Low pocket pair

G

GodSmack55

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What is the best way to play low pocket pair ? I keep getting burned on them and would rather feel more confident playing them.
 
Salvete777

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I suggest to do mini raise preflop, if someone re-raise you then you should think about fold.
If someone raises before you, then you should look how much he raised and how big is you stack to call or fold.
 
Jblocher1

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It's really circumstantial. Stack sizes? Blinds? Your table image? There's a lot of players who think just limping is the best play pre. It's not. Limping is a bad play. Chances are if Ur hand isn't worth a raise preflop u should be folding it.
 
dd_decker

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Actually, you should fold them in early position. Trouble is, someone might raise and then you are in a bad situation. In late position, like on the button or small blind, you should raise and make a continuation bet and most times you'' ll win the pot right there. If not, you still have a chance to take it down
even if you don't hit a set, but you have to be careful ...
 
vinylspiros

vinylspiros

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for me, esp in a tourney any pocket pair is good for a shove. Cause if you really think of it Alot of people are shoving and calling shoves with AQoff AK and of course sometimes better pocket pairs.

Ive shoved and called shoves in the past with small pocket pairs and sometimes even deep in tournies and they have proven me right.


But other times they fail me so i myself am kind of confused as to how to play them the best way possible.


I think the best answer is that it is situation dependent.
'



But if the blinds are not too big yet , then seeing cheap flops and throwing them away unless youve hit a set is the best way to go.
 
Dorkus Malorkus

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It depends too greatly on the specific situation - it's impossible to give anything even approaching a 'catch-all' answer here. The best thing you can do is look through past hands where you've had a low PP and been unsure of how you've played it, or make a note of any hands that come up in the future and post them in the hand analysis forums.
 
IPlay

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Really with low pairs, like 6's and under, I try to limp into the pot and usually won't pay more than 2-3 BB's to see the flop depending on position. If I don't hit a set I fold 90% of the time unless I have 6's and 5 4 3 rainbow flop comes or a flop like K 3 2
 
K

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Normally i just try to limp to see the flop paying the lowest possible, and a mean less than 2,5/3bb depending of the size of my stack. Don´t do anything stupid like I see frequently, and I mean don´t re-raise, don´t call any all in or re-raise. Play very carefully and if you hit the flop you will win a nice pot, if not you can always fold and try another time.
 
DrazaFFT

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i did every possible mistake there is with pocket pair, from utg raise to limp, to 3bet 4 bet and even shove and call all in... From my point of view it is really hard to fold pocket pair if no action happened before you but often limping with it might work on micros where there is lot of limping and if there are few limpers before you might limp as well but what in the situation where somone bet to isolate the limpers? should you call 2,5 3 or 4 BB and then play OOP and what if you miss the flop im not really EV expert but that smells like -ev I would lie if i say that i fold 22 when im utg and when im early or in the middle if it is folded to me, but i almost always raise, if im at the table long enough and i know that the pot will be just limped ill also limp but that is really rare case, im forcing myself to be more aggressive so i almost always raise, i tend to take a lot of notes on my opponents specially on preflop habits and position and betting patterns and if i have someone who tend to 3-bet with KJo or ATo ill might 4 bet as well to represent the hand lot stronger than the one i have, most of the times i took flop right there or with the continuation bet, the main reason for that is that when the table is tighter i fold most suited connectors i get because im not feel confident playing them, i understand that this is a bad habit but i lost money playing them wrong, anyway that really lower my vpip so when i raise and 4bet (in situation that i have info on opponent) i get the pot right there, of course that dont happen often and i dont pull it on someone i saw playing solid so it worked well for me so far but it is only micros...
 
U

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If it's going to cost more than 3 times the big blind to call a pocket pair below 7's, I fold. 5 times if below facecards. Below Aces... depends on if I'm reraised and by how much.

This is GENERAL standards for me. Different situations dictate different responses.
 
Arjonius

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As with many aspects of poker, there's a lot to this topic if you're willing to look beyond the basic level of thinking. So, your question is way too general to answer except in a fairly general way. It's situational, so there's no single best way to play them under all circumstances.

If you want better, more specific answers, you should get in the habit of providing a lot more info. Some examples - and this isn't a complete list by any means:
- what type(s) of poker are you talking about?
- at what levels?
- how do you play them now?
- why do you play them this way?
- what else have you tried and why did you stop?
- how do you adjust with position?
- with stack size?
- do you adjust for different types of opponents?
 
Vhyre

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I wouldnt eliminate limping early as a possibility. It's a tool in arsenal like everything else. Situations sometime make it a good play. I will raise 2x in late to see where I'm at and make one continuation bet. If I'm raised preflop, into the muck they go.
 
