Small pocket pairs preflop

When you are dealt a small pp(say 22-77), what is the largest raise you should call to make setmining profitable?

For the sake of this question lets assume the raiser and you both sit with 100bbs.

Thanks

Positions?
Villain type?

ok say you are in late position and a LAG raises 5x from MP do you call or fold?

How does he play postflop?

Is anyone still to act likely to squeeze?

Hehe I love you WV. But you are correct and it is a big a-ha moment when people realise there aren't general rules to something like how to play pocket pairs.

The only general rule I can give is that you need large implied odds of around 20:1. So for a 5BB raise that's 100BB's. You also want an opponent who either has a strong range or who plays too loose/bad preflop. Also never set mine OOP, it's not worth it.

You're right it depends but I disagree with NEVER set mining OOP. If the villain's range is tight enough set mining OOP can be fine.

Villain is 11/10 over 120 hands and I haven't ever seen him raise from EP.

Full Tilt - $0.50 NL - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

UTG: $55.05
UTG+1: $18.75
MP: $50.00
MP+1: $48.85
CO: $50.75
BTN: $26.25
SB: $36.60
Hero (BB): $50.00

SB posts SB $0.25, Hero posts BB $0.50

Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero has 4:heart: 4:spade:

UTG raises to $2.00, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, Hero calls $1.50


I think calling here is fine. Put the same villain on the BTN and I fold (or occasionally 3bet).

I usually only call a raise if others have already entered to sweeten the pot, or if there is a calling station behind me to make it worth my while. If ANYONE raises more than 5x the BB, I usually just fold my low pockets just because I'm sick of getting burned. I am in no position to give advice here, I think that this is a MAJOR part of my game that needs to improve, but I am just letting you know what I do.

WVHillbilly said:

You're right it depends but I disagree with NEVER set mining OOP. If the villain's range is tight enough set mining OOP can be fine.

Villain is 11/10 over 120 hands and I haven't ever seen him raise from EP.

Full Tilt - $0.50 NL - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 3

UTG: $55.05
UTG+1: $18.75
MP: $50.00
MP+1: $48.85
CO: $50.75
BTN: $26.25
SB: $36.60
Hero (BB): $50.00

SB posts SB $0.25, Hero posts BB $0.50

Pre Flop: ($0.75) Hero has 4♥ 4♠

UTG raises to $2.00, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, fold, Hero calls $1.50


I think calling here is fine. Put the same villain on the BTN and I fold (or occasionally 3bet).

Click to expand...

You're right that this is a spot where you can set mine as his range is super strong. You just have to bet bet bet when you flop and hope he can't find a fold, still hate being OOP though. I think it's a good point in your game when you realise being OOP with a strong hand sucks almost as much as without a hand.

I rarely raise preflop with small pkt pairs and mostly call a raise to see a flop ican make a set, after that if i miss i usually fold if the opp raises agn.

pappasqueaks said:

I rarely raise preflop with small pkt pairs and mostly call a raise to see a flop ican make a set, after that if i miss i usually fold if the opp raises agn.

Click to expand...

Don't limp / call raises with small pocket pairs, it makes it so obvious that you are raising big hands and limping small ones and means you are extremely easy to play against post flop.

Raise pre to merge your range, otherwise you'll start getting 3 bet light.

I play my little 2's like their aces. Always keeps people guessing and if you hit that set with a spread out flop it pays real good

Aldito said:

ok say you are in late position and a LAG raises 5x from MP do you call or fold?

Click to expand...

You can't set mine a LAG who opens from MP. His range is too weak for you to have implied odds, regardless of stack sizes. If you call, you must either get to showdown often enough unimproved to realize your cards' equity or play aggressively enough to create fold equity.

But small pocket pairs are not very good cards to be aggressive with because you can never really estimate your equity properly. High cards, suited cards and connected cards let you semi bluff on a much wider range of flops with more and cleaner outs, and therefore are a much better range to call with vs. a LAG who opens in MP.

Pascal LeFiscal said:

it makes it so obvious that you are raising big hands [...] you'll start getting 3 bet light.

Click to expand...

:hmmmm:





:thumpdown

BelgoSuisse said:

:hmmmm:





:thumpdown

Click to expand...

I meant to say "raised" light, not 3bet light

Small pairs?

That's a tough one---I try to limp in and wait for the flop to hit the trips. I have won many a good sized pots with trips as you probably know from your own play as well. I have folded small pairs many times because the bets in front were to high to justify the call---only to see trips would have been mine and the pot as well had I only called. If I am playing a serious game I would only limp in on small pairs and hope for trips to pop---Take pocket 5's for example---any call of any two cards above a 5 have about 45% of poppin and beating a lower pair. -----55 beats AK--- 55 beats Q9----55 beats J8---In this example J8 has just as much power as AK does as only one card has to pop to beat 55. If your in late position and your chip stack is shrinking fast and the blinds are large with no raises in front--It may be worth it to sling them all in---You could steal the blinds and help your stack in a much needed way or get a caller and beat them out to get the blinds and a double up--- It's a gamble that depends on position, stack size, tourney or cash game, bets in front of you, heads up play or 10 person table play, ect, ect. So many variables at different points of a game. My preferred play is to not raise up small pockets---just limp in and hope for trips---nothing better than a scattered rainbow flop and hitting trips----gives you near the nuts play. Pocket Trips against Pocket Trips-----can't hardly get away from that one!!! I'm sure you can find someone to get better advise from rather than me---but that's the way I play em---some times if I'm board and it's just a freeroll--I'll chunk em all in early just for the heck of it!!! A quick double up or a quick out with no wasted time.

in late position, try to raise minimal amount. if you are the button, a raise would be good as you may raise again on the flop even if you missed. on early position though, just limp in. dont raise at all because people behind you may have a hand and will reraise you.