DECISION POINT: The player in Middle Position limps into the pot. What do you do with AT suited in late position?

PRO ANSWER: Whenever a player has limped into the pot in front of us, we can ask ourselves the question of whether limping will be profitable. Typically with speculative hands, such as this suited ace, we can call after a limper as long as stacks are 20 or more big blinds deep. So calling would be profitable here.

However, AT suited is also a good broadway hand with high card value. We can play this hand aggressively by raising with it and isolating this limper. Which option will be more profitable?

To answer this question we want to look at our opponent’s hand range. When their hand range is weak and wide, we should tend to play our hand more aggressively. When their hand range is narrower and stronger, the more value there is in playing our hand passively by calling and continuing with big hands and draws postflop.

Since our opponent just limped into the pot from Middle Position, we can assume that their hand range is wide and weak by default. This makes raising with AT suited a more profitable play than simply calling.

Raising gives us the ability to win this pot uncontested preflop or on the flop with a continuation bet.

Raising is the best play.