since they won't fold anyway. If you miss the flop, look for scary turn cards to use an overbet; even sticky micro-stakes players have a "pain threshold" when they realize they might lose their whole stack with a marginal hand.

SergioV · Apr 25, 2026

kmiarka said:
I disagree with "giving up" when you miss against a station, @Lodestone.
If they call everything, you simply need to adjust your sizing to punish that wide range rather than playing "standard" poker.

@SergioV , try using "non-standard" sizes of 5x or 6x with your premium hands to build the pot early since they won't fold anyway. If you miss the flop, look for scary turn cards to use an overbet; even sticky micro-stakes players have a "pain threshold" when they realize they might lose their whole stack with a marginal hand.

Good point, I understand what you mean about the need to adjust your play and not give up.
But don't you think that at microstakes, even big bets are sometimes called with almost any card?

Lodestone · Apr 25, 2026

Sure, that works if you're heads up but if you're making those adjustments it's easy for someone else at the table to pick you off in a multiway pot or preflop.

I do agree with the increase to sizing though. Trying to punish the wide range can lead to overbluffing which is why I said give up. I suppose I gave an overly simplistic answer but with calling stations you can play face up a lot more safely. I think you should play a tighter range vs stations. Its REALLY tempting not to but when more of your value is coming from showdown thats just the math.

You can try to be spicy with large sized bluffs but going broke because they spiked the 7 on the turn with their q7o makes stealing like picking up quarters in the middle of the highway.

kmiarka said:
I disagree with "giving up" when you miss against a station, @Lodestone.
If they call everything, you simply need to adjust your sizing to punish that wide range rather than playing "standard" poker.

@SergioV , try using "non-standard" sizes of 5x or 6x with your premium hands to build the pot early since they won't fold anyway. If you miss the flop, look for scary turn cards to use an overbet; even sticky micro-stakes players have a "pain threshold" when they realize they might lose their whole stack with a marginal hand.

burro · Apr 25, 2026

Against players who limp a lot, I try to keep things simple.
Many of them overpay, so bluffing too often doesn't work well. I prefer to play more conservatively and focus on value when I have a good hand.
If I get the wrong hand, most of the time I simply give up and hope for a better position instead of forcing the move.

NSX_Amfe2nat · Apr 25, 2026

Bad hand - fold, good hand - isolate

SergioV · Apr 26, 2026

NSX_Amfe2nat said:
Bad hand - fold, good hand - isolate

It turns out everything is much simpler than I thought))

Kerasuss28 · Apr 26, 2026

SergioV said:
Guy limps every hand. How do you play against him? What's the best strategy in these situations?

Just milk him when you got the hands , let him limp

Uncloggie · Apr 26, 2026

Kick him in the good leg.

successlaw · Apr 26, 2026

Fold with bad hands and isolate / all in when good hand

Rosylly · Apr 26, 2026

Just give up if you didn’t hit the board or punish if you hit

Kairozz · Apr 26, 2026

fold every time the limper play. it annoyying

TeUnit · Apr 26, 2026

Punish them.

Make them play their bad hands, out of position with no initiative. If you raise them you are putting them at mathematical disadvantage- they will have have to play first every time.

Bet them larger with value, if they are bad enough to keep open limping then they wont notice your sizing.

Kirbs69 · Apr 27, 2026

Kairozz said:
fold every time the limper play. it annoyying

This don't get fancy and isolate with KQ. Let others do your job for you. Unless you're in position of course.

dreamer13 · Apr 28, 2026

While most players' limping ranges are too wide and contain a lot of trash, these players are also too passive, so their limping range also includes a lot of hands that should be raised. Therefore, when you have multiple limpers in front of you, you still tighten your raising range.

How to play against a limper?

SergioV

Rock Star

Lodestone

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SergioV

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Lodestone

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kmiarka

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SergioV

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Lodestone

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burro

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NSX_Amfe2nat

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SergioV

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Kerasuss28

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Uncloggie

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successlaw

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Rosylly

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Kairozz

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TeUnit

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Kirbs69

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dreamer13

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