Limping is often employed instead of raising when the small blind calls the big blind. It's also called limping in, flat calling, or calling the blind. In poker, limping is betting the bare minimum on remaining in hand.
Below is a brief overview that can help one deal with limping players.
Play tight
Theoretically, it makes sense to play more tight while facing limpers. Once your opponent opens limps, it implies that they are revealing information about their hand. As a result, you must evaluate your hand, opponents, and the small and big blinds.
Therefore, if your opponents have a strong propensity to reraise, the optimal strategy is often to play tight versus a limper. If your opponents regularly 3-bet, you are playing with a small stack, and sometimes when the limper is a good player with a strong technique, you should adopt this technique.
Since they will repeatedly want to raise, you may extract more value from the table without putting too much equity at risk.
Isolation raise
You may find yourself at a table where the regulars believe right or mistakenly that you are isolating the limper using an extensive range.
When you are, in reality, raising often and your opponents respond appropriately by regularly three-betting you, you have two viable strategy options: Start 4-betting lighter for value, then add the correct number of bluffs. Please just limit your range of iso-raising.
Even though the first adjustment is correct, it is difficult to apply successfully since determining how wide your opponent is 3-betting is tricky. As a result, by 4-betting lighter, you risk placing yourself in very tough and often -EV scenarios.
For this reason, the second method is preferable: narrow the iso-raising range. It not only allows for lesser volatility but may also provide greater positive EV than the first alternative, based on your opponent's ability to re-adjust rapidly.
In addition, you will not have to make as many difficult choices, and your 3-betting opponent will probably level himself into making negative EV plays.
Fold more often against raises after a continuation-bet
Preflop limpers are more likely to play conservatively in general. They like calling and rarely raise with their draws. Furthermore, since these players play many more hands than you would, including random offsuit hands, they may possess more random two pairs or trips than you think.
Because of these factors, you need to play more defensively than usual if they raise your c-bet.
Widen your range
It is often preferable to play loosely against limpers. The rationale is that when an opponent decides to open limp preflop, you may believe they are passive and weak, and an aggressive playing style may counter that.
Open-limping opponents are often more prone to making errors, given that they have already committed one by limping preflop.
Keep strong opponents from ruining your opportunities by limping at your table. Continue isolating them and putting them in tough spots until they offer you a legitimate reason to stop.
Summary
Learning how to deal with limpers is a crucial skill to develop. Furthermore, acquiring a solid preflop understanding of the different tactics is critical to improving one's game.
