Small Pocket Pair at Bubble Time

yonosemanana

yonosemanana

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Hi, I was wondering what is a good strategy for small-mid poket pairs (22-88).

For example, I have been in this situation when its near the bubble and I have pocket 3 from Middle Position and theres an aggresive villain raising 3 - 6 x the BB with any two cards from EP.

Now I have 20 to 25 BB and I dont want to shove because villain could be going all in with anything and catching up a card to beat my pocket pair.

I could call, but this call could induce others to call as well for the pot odds. If I fold I could lose a potential significant pot. Also, I know villain is calling no matter what.

What do you guys do in a situation like this? ITM is important to me because I'm trying to build a bankroll.
 
almanik

almanik

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If you want to build bankroll, you better to be carefull and wait till you get some prize and risk after it.
 
12551255

12551255

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You have to ask yourself do you want to win at all cost, bubble be dammed, or make the money then make your moves.
 
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ilostmysoul

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You have to ask yourself do you want to win at all cost, bubble be dammed, or make the money then make your moves.

This.
If you want to fight for first place at all costs, then you play it as you would if you were not in the bubble, which would be a call for a set value.

However I personally would fold here. You are playing against someone aggressive and you don't have position, so you can't steal: basically you either make a set or the hand is worthless. It's basically a speculative hand, but it loses value because in this particular situation you can't bluff with it.

There are also other things to consider. The main one being your stack is not big enough for speculative hands. 20-25BBs is, from my experience, a relative short stack in the bubble stages of a tournament. If you keep calling speculative hands, you will watch it dissapear pretty quickly because pots build up into huge ones from antes alone (however, if you wait for a good hand or at least a bluff opportunity, this same reason will get you big pots).

I want to separate mid and low pocket pairs here too. Say you have a low pocket pair, in your example 3s. 3s are a clear fold for me in this situation. Not only because I can't steal, but because I lack showdown value too. If I don't flop another 3, there's nothing I can. Whatever flop comes, I'm doomed. A45, QK5, 256, even 222 will give bigger hands an advantage. If I have a mid-pocket pair instead, say 99, things change. I can be lucky and catch something like 256, 886, or any other flop that will give a over pair, or at least a medium pair. I can be sure I probably have the best end at the moment, and I can stick with my hand, even though I didn't flop a 9.
 
yonosemanana

yonosemanana

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What about a shove with the poker pair? (33-88)

I keep 99 out because I would normally shove with 99+ better in this situation.
 
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jimmy62

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This is just my opinion but if you are trying to build your roll,the first thing is making the money.When I play in mtts my first objective is making the bubble,then the final table then the win.I find that this keeps me objective.
 
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lukeellul92

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Regardless of wether you're on the bubble, small pocket pairs gotta be played with caution.

IF you feel the villain will raise after you , then just call and see what his raise is.
If the table is tight because its close to the bubble, raise 3bb or so with your pocket pair, if you get 3bet then fold.

If you really want to just make the bubble, then fold. Become super tight with your play...
 
yonosemanana

yonosemanana

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The fold and then the pain to see that I would of hit a set...
 
suby_rafael

suby_rafael

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The fold and then the pain to see that I would of hit a set...

We should not think that way. If we are sure that folding was the right play at that time then it would not matter what comes on the flop. Then we don't feel the pain or think worse of our decision - because that would then be us being results oriented which would not be ideal. :argh:
 
taban13

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If I have 20-25 BB I won't go Ollin/well, if 10-15 BB then I boldly put all with small pairs, but better to opponents was smaller.
 
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hffjd2000

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It depends on many variables but on the situation you mentioned above, folding, I think would be safest choice.
 
2Pacavelli

2Pacavelli

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i prefer fold , because 80 % of times flop will be bad for you, and 33 is not good for all in, in this situation
 
yonosemanana

yonosemanana

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Great advice guys. TY for the recommendations. I agree that folding a small pair to make ITM and get some $ for my bankroll is more important right now and the right play.
 
