OTB #063: 6 Quick Tips to Punish Small Blind Limpers

When it folds to me in the Small Blind the first thing I do is check my opponent's BB vs SB limp stat. If it's 35% and under I know that I can profitably VPIP almost every hand in the deck.

In PokerTracker 4 you will need a custom stat to do this. You can download it here.

So today I want to show you how to punish Small Blind limps so your opponents can't just VPIP 100% of hands when you're in the Big Blind.

Let's dive in...

1) Raise 41-47% of your range

When the Small Blind limps you want to raise between 41% and 47% of hands. When you get to 30bb and under your raises will include some jams too.

Check your BB vs SB limp stat now to see what your number looks like. Most players that I start working with have a number that is way below this range, normally 25-35% instead.

You want to raise 41-47% to prevent your opponents from VPIPing too many hands.

2) Always raise a mix of value hands and bluffs

(50bb: Green = raise and Gold = check)

Regardless of stack size there's always a clear distinction between hands you're raising for value and hands you're raising as a bluff.

In the image above at 50bb you can see that there are hands at the top that can raise and then call a 3-bet like AA, KJo and T8s and then hands like 84o, T6o and 62o that can raise and then fold to a 3-bet.

3) At 100bb raise more suited hands

(100bb: Green = raise and Gold = check)

At 100bb you get to raise a lot more suited connectors and gappers because if your opponent limp/3-bets you can still continue.

Notice though that you still raise the garbage hands in the bottom left like J5o, 93o and 84o.

4) At 30bb and under check back more suited hands

(30bb: Green = raise, Gold = check and Purple = jam)

At 30bb and under you now have to check back more suited connectors and gappers because the main aggressive response to a raise at this stack depth is to limp/jam and it would suck to fold a hand as pretty as 76s.

5) Jam more the shallower you get

(25bb: Green = raise, Gold = check and Purple = jam)

There are actually some jams at 30bb, but they only make up 3% of the range. At 25bb jams make up 5.7% and that number only gets higher the shallower you get.

6) Shove some funky hands when shallow

(10bb: Green = raise, Gold = check and Purple = jam)

Once you get to 10bb you can shove hands like K2o and Q4o. While they don't ever get better hands to fold because those hands have either jammed before or will call a jam, you do sometimes get it in good.

The SB is supposed to limp/call hands like T8s and 98s at 10bb.

You also block the better hands they call with like KK, AKs, QQ, and QTo.

Summary

1) Raise 41-47% of hands

2) Always raise a mix of value hands and bluffs

3) At 100bb raise more suited hands

4) At 30bb and under check back more suited hands

5) Jam more the shallower you get

6) Shove some funky hands when shallow

This is one of 5 major preflop leaks that I help you identify in Train & Play Like The Pros, my 12-week group coaching programme. If you'd like more info click here.