Small Pocket Pairs

PapaC

PapaC

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I catch a lot of small pairs on reg. tables and in tournys. To tell you all the truth I don't really know how to play them preflop. I sure don't raise with them but really I do little raising anyway. After the flop I sure know when to fold them. But is there a way to play small pairs and win with them even if you don't make a set. Any advice would be great.
 
crocoduck11

crocoduck11

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how do you think you can win with a small pair if you don't hit a set ? You can try to bluff but you can do that with any card and you have to know how and who to bluff. I don't think there's any other way (that is profitable at least ). I really hope you won't bet like mad hoping to scare people with pocket 4s
 
left52side

left52side

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I catch a lot of small pairs on reg. tables and in tournys. To tell you all the truth I don't really know how to play them preflop. I sure don't raise with them but really I do little raising anyway. After the flop I sure know when to fold them. But is there a way to play small pairs and win with them even if you don't make a set. Any advice would be great.
It is not uncommon for many people to not know how to play small PP.
So rest easy you are not the only one out there,hopefully my advise will help out a little in understanding.
Ok playing small pocket pairs all depends on position and table image , I cannot stress this enough in tournament poker that these are the two key factors.
You as well have to know your players at the tables ranges/styles/etc etc.
I would always open pot small from early position with any pair if it has not been opened yet dependiong of course on my imagine as to what kind of player the rest of the table thinks I am,and what kind of players I have behind me.
I would certainly as well depending on the player who opened style of play call A bet from.
This all really depends on your imagine(ie, what kind of player your opponents think you are,if you are a TAG player you are likley going to get alot more folds than as being a LAG player.
Then you can factor in you position and players images nehind you and determine what kind of move you can make with them.
Just because you missed you flopped set doesnt nessisarily mean that your opponent hit there flop either.
So my advise would be to determine players styles behind you,your own imagine,and your position,and this should help you understanding how to isolate and win with small pocket pairs.
If you have any questions feel free to shoot me a pm.
 
fubarcdn

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On small pocket pairs I try to see the flop for as little as possible and hope for trips but be prepared to fold if I don't get them. Depending on position I will call a min bet preflop but that is as far I will usually go. Keep in mind that pre flop you are a favorite over any hand that is not a higher pair.
In freerolls I will go all in with a small pair early in the game when I don't have much time invested because I often have something better to do than play in the freeroll anyways :)
 
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GDZzz

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For small PPs for me I usually play them pretty straightforward post-flop, usually if I'm heads up I'll take a stab at the pot if I miss a set. If I do hit the set I tend to play it fast and try to get all my money in while I still have the best hand. If I have a dead read on my opponent such as if he is bluffing or that they're on a draw I will usually see the hand to the river provided I don't think their hand improved! Multi-way pots are a bit harder because there is an increased chance your opponents hit the flop whether it be hard or not, most generally will hang on with one pair and you'll need to shut down on the turn if you took a stab. Like Left52 said, your table image helps with c-bets as well.
 
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Fizz Khalifa

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I personally usually raise low pairs to try to get it to become heads up and hope for a good flop. If the flop is Ace King Jack, obviously you probably lost. The ideal flop is like 3 K A and you have the pair of 3s. If you hit trips try to trap your opponent, however I don't recommend checking if there is currently a draw on the board for example a flush or straight draw, however if you are in the clear check over to your opponent and let him bet, this is a very good strategy for getting money away for him. Like I said earlier if you don't hit trips I would let your opponent act and if he bets and there is a face card on the board it is dangerous to play it. If he checks you can normally bet with low pairs and come out on top. Learning how to play these hands can really help you out in tournaments, just don't be afraid to throw them away at times.
 
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hffjd2000

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Small pairs are the easiest to play.

You can either call or raise.

There are moments where you can also bluff with it.
 
suby_rafael

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If you playing a tournament i prefer to fold small pairs in early to middle position. I will only try to call a raise to flop a set if i am in late position and if i am not short stacked in chips which is when set mining goes out of the window and it is time to get those chips in the middle. Definitely should not raise in early position - it is a bad strategy, you might win once or twice and even bust someones monster premiums but you'll lose more chips in the long run using this strategy. So that's the basic stuff of it on how to go about playing them pre flop.

The more advanced you get you will learn a lot more things to do at various stages. Like finding out spots to 3bet in position against weak raises, 3bet stealing from the blinds against a raise from the button or cutoff, finding spots to turn your hand into a bluff post flop when there is a possibility of a straight on board ... etc etc :icon_stud
 
Jollocks

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Small pocket pairs

Is it +EV or -EV to raise small pocket pairs (22-TT). Should you raise with these hands pre-flop or limp when set mining?
 
razshahan

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fold in early to middle position, limp in or call a raise in late position , if u dont hit a set fold to any bet
 
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joe777

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I would prefer to limp only in late position and fold against any aggression by the early and middle positions player.It just not worth the risk.
 
redcross

redcross

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A lot of the time it depends on how you have played up to that point. If you have been raise heavy and aggressive keep playing that way till after the flop to feel out your opponent. Make another 2-3 bet after the flop and this will tell you a lot about where your opponent stands.
 
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brokenlung911

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i like cheap flops with little pairs but if shorthanded raise isn't a bad play
 
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MichaelFoerster

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Small pairs are the easiest to play.

You can either call or raise.

There are moments where you can also bluff with it.

Agree with you, as small pairs are easiest but some times it is tricky to play at the best times in poker, then you need patience and tricks to play it.
 
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FixdIncm

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always open raise unopened or limped pots with small pairs, especially in position. post-flop should you get called, c-bet good flop textures that are unlikely to miss your opponenets, after that point on the turn and the river you really need to start putting your opponent on hands and forgetting about yours and acting accordingly, continuing to bet when scare cards to his / her range it, raising weak leads etc. in general, 99% of poker players at all levels can only hope to break even with small pairs.
 
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seventhcereal

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Contain the pot and try to hit your set. Don't be afraid of one and done turn bets or post-oak bluffs, because they make good bluff catchers.

I catch a lot of small pairs on reg. tables and in tournys. To tell you all the truth I don't really know how to play them preflop. I sure don't raise with them but really I do little raising anyway. After the flop I sure know when to fold them. But is there a way to play small pairs and win with them even if you don't make a set. Any advice would be great.
 
sergios

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I usually play small pairs! and if the flop does not bring the set! speculum and if I see any rise! fold !! q I do not think coming to win Showdown! bluffing is the only way to win chips. but also to lose! I would recommend playing small pairs from late position. and risk few chips!
 
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Sohmurr

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As is so often true in poker, how you play a hand depends on the normal factors: table image, position, tourney vs. cash game, opponents, etc. I disagree with those above who said always fold or open raise an early small pair. There are frequently situations you will benefit from a call.

The standard move, certainly at lower limits, is the set mine. The set mine is played by seeing the flop cheaply against a couple opponents and usually trapping another player who has one or two pair. When you have a pocket pair, you will flop a set about 10% of the time. So if you set mine, you need to average at least 10x your initial investment in the hand to profit. Not all sets will pay off, so be wary of possible straights, flushes, and other better hands. That said, you should not be frequently timid when you do hit.

In later positions, if I am first to open with a small pocket pair, I will probably raise more than call. The later the position, the less action you will be able to get if you flop a set, so you need to play a bit more aggressively and try to pick up the hand preflop or on the flop. Don't get too involved, and if you face resistance, just let the hand go and move on.

There are certainly more advanced plays you can make, but these are the basics to playing small pocket pairs.
 
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