Also, you never reraise with them before the flop.
Of course "it all depends" but it's probably "generally" a bad idea.
IF you get called you are either racing or crushed. Compare and contrast this to a hand like big slick, where IF you get called you are most likely racing or crushing another big ace.
my friends and i have long had arguments about wheather or not you should go all-in with low pockets pre flop.
it has split us 50-50.
i was wondering what the rest of the poker world thinks about low pockets
I agree with everything else, but not with this one point - if you play pairs differently than other hands from the same position, I think that you are giving away too much information.
In an ideal situation you won't be opening the pot (and can just limp or call along with someone else) but if you are first in a raise is generally the correct play.
Yes, you are right. "Never" was definately not the right word to use.
It stands to reason that you should not change your strategy specifically to get in cheap with small pairs. However, I think if there are any starting hands that you should avoid raising (when limped around), small pairs are it!
If you are making a position raise, you are doing it regardless of your hole cards. The value of position play is not debatable.
The problem with putting in a 1st raise with these hands is that you cannot justify calling a reraise even against someone who will play ATC any time. Small pairs play so bad against random hands.
So coming in raising from early position is a bad idea IMO. You will usually get calls from the hands that have you crushed. You will sometimes get calls from hands that offer a coin flip. Not to mention if this raise is part of a general (& quite viable) strategy of always coming in raising, you won't get alot of folds from hands that have you beat.
Lastly, flopping a set is arguably the best hand you can flop because of the inherent stealth that comes with it. I would rather flop a set (without a board pair)than a straight, a flush, quads...well...anything...
Along with the fold equity that comes with your raise, you are folding out the huge action you may get when you occasionally make your set. It is one of the few ways you can get solid players to stack off with hands like top pair and 2pair. Much better than playing a set against a legitimate draw from the flop.
This could be called a fringe discussion, with multiple plays being "correct" depending on the situation. Still I say that if you raise with small pairs in situations where you may limp with ANY other starting hands, you should rethink it.
going all in pre flop with mid to low pairs is a good way to loose out early, play smart and let some other people get knocked off early. The best you can hope for is 50 50. In tournys with a lot of people you see pre flop all ins a lot in the beginning, wait it out and play smart.
I'm assuming that you are asking about online poker, because live there are so many more things going on than just the cards.
I've been in situations before where UTG+3 raised 2XBB (after a couple of limpers), someone reraised to 6XBB - I looked at the reraiser (which I knew to be a bluffer and a guy that loves to sling chips around the table trying to buy pots and such), I had pocket 2's... I decided my only play there was fold or all-in. I didn't think he had anything to write home about and it didn't seem he gave a crap about anyone else at the table he was intent on seeing the org. raiser fold. Which I was 99% positive the guy was folding to just the reraise anyway. I went all in and the guy turned and looked at me and just said "oh boy".
This was a $2/$5 NL cash game and I had been playing for several hours with these guys. Now say what you might about this move - risky yes, but I just had a really good read on both players. The org. raiser most likely had suited connecters, maybe a low pocket pair (he would raise in the same manner if he had hands like these), the slinger reraiser guy was a chump and raised with crazy shit hands like 109o. If I was wrong I could just have rebought and grinded back what I lost, but I really didn't think that was going to happen.
I took down a $57 dollar pot or so. If I just called or reraised I would have been called and most likely lost the pot. Instead I grew some balls and won myself a small pot, but a win all the same.
NOW - online I could have never got that read and it would have been impossible for me to even stay in the hand (which is why I hate online poker).
my friends and i have long had arguments about wheather or not you should go all-in with low pockets pre flop.
it has split us 50-50.
i was wondering what the rest of the poker world thinks about low pockets