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Poker Strategy: Raise, Limp and Steal the Blinds

Raise or Limp?

You hear it all the time: play only very good hands and junk lousy hands. But that's as far as poker players agree. When it comes to HOW the good hand should be played, players are split. For many, one should raise a hand whenever they play it, arguing that "if a hand is worth a call, it's worth a raise." Others are more conservative and will raise only in certain situations and with certain hands. Other times they don't mind limping to see the flop.

Let's look consider the opposing views on raising preflop, limping and stealing the blinds. Note that raising is more effective in no-limit and pot-limit games. Raises and bluffs don't work so well in low-limit games where you are more likely to be called.

Raise to Steal the Blinds

Aggressive players tell you to raise every hand you play. They will tell you this is to make opponents pay dearly to see cards and to filter out as much of the competition as possible.

With this strategy, you can play more marginal hands if you want. But your raising will depend on your table position. The later you are in the table (that is, the closer to the dealer's right), the higher you raise if you are in a no-limit or pot-limit table. When you are late. In early position, you may raise twice the big blind. You can raise up to four times on the button. It's up to you. The idea is to intimidate other players as much as possible. Since you raise according to position, they will have a hard time guessing what hand you are really holding.

Poker players who like to steal blinds with frequent raising tell you this weeds out your opponents more often than not, and you get the pots without showing your hands.

Tight Raising

Other poker players argue that it's not worth it to raise just to steal the blinds. In the long run, the rocks say, you will risk and lose more money just to steal a few blinds. What's more, other players will catch up on your tactic sooner or later and call your bets more often.

This is especially true in poker tournaments. Your table image is highly important then. What you can do is to play and raise only with premium hands at the start of the poker tournament. In later stages, after your tight table image has been established, you can play with somewhat "weaker" hands, say a K-Q off-suit. Who would guess? The idea here is to build a tight reputation first, and then use that reputation to let you play lesser hands.

Loose & Tight Table Images

The problem with over-aggression is that you project a loose image on the table. Other players may be shocked and intimidated at first, but once they get used to it, they won't respect your bets anymore. It is good poker strategy to raise according to your table position. But in addition, be selective about the hands you raise with. A maniac who raises all the time just to steal the blinds comes across as a fool. You can't be playing good hands all the time, so no matter how tight the table is, someone will call you just to keep you honest. Yet raise selectively and they will fear you.