How to play a pair

StArDemonn

StArDemonn

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I want to know how you play pairs?(not AA,KK,QQ)......if you had 77 UTG you raise....the player in the button reraise....What would you do?call....reraise...fold?
 
ConDeck

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This is very situational. For example considerations would be is this tournament or cash play? What are relative stack sizes? How strong/weak is your table in general? What's your table image? What range is the villain playing? Is he loose aggressive 3betting a lot from the bottom with marginal holdings or does he only ever 3bet for value? Is the pot multi way? Are you getting the right pot odds and implied odds to play the hand?

These are just some of the considerations, if you elaborate a bit more I can offer more advice on this. Or when I have more time I will go into more detail around a few examples if that helps?
 
alipalip

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It depends that you are at Cash table or tournament. If tournament depends wich stage (early, mid, late, final t.) ,stack sizes and reads from Villain.
At the cashtable depends msotly from stack sizes. There is a call20 rule wich means that if you and Villain both got more stack than 20*the rise u shoud call for setmining else it depends from reads about Villain(how offen he 3-bet, wich cards he will 3 bet, is he folding for 4bet?, etc...)
 
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Agree with previous, like most things in poker, very situational, do what feels right.
In an attempt to answer: If they table is fairly tight and you THINK that you will get folds post flop or after flop- then you can raise and c-bet if called with reasonable implied value.
However, as I always seem to find, there is often an idiot who will call when they hit ANYTHING, and unless you hit a set (3 of a kind), you don't know where you stand to any over cards. For this reason I will always keep the pot small, maybe just a call and a small bet to take down the pot, folding to a raise.
The only other circumstance I will comment on is in a sit and go or tournament, say you have 5,000 chips and blinds are maybe 500/1,000 something like that, then shoving is fine (not TOO often) as a pair is always a favourite except to a higher pair (which you will rarely run into).
This is just how I play. Do what is comfortable. Good luck.
 
mange1234

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Fold on a reraise

I would not raise with a small pair under the guy. I would call a reasonable bet (depending on my stack) and would fold on a raise.

But, that is me.

Mike
 
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hffjd2000

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You have to consider many things like the person reraising, your image at the table, the amount of reraise, implied odds, etc. before taking such action.
 
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Esanu

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With a handful of 77 folds, maximum call ...
 
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capara20

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same here, if there is 9 players and this is a tournament i would call and fold if anyone raise more than 2 times the BB.

although i would raise in early position if i have extra money
 
Four Dogs

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I want to know how you play pairs?(not AA,KK,QQ)......if you had 77 UTG you raise....the player in the button reraise....What would you do?call....reraise...fold?


This is a cash game? I'm not a huge adherent of set mining. I open raise all pairs, even deuces. If I get 3 bet I'll usually just fold but in very specific situations I will call and donk jam the flop when I make my set. Against certain opponents a 3 bet is a Broadway pair 100% of the time and they will call off 100bb's to a low board 100% of the time.
 
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JVal

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depends pretty much on player

i dislike raising with in early position with a weak hand for this very reason

very few hands you have beat

most likely a coin flip or bigger pair which has you crushed

you can call and try to hit a set but if you miss as you most likely will, you will just check fold

if you check raise on the flop without a set be prepared to be called or even re-raised with high pair

he could fold with overcards

again all would depend on your read of the player and how susceptible you think he is to fold a hand like ak on flop that missed

in my opinion you must have the ability to make him fold by betting or raising post flop to make the call preflop (assuming you dont hit the set)

if you dont have the play in you or you dont think your opponent can be taken off his, dont call

i would reraise pre flop before i called

reraise or fold best options depending on how player plays

but again this is why i avoid raising early position with hand like 77

good luck
 
kasper447

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Weak couple - pretty dangerous, but potentially winning hand. The success of a pair of draw largely depends on luck. The high probability of winning is if the pair extended to a set. Go into the draw is possible and necessary, but only if you are in late position and you did not have to raises.
 
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alexis8888

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77 UTG and raise? No way. In early position - limp.
 
thetick33

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I want to know how you play pairs?(not AA,KK,QQ)......if you had 77 UTG you raise....the player in the button reraise....What would you do?call....reraise...fold?

need more info but most of time any low pairs 10s or under i try to get in cheap if someone reraises and i have enough of stack i just call an all in early id fold
 
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BullWink

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In general, I would raise 77 UTG and then I would fold if I was re-raised. I think that in the majority of cases, I would be a coin flip at best and there is a good chance I am dominated.
 
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