How to play low pairs, post flop, without set

[afecho]

I struggle to figure out how to play low pairs and mostly fold them. I want to start playing them more but every time I do, the flop has potential for someone else to have a higher pair than my hand and I don't know how to play it from there. I end up getting scared off other bets and fold, only to find my set on the turn or river, or see they had a lower pair. How much is reasonable spend on low pairs and how do you play them?

 

[Tigroslav]

Flop a set and bet or miss and give up.
This is the most frequent situation but naturaly it can be tweaked
based on reads / flop texture / tourney situation and so on.

 

[Newzooozooo]

Hi.
I never take risks if there are no grounds for it. I think it's better to fold than to end the tournament prematurely and lose any chance of winning.
Good luck.

 

[ROYALROAD]

It all depends on the situation.
It can also be bullish and fold enemies.

 

[rachelle2291]

If you just have one opponent and they are making a continuation bet then I will often call the flop bet. If they bet again on the turn it is probably best to fold. If more than 2 players see the flop and someone bets the flop then best to give it up already.

 

[speper]

I just stick and if I can't find anything I quit

 

[fundiver199]

If you have a hand like 44 and flop an underpair to the board or maybe third pair, usually the best play is to check and fold to any significant aggression. This is why, we need good implied odds to setmine. And if we are not getting these implied odds, we should just fold preflop. Its a common mistake to believe, that the smallest pairs are strong hands, that must always be played. This is absolutely not the case, because they are almost never significantly ahead of anything, and they have very bad equity realisation postflop, except for implied odds when flopping a set.

If stacks are short enough, we can sometimes move all-in preflop with a small pair though, since this takes away the problem of having to play postflop. Lets say we face a min-raise from CO, and we are in BB with 44 and an 18 BB stack. Then the best play is to move all-in, because in that way we can often make our opponent fold. And if they do call with a hand like AJ, then we win their entire stack, if the board runs out something like KT8-2-9. Whereas had we just called and seen a flop, it would have been very difficult for us to call their C-bet, so we would likely have ended up folding the best hand.

 

[karylpretty]

I snap fold in a 3bet situation preflop. Sometimes 3bet fold. Depends more on notes I put

 

[milka1605]

If I see a card higher than my pocket pair on the flop, I stop raising and just call. But I don't call big raises. It saves me from unnecessary losses.

 

[Newmy12345]

It all depends on many things. However I think you should work on your confidence mostly. Plan your move ahead , raise if the pair is decent or call a raise to see the flop. Observe behaviors preflop and try to put them on ranges preflop, after the flop .. You should read and watch the CardsChat 30 day course , it will help a lot in the way you must think during hands.

 

[manIk5]

No set , no bet


But seriously , all depends on situation and what kind of opponent are you playing against ! If I can see flop cheaply , then I would be involved ...

 

[VikyGia]

Hi

It all depends on how high that pair is, the higher the chance of winning, I usually raise a lot or go all in.

 

[gon4iypes]

Hi.
I never take risks if there are no grounds for it. I think it's better to fold than to end the tournament prematurely and lose any chance of winning.
Good luck.

zooozooo I really like what you said here. You summed it up very well. Thank you

 

[LetterRip]

smPP (22-55) mPP (66-TT) - how to play them depends on the number of overcards to your pair; whether those cards are in villains range, and how sticky they are, and how aggressive they are. You can turn them into a weak bluff if they are fit or fold players, or players who will float early streets but fold by river. Vs sticky passive players, can check them down for weak show down value. Vs aggressive players in position tend to check behind and fold if they become aggressive; out of position tend to check fold. If you have draws to go with your pair, can consider a check raise especially if the overcards on board tend to miss his range. If you have an overpair to the board you can play it aggressively, especially if shallow stacked.

If stacks are shallow preflop, we should probably just jam preflop to pick up the chips, and expect to be flipping most of the time when called, and occasionally way behind.