Q

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The answer rides on what position you're in and what kind of stack you have to dictate how you play any pocket cards you're dealt. There's an endless list of things that you have to take in mind. Generally for myself I'm in cheap to see the flop and hope for my small pair to set. Its not hard dumping a small pocket pair.
 
C

chauncey274

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I think you really need to grasp just how vague your question is. Here is just a small list off the top of my head that forces me to adjust how i play small pocket pairs.

1. Position
2. Stack sizes of opponents
3. My stack size
4. How do I appear to my opponents? Have I been in too many or very few hands lately?
5. How aggressive are those that act after me?
6. If I miss my set will I be able to take down the pot with most flops with a C-Bet?
7. If I call my opponent and see the flop will he c-bet into me aggressively forcing me out on the flop if I miss?
8. How many players are going to see the flop?

You need to really sit down and think out a plan for different positions, if you are facing a raise, and stuff like that. Here is a few general guidelines that I use for myself in cash games.

1. In a passive game where lots of people see the flop with no raise, I like to limp in and hope for a set. If not, I'm out on the flop to any bet. If 4 or 5 people get into the pot then you have better chances of getting paid off well when you hit.

2. In a game with decent players I only play them in late position and will raise with them. That way if I hit my set the villian is more expecting me to have two high cards more so than a low pocket pair and maybe can get more money out of him. Also, if I miss and the flop comes down dry, I can hopefully take it down with a c-bet. I do not like to play low pocket pairs in a "hit or fold" kind of way on most tables.

3. I'm folding them to just about all 3-bets except a very aggressive player, and even then will fold them fairly often.

There's still lots more than that to think about though.
 
blueskies

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Yep poker is situational dependent. Sometimes you should fold small pp, sometimes you should call to setmine, and sometimes you should shove it back at villain's face.
 
newbie in training

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Basically you want to be raising 2bb unless its late in a tourney then its shove or fold most of the time its a fold though and in cash you want to raise to inflate the pot or build it that waynif you hit your set on flop you can bet 3bb and get called and constantly raise it (in low stakes might I add haha)

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L

locha2013

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I play a small pocket pair only play so that I can see the flop. I often don't see the turn and the river but I think that's okay. I don't try to win or to bluff someone out with a low pair it's too dangerous. I just want to see if I hit a set.
So I regularly only check or call to see the flop and then decide to fold or not to fold. At the beginning I only call a little raise, because the chances are bad to hit the set, but I often call and take a look on the flop.
All in all it's too dangerous to go all in preflop and too dangerous to raise preflop. I think it's only okay to fold or to check.
 
blueskies

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Yep I might play small pps aggressively if I am opening in late position and the folks on my left call too often and fold too much to cbets.

Otherwise I am just looking to get to the flop cheaply in a multiway pot and try to hit a set.

I play a small pocket pair only play so that I can see the flop. I often don't see the turn and the river but I think that's okay. I don't try to win or to bluff someone out with a low pair it's too dangerous. I just want to see if I hit a set.
So I regularly only check or call to see the flop and then decide to fold or not to fold. At the beginning I only call a little raise, because the chances are bad to hit the set, but I often call and take a look on the flop.
All in all it's too dangerous to go all in preflop and too dangerous to raise preflop. I think it's only okay to fold or to check.
 
AugustWest

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Try and setmine, but only if the other players have like 50BB++
 
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I like to play them aggressive. If I am at a tight table, I will do a 5 X BB bet. At a really loose table, I will call a small bet preflop. At a table that is somewhere in the middle a 3 X BB bet may be in order. It really depends how much fold equity I have at a table.

Example: Tight table holding 55. I fire off a 5 X BB bet. Get called by one. Tight players usually play big cards. Say, 3 7 9 rainbow suit flops. Now I can do a strong continuation bet that usually results in a fold. If not, I cut my losses. If you hit the set, you may double up.
 
newbie in training

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Normally what I do is look at what they have to lose and mini raise if we are deepstacked

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I think small pocket pairs should be used to set mine (22-66). They really don't have much value opening preflop, because there just aren't enough boards that you can continuation bet on, and you arent going to flop a set enough times to make it worth it. If opening preflop, they can be played profitably, but you must be able to play extremely advanced post flop (2 and 3 barreling if needed).
 
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Another situation where opening small pairs from any position can be profitable is if you and the rest of the table are playing very deep (200bb+). That way, your opens can withstand 3bets due to the depth of the stacks. It is very important to have implied odds when playing small pairs.
 
G

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It also needs to be clarified whether this thread is about cash games or tournaments. My posts are related to cash games.
 
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