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MaxMill

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Im mucking. There is no reason to gamble when no money has been won yet... Pushing or calling a bet in this situation is just asking yourself to lose.. You dont want to jam get called by J 10 OS and watch a turn J kill you.. I know its tempting when you see a guy raise 4 hands in a row... But make your profit first.. If you know hes going to call you are flipping with so many hands that you are making what seems like the right move odds wise in this certain hand.. But in the long run.. Say you are 60/40... 40% of the time you are getting nothing.. 60% of the time you are making the money. Now lets take those odds away and muck this hand... 95% of the time you are making money. Of course there's a chance to be in a better position from winning the hand.. But how many more chances will you get with 25 BB's.... A few.
 
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nickolaussantaclaus

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as for me, i make fold...but in 30% when i fold this cards, in the flop i see the set))))) now i do something interesting: if i have this situation, i take a look to the watch in my hand) when the second hand is between 50-60 seconds - i go all in)) when it between 60-50 - fold)))
 
yeezus

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I have ran into this pronlem so many times. Easy fold imo.I always get busted with 22-10 in this situation and just ended up saying in gonna always fold when it comes down to this situation unless i have a good enough read on the table that i can play these hands.
 
teepack

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Fold it. Why risk 25 percent of your stack when you know you will fold the flop unless you hit a set (about a 12 percent chance). If you are in middle position and everybody has folded to you, it's a different story.
 
or3o1990

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I think that because of the people left to act behind you it's a definite fold. If you get called from a player after you youre most likely going to be in terrible shape.

If you were in the BB and he did this from the button things would be different. If he opens 6x from late and it folds to you in the small or big you can shove. To me it would come down to if there were antes and if I think he's going to fold or not. If you don't think he's folding I wouldn't subject myself to flipping all of the time.
 
VGShaa

VGShaa

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With a stack of 20-25 BB on the bubble better to fold small pairs wrong hands to bet all the chips as an option you can make calls but not likely flop here to see price and you just lose chips here and put down the stack to critical. Well, still depends on the player who made such a raise, what style he has and what hands he opens.
 
cjmoles

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It depends on your stack size in relation to the other stack sizes on the table at bubble time. It also depends on the prize structure. If all spots pay the same, as in a satellite, then things are simpler. If it is a satellite type pay structure and you can get a couple smaller stacks to go all in with you, even if a bigger stack goes in too, you're in good position to cash. Remember: in a multiway showdown on the bubble, the larger stacks going into the pot get the higher position pays in the end. Otherwise, fold the rags....and live another day!
 
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BullWink

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Normally on the bubble, I would play small pp agressively, especially on a table where lots of people are trying to make the money. But in the situation you described, I think I would fold.
 
Martinez

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There have been times I find that in this situation especially if I don't have a big stack I take my time to think carefully. There have also been times in situations like this that I have folded to a small bet then seen the whole table fold because of the bubble situation. Even when 1st to bet on a table at the bubble I have folded small pair just hoping that I last a little longer then see the whloe table fold to BB in because they are thinking the same thing.
These days when in said situation, I tend to push all in and take my chances. I may loose, but by being aggressive it will be more difficult for the other players to respond. So, if I do go out, then I know I went out with a 50% chance of winning the hand and with guns blazing, but if called and win the hand then I have doubled my chip stack and put myself in a stronger position to climb up the leader board and have a chance of winning.
 
beger80

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I fold 95% of the time, calling 0%, shove 5%. Calling a 4-6x open in middle position leaves late players a light squeeze option that I couldn't call. The only shoves are based on table reads and looking left and seeing weak players ready to fold and if the monkey having a high fold to 3 bet propensity. Fold most to allow a better skill edge to be played.
 
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SoproSHoN

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If you want to build bankroll, you better to be carefull and wait till you get some prize and risk after it.

But if he want win tournament he should go all in. Because he have chanse not pair card 54%. It's good chanсe for wins
 
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