Another beginner question - low/mid pocket pairs

[Mooronic]

I've been keeping logs of each of my hands this past month.

In doing so I realize that over 50% of my losses (when it gets to the showdown) are when I have a pocket pair. Considering that the chances of getting a pocket pair are much lower than getting drawing cards, I realize that I must be playing my pairs way too deep into the hand.

Obviously, the high pocket pairs are great and, aside from the occasional bad beat, have been very profitable for me. Doesn't take a genius to play them.

It's the medium to low pocket pairs that kill me. Strategies to play them tend to vary - some suggest big raises to push out as many callers as possible and others just to play conservativly in hopes of hitting trips. I can't get confident with any one way to play them, regardless of the board.

So how do you play low / mid pairs and how often do they end up winning the hand? In both tournies and cash games.

 

[bubbasbestbabe]

Usually fold them if they are an 8. Unless I'm limping in. Or final table.

 

[KerouacsDog]

In general,I limp with TT and lower, unless theres been no action, and Im LP
when the flop hits, take a careful look. is there any draws to flushes/straights etc.
more importantly, any paired cards on board?, but even more important than that, any over cards, particularly A or a K, as fish call with them, no matter what the kicker.
If its lower than my pair, I bet out. to scare off the drawers.
if i hit a set, i do a minimum bet and try to make it look like a continuation bet, pretending that im holding AK, AQ, etc.
thats my general pattern, but i dont wanna go into any more detail.
as for JJ, i now treat them like they are a pair of 8's, ie limp most of them time, as theres always someone calling with a Q, K, or an A.