Game is pretty loose passive with a lot of limping pre-flop; raise sizings will vary from 6 to 17 , mainly 7 , 10 , or 12 pre flop; stack sizes are roughly 200, 9 players

Do you like opening this hand UTG, folding, or limping and why?

I opted to limp in this spot last week bc I felt I had a good chance of seeing a flop for 2 dollars and if there is an open I can likely just call and won't have to worry about a 3!

After thinking about this afterwards I feel like a raise or fold strategy would be better? but still not sure bc a lot of my opponents calling range will have hands that dominate my weak A;


appreciate any input on this

At passive, sticky tables, I'm never raising A5s from UTG. Sometimes folding, sometimes limping.

Fold. You’re not deep enough and OOP.

All three options are fine. It's a marginal hand. I like to try to play hands where possible, so I raise it on tighter tables (like where I expect 1 or 2 callers typically) and limp it on looser tables. I'll only fold it on aggressive tables where I'm worried I might not get to see a flop with it.

This sort of decision isn't all that consequential to your bottom line so just do whatever you're comfortable with doing.

At a typical $1/$2 NL table I'd limp most of the time since there is less aggression; also keeps implied odds high. If raised, likely folding.

definitely limping at a loose passive table. If you raise you will get a few callers and have to play oop with a marginal hand and small stack sizes

I limp rr my low suited aces when utg or utg +1 depending on who opens the raises.

Been working pretty well.

About half of the time it limps through.

Grunch from title alone: Fold pre.

OK, off to read post now.

Post grunch: Limping can be OK on the described table, but you should never be limp/calling. Limp/fold most of the time and limp/re-raise occasionally.

Opening is horribad.

what's wrong with limp calling if you have enough IO ?

You don't. You are OOP and opens are large compared to stack sizes. In limped pots you'll often get paid off flush-over-flush. In raised pots it's much rarer.

Ok well in this specific situation, playing 100 bb's , facing a 5X open and 3 callers you would fold this for 8 more? I feel like it plays well enough multi-way and with other players involved I have more IO for the times I make a 2P or better type of hand

I mean, if the guy after you opens to $10 and gets 3 callers, and you can call closing the action, go ahead, I guess.

Much more common is that there are a couple more limps and then someone in late position opens to $12+, at least one of the blinds fold, and it gets back to you. If you're not turbo-mucking in that scenario, your "if I call the other limpers will probably call and then I'll have great IO" thoughts are a huge leak.

Fold

Even though limping and even limp-raising can be marginally profitable, it's not the right advice for live games like this. Disciplined hand selection and pre-flop strategy is so important and profitable for a game like this, it's much better to let these ones go early. Also while this isnt an awful hand for reverse implied odds, let's not overestimate the postflop playability of this hand, especially to a single-raised pot multiway.

this, depends on how you read the table also, should have some limp/rr's to go along with our limps

stack depth matters, tending to raise more often with deeper stacks

be mindful that people love raising over limpers so it can be a good fold pre, but when you do limp, always follow pot odds when the action returns and you should be fine

I think all 3 options are acceptable. Not sure if this is correct thinking, but I would base my decision mainly on how comfortable I am at the table. If it's a more difficult table, I'd be more apt to fold. If you are at a table will less skilled players, I'd be more apt to raise. However, generally speaking, I would more often than not fold this hand pre-flop, mix in some $2 calls, and then once in a while raise pre if I felt comfortable doing so, table dependent.

A long time ago someone told me you cant limp suited Aces in EP profitably. I accepted the challenge. I recorded my results from every A9s or lower after limping in EP and after like 700 hours, I was profitable. Not by a massive amount but enough to keep doing it as a default. I didnt limp them all though. Some tables there's too much raising and too many pots going only 2-3 ways. On those tables I folded.

This was at 2/5, not 1/2. Its certainly higher EV to limp at 1/2 since tables are less aggro.

Having said all that, you have to know when to fold Axx flops and you have to know when to steal pots with nothing that nobody seems interested in which isnt easy OOP. You will be playing mostly small pots doing this because flushes don't come along often.

The best part is that anything you can do to look looser (and/or fishier, like limping in EP), that isnt -EV is good for your overall results.

There is also such a thing as limping in with the intent of folding to a big raise but calling a small one. OP has said that occasionally people will raise to 7 preflop. I see no reason why with $200 stacks, we can't limp for $2 and then be willing to call $5 more but fold to $8 more.

I like limping at a loose-passive table. With more aggression, definitely fold pre, but if multi-way limped pots are very common, A5s is a great multi-way hand with nut flush potential and wheel potential. Many times you lose $2; occasionally you scoop a giant multi-way pot.