Playing mid pairs

G

Gknumber28

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 15, 2016
Total posts
47
Chips
0
New to the forum, been studying poker for about 2 months so I'm still fairly green to the beautiful game. I've had some pretty tough spots with 66-99 recently and was wondering if I could get some advice from the more experienced players. Obviously having position makes the decision easier, but when do y'all think playing them aggressively is best? Thanks
-G
 
ayo

ayo

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jun 29, 2016
Total posts
396
Chips
0
There are many ways to play mide pairs. For me, it depends on the stack you have. I use to raise if i have a big one. Bit if my stack is low, I just fold or match the blind. It dependes on the Position.
 
PapaC

PapaC

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 30, 2010
Total posts
2,798
Chips
0
You are right, position is the key for playing those hands. We all have trouble with those hands and I don't know if they can be played in any better way. If you have 66 UTG and you try to limp in hopes of hitting a set if you can see the flop. However, a player in MP makes a very big raise and when it gets back to you the 66 don't look so good and all you can do is call with what may be a losing hand or fold and wait for a better hand. But those hands can be played better in late position and you can make your hand seem better than it is to those still in the hand by making a good size bet and many times you will run everyone out and take the pot easy. And with that hand you really don't want any calls anyway, so take what you can get from the hand and go on to the next one. You are just starting out and there is so much to learn it's unreal. Just keep asking some questions and getting advice on HOW DO I DO THIS. and you will get a little better every day if you stick to a plan you should make as soon as you can because the goals you set out there a ways will keep you focused on what is important to you when it comes to poker. I know I've went way off the subject of how to play low pairs. and I can't give you anything that will be a full prof way to play small pairs. We live and learn and there is plenty to learn here. And I'm sure you will find others here who are working on HOW TO PLAY LOW PAIRS. Do me a favor. If you find out how to play them, please let us all know,LOL I think it really depends on the player and the experience that player has on dealing with 66/99 the best way for him, and you can learn from him but his way probably won't work for you but you can get a good idea on how to play them and then you can find out what works for you by trying it out at the table. You will get most of your know how at the tables. So stay focused on every thing that goes on at your table. Be careful and watch out for the hands that may get you in a trap. Do a lot of thinking while playing. Question yourself about the way you played a hand good or bad and learn from it, but do not hold onto any bad beats. If you do they will drag you down because they are really heavy and before you know it you will be thinking about the bad all the time, and your focus won;t be on winning. and you will continue to play shitty and lose more and more, and that will be a time that you will hate the game, but you love it to much to quit. So learning the game is a must if you want to be the player you want to be. I know this is like a book and I know I have went off and on the subject, but when I'm replying in a tread to help a new member I get carried away because I feel like new members need to hear some things right from the start. Hope I didn't bore you to much. GL to you
 
thetick33

thetick33

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 8, 2012
Total posts
1,888
Awards
4
Chips
0
im a trapping player anything 1010 or below i tend to limp in whether have position or not its my style to trap people into all ins with jack high flop when have 3 sixes etc..
 
G

Gknumber28

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 15, 2016
Total posts
47
Chips
0
Thanks for all the great input y'all, just looking forward to getting better every time out.
 
BlackJesus

BlackJesus

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 9, 2016
Total posts
861
Chips
0
"been studying poker for about 2 months so I'm still fairly green to the beautiful game" - you say fairly green? Buddy, you have not even born yet :) I am playing for some 8 years now (with breaks) and still am learning
 
S

Sidetracked

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Jun 30, 2016
Total posts
1,294
Awards
2
Chips
0
A lot of people overplay medium pairs. They are not the nuts. they just aren't. Unless you flop a set. In which case they are usually the nuts.
 
P

Poker247

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Nov 3, 2015
Total posts
183
Chips
0
Depending on my stack size, I will sometimes open raise with them in mid/late position. Otherwise I just call and set mine if the price is cheap enough to warrant it...pot odds (especially implied) are very important. Also, keep in mind who is left to act as that will affect your decisions as well. Mid-pairs are often overvalued by players so be careful. Gl!
 
real_lee85

real_lee85

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jun 2, 2016
Total posts
58
Chips
0
Tournament play in the past I have made brutal plays with the small to mid pocket pairs. I used to tend to over value them deep in tournaments. Some times I would even turn my pocket pair into a bluff sub consciously and don't know what hit me when I see I've been knocked out!!
 
IntenseHeat

IntenseHeat

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Nov 21, 2012
Total posts
1,058
Chips
0
I say be careful not to overplay those medium pairs, but I still don't really care for limping in with them. They're not the nutz. of course, but I like my chances better with any hand against fewer players. If you allow half the table to limp in, you're not going to be able to play with any sort of confidence after the flop with anything short of a flopped set. If you can limit the number of opponents in the hand to one or two with a pre-flop raise, you may feel a little better about putting out a post-flop bet to see where you are in the hand. And often enough a post-flop continuation bet will be enough to take down the pot.
 
O

orsha81

Rising Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Jul 24, 2016
Total posts
7
Chips
0
thank you, your topic is very informative
 
D

dejan85

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Nov 7, 2015
Total posts
712
Chips
0
usually limp or small bet,when Ihave middle pair....
 
zubastik

zubastik

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 2, 2016
Total posts
63
Chips
0
f you go with a middle pair,you must strictly control the whole table,especially if the flop cards or two higher than you,if someone starts to raise a Bank,I think it's better to lose,better to lose a small Bank than to be a departure from the tournament, if it's not certainly not a Freeroll for 10-50 dollars:)
 
D

Donovan2412

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 6, 2016
Total posts
38
Chips
0
I also usually limp looking for a set.
 
IntenseHeat

IntenseHeat

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Nov 21, 2012
Total posts
1,058
Chips
0
So picture this. You limp in with 7-7, hoping to flop a set. The blinds limp in behind you. You see two over cards on the flop, which make you hesitant to make a bet. But after you check the blinds check behind you. Another over card to your 7s lands on the turn. With three players in the hand, you think that surely someone has to have some piece of that board. You check. The blinds check. The river is a eight. You check. The small blind makes a min bet. The big blind folds. You wonder if the SB could be betting ace high with some ace-rag hand? It's a small bet and you are holding a pair, so you call. The small blind turns over 5-8. You realize that you were ahead all the way to the river and could have, most likely, taken the pot down with a bet on the flop or turn. You probably could have taken it down before the flop. Surely 5-8 gets folded to a pre-flop raise. How many times has this happened to you?

I've seen so many variations on this scenario. The player with 5-8 flops a straight draw. My third seven lands on the turn, but it completes his straight. And again we have to wonder would he even be in the hand if it had been raised pre-flop.

I get it. I would like to see cheap flops too. But not if it means that half of the table is going to see it with me. That's with any hand. That's why I play a tight/aggressive style. I save a lot of chips by not limping into a lot of pots. So not only do I feel like I can afford to raise, when I do play a pot, I'm less likely to get a bunch of callers because of my tight/aggressive image.

I'm not trying to knock anyone else's play. I'm not saying my way is right or anybody else's way is wrong. But I do believe that a little aggression will win you a lot of pots. Everyone claims that they play tight/aggressive poker. I'm just wondering where the aggression is.
 
jogger3

jogger3

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
May 3, 2015
Total posts
41
Awards
1
Chips
1
before a few hands were often pushily. but when you get to the answer with the number 34 on the push with QQ and the flop comes out 34. now play any pair with the limp, it's not important 22 or AA. limp look look flåm where we are ahead if we continue to put and watch how an opponent bets.
 
Top