When to make the call with small pairs?

[StealTheButton]

$20 6max turbo NLHE tourney. Down to 4 players and I'm one of the two shortest stacks. I'm in the Big Blind with 5bb left and villain is in the cutoff also with 5bb. Villain is not particularly good, but has an understanding of the game and is aggressive. Actually all the players have been very aggressive and I've had to fold most of my hands due to a raise from my right.

I look down at 66 and the villain jams. Being in the cutoff I give him a little more credit for a hand. I don't like making calls like this because I'm almost always against 2 overcards or a larger PP. I did actually make the call, but what is others take on this?

 

[ph_il]

i only fold if there is an extreme < 1 bb stack at the table remaining and i'm nearly guaranteed a pay jump.

in this situation, i only fold if someone else called before me or there is a player behind me that limp/opened and is likely calling. if it's heads up (everyone else folded), it's an easy call, no hesitation. especially in a turbo mtt.

 

[kowrip]

That's a tough spot. You'd definitely rather be the one jamming rather than calling. Still, at 5BB and 4 players left, I think you have to call and hope he's only got over cards or maybe even a very weak Ace.

 

[puzzlefish]

Yes when you're holding 66 chances are you're being jammed by a bigger PP or overpairs. But I don't think you have much of a choice here and have to go for a ride.

 

[dsmilez]

This is definitely a snap call to avoid blinding out, especially 4 handed with aggressive players who may be looking to just take the blinds. A pair is pretty strong 4 handed. odds are the villain isn't that strong. Call me crazy, but I would rather go for the win than sneak to the next money spot with no chance of winning. I'm curious what happened in this hand though 🤔

 

[roger perkins]

If the other 2 players folded then you have to call or like was said above risk being blinded out. You have to take the chance of moving up to 3rd if you bust him. However if both the other 2 players called I might think one of them has a chance of busting him and I would move up to 3rd just by folding. Either way looking at still being 10BB or 5BB if i folded I would then be jamming and maybe even calling where I would be heads up against one of the larger stacks.

 

[Zapahlohotrona]

just call with pockets in position for value and you will have a profit.

 

[LetterRip]

So are you 5BB including your posted blind or 5BB + your posted blind? (If you lose are you still in for another hand or are you bust).

How big are the two big stacks? Are either short enough that calling a shove from the shorties will bring them down to 5BB or so? Or are they relatively big stacks, where calling either of the short jams is fairly safe?

I probably call, but I'd be interested in a stronger players opinion.

 

[magister1]

Yeah, it is a call and hope for best situation. Never feels good knowing you will rarely have a dominating hand but not many better spots when you are about to be blinded out.

 

[Risto234]

When? Clearly every time you get these small pairs ...

 

[milka1605]

If you have such a small stack, then you need to make all-in with any pocket pair.

 

[ROYALROAD]

Small pairs are strangely useless at the end of the tournament.
The same is if you have a short stack.

 

[Phoenix Wright]

Sounds like there are [almost] conflicting variables here; we have when to play low pocket pairs and also if we should be shoving a low pocket pair when short-stacked.

We play low pocket pairs when we are deep enough to set mine, or whenever we feel like we can exploit out opponent somehow by playing low pocket pairs (e.g. they are playing an absurdly high VPIP and any pocket pair becomes a decent hand against their range).

As for being short-stacked, this is a weird spot here because it is such an easy All-in shove IF you were the first to be All-in; this is because we also have some fold equity (chance everyone folds or more players fold). However, we aren't first into this pot, so we have at least one opponent which our hand needs to beat. With 66 vs this type of looser opponent, near the money bubble, I'd call it off with 66 usually; pocket pair like this is simply too good to be folding against their range here.

However, it also depends how meaningful min-cashing this event is for you. If even a min-cash was somehow "life-changing money" (or at least fairly significant), then there is a case to be made for folding and just trying to outlast the few remaining to get ITM (in the money).

If it is just a "regular" event where you are trying your best/going for a win, then 66 is a call when this short-stacked and just hope for the best. Even against a tighter player, 66 is tough to fold in this situation because we have so few chips and a pocket pair is decent with only two players in the hand. I'm sure I'm capable to folding 66 in this spot to the right player in the right context, but here it is probably just a spot you call it off and hope for the best; looser villain table image especially confirms our decision to call.

 

[nelomec]

you should call when there is 1 player at the table, and instead of calling, go all in

 

[alien666dj]

With small pairs, only call if you are the smallest stack.