How to Play King-Jack From the Button Versus a Late Position Limp
DECISION POINT: In a tournament, it folds to the player in the hijack seat who limps. The cutoff folds. You are on the button with K?J?. Action is on you...
PRO ANSWER: The action folds around to the player in the hijack seat who chooses to open-limp for 2,400. In general, limpers tend to have wider and weaker hand ranges as compared to raisers.
In addition, this player limped from the hijack seat, which as a default would represent a weaker range of hands as compared to an earlier position seat.
The fact that we have a hand with high card strength is definitely a bonus. But we can make a very compelling case for raising with any two cards given our estimate of the limper's range of hands.
Calling eliminates our ability to win an uncontested pot preflop. By exerting aggression now, we give ourselves the chance to win the pot right away. If one or two opponents call our preflop raise, we have put ourselves in an excellent position to win the pot with a continuation bet, regardless of the flop.
Many players choose to call in scenarios such as this. By doing so they not only diminish their ability to win through aggression, but they reduce the value of their KxJx by encouraging a multi-way pot. The value of many hands that KxJx makes postflop is dependent on limiting the field of opponents. Each additional opponent that sees the flop reduces the value of one-pair hands.
Raising is by far the best play.
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