Small pocket pair.

[Babynut]

How would you play small pocket pair? I feel I don't play small pocket pair very well. I just don't have confidence in a small pocket pair. If there is a pre flop raise I tend to fold. I know there is a better way to play small them. So I was just wondering how other played them.

 

[Emperor IX]

Actually facing a standard raise a small pocket pair is a great hand to have. If they're raising with solid pf hands (big ace/big pocket pair) and you hit your set (about 7.5:1 against) you have achance to win a nice big pot. If they raise to $1 pf at $25nl, and you think you can win another $7.50 from them if you flop your set, it's correct to call.

There are complexities to this hand like anything in NLHE. In tournaments at later stages where your stack is smaller they become less valuable because you can't set mine profitably because the payoff just isn't there.(though they're great for when you're real short stacked and need to go all in)

Something to remember about pocket pairs though is that when they don't hit their set, they are just one pair, and one pairs generally doesn't win big pots, so don't commit too much until you strike gold.

 

[PattyR]

ok....usually with a small pp i would call...just to limp into the pot...

other people like to make a big bet to steal the blinds or get a call or two..

either way...pp are best played "no set, no bet"

meaning if you dont hit your set...you fold your hand or at least check it down

 

[RA2000]

It depends on how much chips you got and how much more you can win after the flop!
With the right odds you can call those raises....

 

[Duke0424]

Emporer is right IMO. If you play them against raises they're very well concealed because people expect you to have two high cards.

 

[kevkojak]

Less than 15% of your stack to see a flop gives you good equity with a mid pair, then its as above....No set - No bet!

 

[BelgoSuisse]

It's impossible to answer your question unless you provide at least some extra information like the kind of games you play (cash/STT/MTT?) and the stakes you play.

And to all those who claim "no set - no bet", you have to realize that any strategy that involved playing strictly fit or fold is extremely exploitable. So unless you play micro stakes, it's a bad overall strategy.

 

[kevkojak]

How would you play small pocket pair?

With a question this broad I thought a basic answer was enough Belgosuisse.
Only getting involved if your priced to do so, and not chasing dreams on the flop seemed like a reasonable answer. But I do agree, its not as cut and dried as 'no set no bet'. Its just a good rule to stick to for someone looking for a jump-off point when learning when to get involved with a small pair.
Getting tricky with them comes later.

 

[andosalado]

For me small pocket pairs are the easiest hands to play, if i don't hit the set on the flop i'm ready to let the hand go.

 

[chukky88]

Depends the situation..what torunament, what blind level, what players,the posistion a lot of factors...
in a standard game, with all this at medium level, if someone makes a big raise i fold, if is a minimum raise or no raise i call, if i'm in a good position for stealing, i steal...
so as you see, is not posible to explain how to play, depends the situation.

 

[thesoxwin]

I hate small PP {under 9's}, especially UTG, just seems like a loser most of the time. Depending on the flop, its almost an insta-fold, for me anyways.

 

[Coramoor_]

i'm one of those people that believes in the philosophy of limping into a pot with a pocket pair because that's the least risk if someone goes way over the top and if you hit your set, no one will place you on it, it's an ideal situation most of the time, of course if the flop is well over your cards, ak10 or something like that and you're sitting with 3's, it's basically an instant fold

 

[Exit141RTe1]

Auto fold unless you get in cheap, cheap, cheap, and catch.

My two cents.

 

[Babynut]

Thanks everyone.

 

[Kuberr]

It depends on the number of players, but I usually limp in with small pocket pairs or if I'm playing really conservative, I fold them. Implied odds or not, I don't like my chances of hitting a set with them, and I could very well be calling a raise into an overpair.

 

[IhateRiver]

hey

I always play the small pair, 22 or 33, last time on doyles room i had in my hand 22, i was gona fold it, but changed my mind and i called the flop was 22A, 4 of a kind 2-s, so play the small hands too, because you never know
Cheers

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

"it depends"

seriously if you want any constructive analysis (unlike at least 75% of the above posts), you need to post specific hands or give specific situations.