When to shove with a set in 6 max?

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thomasguy3419

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Say you have 22 and flop a 2. Are you going all in on the flop, turn, or river?
Usually when I'm in position I bet 1/2 pot or 2/3 pot depending on how dry the flop is. When I'm in the blinds or early/mid position I check raise if I'm out of position.
Is it ever okay to go all in?
I'm having a really hard time getting paid off with these, especially in the blinds or early/mid position. I check raise the flop and they fold or they check behind so then I have to bet the turn to build a pot and they fold. Even in position it is still hard to get paid off sometimes they fold.
Set mining has not been very profitable for me considering I mostly miss the flop and when I do hit I don't get paid off every time. It is a huge leak in my game. Sometimes I even get bad beats.
Is it really worth set mining in the long run or is it better to fold small pairs?
 
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blueskies

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With a small PP you should be looking to see the flop as cheaply as possible. If it's a 3bet or 4bet pot, fold unless the effective stack is super duper deep.

Generally, decent players can smell a set when you check raise them. To disguise it, you will need to play the set in a way similar to how you play other hands. How you play in general also will affect others' perception of you. Keep in mind how you have played on the table, and think about what others may be thinking of you and how they may interpret your actions.

Like when I start at a new table, sometimes I will purposely play like a calling station in small pots to set up future hands. (This assumes others are observant.) Sometimes if I bet with a set and I get check raised, even though I know the other guy is thinking I am just trying to steal, I will either quickly call to make it seem like I am on a draw or tank like it's a really non-confident call. Generally, the guy will bet on the turn again. Depending on how I interpret the bet size and board texture, I will either call again or raise. At the end of the day though, unless the other player is a moron, you will need him to have a real hand to double up. By looking weak is where you can possibly induce the donk to try to bully you off your "bottom pair."
 
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DegenerateQuant

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Say you have 22 and flop a 2. Are you going all in on the flop, turn, or river?
Usually when I'm in position I bet 1/2 pot or 2/3 pot depending on how dry the flop is. When I'm in the blinds or early/mid position I check raise if I'm out of position.
Is it ever okay to go all in?
I'm having a really hard time getting paid off with these, especially in the blinds or early/mid position. I check raise the flop and they fold or they check behind so then I have to bet the turn to build a pot and they fold. Even in position it is still hard to get paid off sometimes they fold.
Set mining has not been very profitable for me considering I mostly miss the flop and when I do hit I don't get paid off every time. It is a huge leak in my game. Sometimes I even get bad beats.
Is it really worth set mining in the long run or is it better to fold small pairs?



Your value check-raises won't get paid off if you rarely XR bluff. You can't expect to get these paid off if you're only ever raising value. It's also possible that they're just overfolding to your XR regardless, in which case you should obviously start bluffing more. Also, you can trap sometimes. You don't have to XR every single set every single time.

The SPR decides when it's okay to shove. What size do you usually use for a XR? Say BTN bets 3 into 6, and it's on you in the BB, 100bb deep. What size XR do you use?

Don't try and setmine from every position pre. Most players try to flat pocket pairs everywhere and it turns into a huge leak. Play solid preflop ranges, 3b/fold in most positions vs an open.
 
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thomasguy3419

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Your value check-raises won't get paid off if you rarely XR bluff. You can't expect to get these paid off if you're only ever raising value. It's also possible that they're just overfolding to your XR regardless, in which case you should obviously start bluffing more. Also, you can trap sometimes. You don't have to XR every single set every single time.

The SPR decides when it's okay to shove. What size do you usually use for a XR? Say BTN bets 3 into 6, and it's on you in the BB, 100bb deep. What size XR do you use?

Don't try and setmine from every position pre. Most players try to flat pocket pairs everywhere and it turns into a huge leak. Play solid preflop ranges, 3b/fold in most positions vs an open.
If the flop is wet I XR 2/3 pot. If the flop is dry I XR 1/2 pot.
 
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Cycorax

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go for it

have a set ? bet.

you can wait for villain to let him realize some of his equity and then take him to valuetown with any set. but wach the board for possible straights and flushes.
 
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DegenerateQuant

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Honestly, I think you can find a more nuanced approach than "wet board go raise". Do you block their calling range? Does your range want to raise a lot here? Are they likely to keep barrelling if you flat?

Don't restrict yourself to oversimplified heuristics.
 
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