When do you give up on a pocket pair?

teepack

teepack

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It seems that one of the most common mistakes I see people make online is holding onto pocket pairs for too long. I see a lot of folks with small to mid pairs, (say 44 - 99) keep chunking out chips after the flop has come up with an A-Q-8 or something like that. They don't have a set and there are at least two overcards out there, meaning there is a real good chance that somebody else has hit a higher pair. And yet I see people continuing to make big bets or call big bets with what amounts to the third and sometimes fourth-highest pair possible, not to mention that the people they are playing could even have a higher pocket pair themselves. How long will you guys and gals hold onto pocket pairs without hitting a set?
 
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MadisonKopp

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It depends...

... but generally the trick is the turn. hitting set over set or set over two pair or set into flush draw is best played and paid in two steps and therefore requires the turn and the river for maximum value. and lest one forget.... an ace on the flop is not a guarantee of a pair of aces. if one has a good book on one's opponent as well as reliable control over the action, paying to turn an set can lead to a nice payday.

As always, the money has to be right.
 
T0mmmi

T0mmmi

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Hi !

I do believe that playing small pairs ( 22-88) should be done by just call pre- Flop or maximum is call the Raise of 2xBB ..otherwise in my opinion it is just burning of chips or playing BINGO not poker.

I have seen the same behavior on PS as well as on PP that people do really over-rate this types of hands and they tent to lose to many valuable chips on this kind of play.

I know when you are able to hit set..that is in 85-90% win situation against any over pair of 2 pairs but I do really try to only hit the set on flop and not to burn more chips by just calling on Turn or River with just hope ...

Anyway good Luck @ tables
 
BearPlay

BearPlay

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This is a very good question. As usual, it depends on a lot of other factors. In general, I tend to drop the pp if I don't set on the flop, but maybe I will hang onto it if I can get to SD cheaply, and the implied odds are pricing me in.

Here are two videos which really helped me.


 
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WormsworthBently

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It all depends on table dynamics and stack to pot ratio, Also if you are playing cash game or tourney. If you are playing a SnG with 10-15BB you generally open ship pairs depending on position and players obviously. But if im deep in a tourney I will set mine. There are just so many variables. If the player you are against is a agro fish, or passive... etc
 
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BlakeBrown

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I like to limp with small pairs and only draw for a set if the pot odds are big enough or I feel I can get everybody out of the pot, then I may raise
 
teepack

teepack

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Hi !

I do believe that playing small pairs ( 22-88) should be done by just call pre- Flop or maximum is call the Raise of 2xBB ..otherwise in my opinion it is just burning of chips or playing BINGO not poker.

I have seen the same behavior on PS as well as on PP that people do really over-rate this types of hands and they tent to lose to many valuable chips on this kind of play.

I know when you are able to hit set..that is in 85-90% win situation against any over pair of 2 pairs but I do really try to only hit the set on flop and not to burn more chips by just calling on Turn or River with just hope ...

Anyway good Luck @ tables

I agree with this. Depending on my stack, this is about how I will play. If I am in late position and everybody has folded to me, I might drop out a 3x BB raise just to try to scare away the SB and BB. Otherwise, I'm trying to see a flop for as cheaply as possible and then getting out of dodge if I don't hit a set.
 
knileh

knileh

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I give up on a pocket pair when there is a larger card on the board and someone 2bb raises.
 
crusinnn

crusinnn

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I usually play them more in heads up. I try to avoid playing them early in tournaments. I play them aggressive down in the game to weed out limpers.
 
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SwiftHax

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If everyone folds to me and I'm in LP I will always raise a PP. If I do get 3-bet then I will call or fold depending entirely on the player because at that point the value of the hand drops and it turns into a pure set-mine unless you want to 4-bet with the hand. Then again this whole thing changes when holding 99+ as the hand is good enough for showdowns unimproved. In a case when they call I will most likely c-bet dry fops with overs where I can see people will folding.
 
Aces2w1n

Aces2w1n

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If theres 2 overcards and I havn't hit a set I generally can let the board go pretty easy.

Sometimes on JJ7 board i'll check raise someone OOP but that's only against unknown since regs will catch on that it's a bluff.

i'm happy to call a reraise pre depending on the size though, the more people in the pot the more implied odds you have. Depending on the effective stack sizes.

If in position we can call someones cbet hoping they tame and we can steal the pot on the turn.
 
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