$11 NLHE MTT: Pocket Pair on a Low Double paired board

iPoker - <> NL - Holdem - 8 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BB: 39.06 BB (VPIP: 14.29, PFR: 14.29, 3Bet Preflop: 33.33, hands: 21)
UTG: 98.9 BB (VPIP: 15.00, PFR: 10.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 21)
Hero (UTG+1): 58.98 BB
MP: 33.97 BB (VPIP: 33.33, PFR: 14.29, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 21)
MP+1: 38.59 BB (VPIP: 23.81, PFR: 14.29, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 21)
CO: 26.34 BB (VPIP: 23.81, PFR: 14.29, 3Bet Preflop: 10.00, Hands: 21)
BTN: 10.25 BB (VPIP: 18.18, PFR: 18.18, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 11)
SB: 13.54 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 21)

8 players post ante of 0.1 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.3 BB) Hero has 5:heart: 5:club:

fold, Hero calls 1 BB, fold, fold, CO raises to 3.13 BB, fold, fold, fold, Hero calls 2.13 BB

Flop: (8.56 BB, 2 players) 3:heart: 2:club: 8:spade:
Hero checks, CO checks

Turn: (8.56 BB, 2 players) 8:heart:
Hero bets 4.28 BB, CO calls 4.28 BB

River: (17.12 BB, 2 players) 3:club:
Hero bets 8.56 BB, CO calls 8.56 BB


Continue on the river?

Limping inEP makes things so awkward. I understand you wanna look at a flop as cheaply as possible, but too many times you get raised and you have to check-fold to most flops. Only makes sense if you've got a really weak table that will almost exclusively limp behind. And you need to balance it out with hands like KK+, suited baby aces (which you could both turn into a limp-reraise) and suited connectors (to limp-call small raises). Either way, my advice: don't limp.

Flop and turn seems fine. Once he checks back the turn, his hand looks a lot like ace high or 44-77 (you're getting value from 44, you prevent 66 and 77 from betting itself). So a half pot value bet on the turn is definitely standard.

River is close. I understand that you think he will call a lot of ace highs on this paired board, but that really depends on your opponent. If he's a calling station, completely fine value bet. If he's not, check and hope for a free and fruitful showdown. With no information on the villain I tend to go for the latter.

I personally open fold 22 - 55 UTG / UTG + 1...

A good suggestion is to never limp, especially in tournaments, just raise or fold.

As hand played bet turn is fine.

River I would have check /called rather than betting.

ah okay, thanks for the advice guys. I always thought to limp pre because usually once one person limps a bunch limp behind. but i can see the value in openning in order to continue on the flop. I think im playing my hand pretty much face up here.

you guys are right about check calling the river too. ive seen alot of situations where people just flat flop and turn and instafold the river so part of me may have been hoping to get some of his better hands to fold too, but that might have been optimistic.

Limping pre with small pairs can be favourable, but you have to be at a table where no one takes advantage by raising AND no one recognizes your limping style as small pairs only (otherwise you'd have to balance it with monsters, which could turn out awkward as well). Always raising maybe takes away the advantage of getting to cheap flops, but makes the rest much easier.