Small Pocket Pairs what to do?

[kidkvno1]

I limp in and i will tell you why if you hit trips your hand got even better and no one knows it, it will look like a bluff till someone calls it .....
Or you can push hard on them if your in a freeroll. I have seen a lot of wins with low pocket pairs in freerolls it's nuts

I use to fold low pocket pairs till i got a tip from a pro on tv that said call with them if the bet is not to high, and if you hit trips it will pay off.. Tho i forgot witch pro said it... since then i have been playing them but fold them when betting preflop gets out of hand :joyman:

 

[ZZFLOP]

i always raise a decent amount. it varies due to the differences in tables. If i flop a set then i usually try to slow play it. But if i miss the set, and two of the cards are higher than my pair then i fold. Usually if i dont hit, and it is lower than pocket 7s then i fold immediately. This is just what i do, but i could use some advice on my plays as well though.

You say you usually slowplay your set, I always make a minimum raise because a set is very difficult to detect.

 

[larsieboy555]

in early position i fold deuces till sevens, im making a minraise with 8s till jacks hoping to get heads up and qq+ i limp hoping to make a limp raise

in middle position im minbetting with pocket 6 and higher hoping to steal the blinds

and in late position i 3bet all pairs if there wasnt any action before me

 

[tas02]

You've gotten some interesting advice here. Some of it I agree with, some of it I don't. Whenever someone says "you should always..." or "I always...", you need to take it with a grain of salt. If you always do something the same way, you will get eaten alive by more experienced players that recognize patterns in your betting.

One thing I would add is that most of the time, if you miss the flop, get ready to throw it away to any bet unless the texture of the flop suggests that nobody paired or you can check it around. Keep in mind that if you missed, you only have 2 outs which means you are roughly a 9-to-1 underdog to make your set by the river.

I say most of the time, because occasionally, you will want to chase (if you can do so cheaply) just to vary your play and not be too predictable. Obviously, if you miss making a set, but, say, flop 4 to a straight, you may want to invest a little more.

Just my humble opinions....

 

[markpro]

tas02 is quite right... its very important to shift your play from time to time, cause if this is done in the opportune circumstances, you are able to get a lot more money than you usually would... This is due to the fact that the players would not expect you to make that play with the kind of hand you actually have, so you will expect you to have a bad hand. If you had a bad hand trying to catch and played it dif, they might think you have a monster and if you have a monster but play dif, they might think you have a bad hand... in both situations you have the advantage !! Good luck at the tables .

 

[BostonRobber]

Small pairs offer an excellent opportunity to vary one's play. Most of the time I'll let them go, but when I do play them I like to play them like AA. If I get caught so be it everyone will more than likely call my good hands, if not I steal some pots.

 

[booger_noob]

You should consider your position in deciding whether to limp or raise with small pairs 55+ but even in late position i'd raise with 44,33,22 only if the blinds are very weak.
People might keep betting into a tight opponent if they feel the guy would have missed the flop. Let's say you only see the flop 20% of the time, then when the flop comes 9 62 it is very likely that you missed the flop so the guy is correct to bet into you and take the pot.
By the same logic, a flop like that is likely to have missed him too so you can call depending on the odds and whatever draw ou might have.

 

[erixi]

Hi people

I used to just call in early positions and raise in later positions

If i didnt do the set... and a big bet is made .. i fold...

Id every body check after flop..and there is only one card bigger than mine .. i bet ... With are two cards i give check or fold...

 

[Paulozg]

With no position i call..If i hit a set i'll play it, if i don't i'll fold to any bet..Late position i'll raise, if i don't hit a set on the flop i'll bet and try to steal the pot, if im called/raised then i'm beat and i'll fold

 

[dresden1]

if you are going to play small pp preflop dont limp raise.If you miss on the flop you have the option to REPRESENT the flop and bet (if your chip stack allows).If you get reraised then the games a bogey and you just got caught with your hand in the cookie jar,fold and live to fight another hand.But just limping is in my opinion a bad idea.

 

[bobboss171]

the position you are on the table much influence.

But we will generalize ... to be indifferent in the small blind,

big blind or other position. Pairs before the pre flop between 5 and 9

I give call of 10 and 11 marked 2 times the value of the blind, Q, R, A

i raising 3 times the value of the blind or give all in.

 

[nyy4life42]

I like the advice given here. Your only about a 1-8ish chance to hit your set on the flop, so its not going to happen very often (though it will happen). Keep in mind that most players don't hit their flops, and its just your judgement call to see if you can call them out on it.

 

[santa fe slim]

I've gone back and forth: raise 3x with 'em or just limp. I usually will now decide based on how I feel the table is. Very loose, just limp/call. Tight: raise preflop. post flop? It depends. Loose table, ace on the board, fold. A lot of players play any ace and will call a raise.