This kills me in ring games

[Darby]

I dont have any specific hand histories, but what happens is I make one mistake and then compound mistakes until I go broke at a table. Earlier today, I get dealt KQo 2 off the button. Like 5 people have limped in front of me. I just limp (maybe should raise???) and the flop is 4-7-Q. I bet out 2 dollars and get raised to 4. I call. Turn is another Q. I end up losing my stack to 4-4. In hindsight I can see I probably should raise preflop and slow down on the flop, Im way behind to AA/KK/QQ/AQ/44/77. Theres virtually no raising hand that I can beat. Any advice for this? I feel weird betting the flop and then folding to a minraise, but if I am beat I am beat.

[Element187]

most people wont bluff when theres a pair on the board, either they have a boat or a Q with a lousy kicker... raising preflop wont get 44 out of the hand, but it will get Q-rag out

in late position i would raise with KQ preflop with a few limpers, but i would make it large enough to get some folds, maybe 8x the BB and try taking it down right away.

[EasyT]

I've been thinking about this lately too-- about limping. That's the point of origin of the problem with the hand you describe.

I think I've decided that the only hands I want to limp in with are pocket pairs under 9s. Maybe also suited connectors between 5 and T.

Limping just never puts you in a good position.
#1 You don't have any idea what anyone else has.
#2 You have to play in a field of half the table.
#3 Your declaring that your own hand isn't anything to brag about.
#4 If you hit a monster, you probably will take down only a small pot.
#5
#6 ...help me here...there must be 15 reasons why limping does you a disservice.

Basically you have to flop a very strong hand to be able to play into 5 opponents. And if you're strong with other limpers, you're probably either going to take a small pot or get raped out of a big pot from someone who flopped the straight with 58off (and slowplays, of course!).

I'm not raising with 44. But I would rather play 44 into a 4x raise than against 4 limpers. The pot size is the same, but the situation is much better.

[Element187]

big reason, it shows strength on the hand, even if you miss the flop, you still have a good chance of taking it down with a 2/3 pot sized bet, granted everyone missed it too.