Habitual Limpers & Flush Chasers

February 17th, 2011

Due to the fact they present each entrant the chance of turning their small, initial outlay into something much more substantial, tournament poker attracts some very weak players. Forums and poker publications from around the world are full of posts and letters from people who keep coming up against these weak players and seem unable to beat them.

What to do with weak poker players?

The thing is you want these weak players to be in the game otherwise the vast majority of players would not stand a chance of winning the Betfair GSOP $1 million Hattrick promotion. These weak players are willing to give away their chips, you just need to know how to prize them from their stacks. The two most common weak players you will come across in tournaments are the habitual limper and the one who chases their draws regardless of the odds.

No bluff

Habitual limpers are usually found in greater numbers in the lower stakes games though there are sometimes found in higher buy-in events also. These players are almost always loose-passive, limping into pots and then calling any raise preflop then check-folding post flop if he misses and check-calling if he hits or has any kind of draw. This player type can be very annoying but also extremely profitable to play against. Never bluff them as they will always call but you should value bet your made hands as much as you can. From time to time they will suck out and outdraw you but for the most part they will consistently pay you off with weaker, second best hands.

Another annoying player is the draw chaser, usually of the flush variety. Some players will play any two suited cards whilst others simply cannot let go of a suited ace preflop, though this strategy will not put you in a good position for a shot at the Betfair Gold Hunt promotion. The key to beating these players it to value bet when you have a made hand and charge the chaser as much as possible to try and hit his draw. If one of these players has check-called your bets on the flop and turn and a possible draw is completed on the river and they check again, it is often a good idea to check behind. Sometimes you will lose some value but a large percentage of the time you will find they have indeed hit their draw once again!

Read More About (Tags): chasing > connectors > flush > limpers > limping > weak players

Entry Filed under:
Strategies & tips