Playing pairs is it really profitable to play all pairs? CASH GAMES ONLY

Playing pairs is it really profitable to play all pairs? If so then when is it proper to release say a PP TT. If raised should I fold and if so where do I start folding pairs? Should I ever fold AA & KK pre-flop well maybe KK, but never AA.

How do you really play with a PP, I know sets are the strongest you can flop most of the time Quads are rare to flop and catch. So when do the sets become unprofitable, because to me it is drawing as well because you know if you do not hit the set the chances of winning are slim indeed.

Wait when would you ever fold KK pre flop?
There is a 12.5% of hitting a set on the flop with a pp. So you call with a medium or low pp and you get 8 times your intail investment you will atleast be breaking even.
I think I got that right.

Like most things in poker, it depends.

First the easy stuff, no you're never folding KK or AA preflop. About 1 time in 20 that you have KK someone will have AA, and you'll win 1/5 of those. Too many times when you "know" the guy has aces, he'll have QQ, JJ, AK, something you destroy, so take your lumps with KK v AA preflop holdings.

In 6max, you should open raise all pp's, especially if you're aggressive postflop. You have the initiative, likely winning the hand on the flop anyway, plus any pair is a decent strength hand to start with, so you have something to fall back on if your cbet gets called.

At a 9max table, basically 22-JJ are decidedly weaker than QQ-AA, and should be played more for set value. Obviously the higher the pair, the stronger it is, because it's more likely to be an overpair to the board, but other than that, you really need to hit your set to get involved in a big pot. Top pair, overpairs, they're all still just one pair, so you're not looking to commit stacks with that.

What about the game itself. Is it easy? Tough? Agressive? Passive?

In a tougher or agressive game, then small pp's aren't going to be profitable in early position, because too often you'll limp and get reraised behind. Playing small pp's oop trying to make sets is NOT profitable against solid competition.

However, in a weak game that's passive with lots of limping, then go ahead and literally play any pair from any position. Bad players are more likely to pay you off with their own tptk holdings when you have a set, so implied odds are through the roof, and position matters less.

Then you have to take stack sizes into account. You're 7:1 against hitting your set, so if you're being laid those explicit odds, you're good to go. However, you usually will only be getting 2:1 or something in that vicinity. So you have to be able to get paid off should you hit your set and get stacks in to make up for all the times you take a flop, miss, and fold.

So you want your opponnent's stack to be say 20-25 times the size of whatever bet you must call preflop to get enough implied odds for set value.

So in review:

6max or 9?
Tough or easy?
Stack sizes and odds

Take these factors into account to determine if a PP is worth playing.

look to this for some answers you may be looking for.
Small Pocket Pairs what to do?

200bb's deep against a super nit at full ring you can find a reason to fold kk

You can fold AA or KK preflop when you are playing sattelite tournament and when you are GUARANTEED to get the ticket by folding(medium stack). Only when larger stack has put you all in or its multi-shoved pot.
Ofcourse not in cash-games, you are right there.

i usually limp or call a small raise with small pairs, but u have to change gears and start betting like your 55 is AA, an the odds of hitting a set are small so I would not count on that unless your the luckiest person alive and thats all you do is catch cards, but the only way to fold AA or KK or even QQ preflop is if by folding you are guaranteed a seat if your playing atellite tournament even if you know your opponent always raises with junk he might just bust your big pair

T try to play any pocket pair at least through the flop hoping to catch trips. The only way i will let go of pp under kk is if there are 3 or more big caller/raisers

He was asking about cash games.

When nobody makes a raise before I will call it with every pocket pair to make three of kind ! When somebody makes a raise before I call with JJ, TT, 99, or reraise only higher pocket pairs seems like AA KK QQ..