Pocket Pairs

[CDNMAN 42]

I know there is no perfect, guaranteed, positive, all encompassing answer on how to play small to medium pocket pairs, and I have tried various strategies from Jamming pre to limping and other tries...Is there an answer from the analysts or pros about the recommended tactics???

 

[Luvepoker]

I know there is no perfect, guaranteed, positive, all encompassing answer on how to play small to medium pocket pairs, and I have tried various strategies from Jamming pre to limping and other tries...Is there an answer from the analysts or pros about the recommended tactics???

I am far from a pro or an analysis and your correct there is no all encompassing way to play these hands. Just make sure preflop if you call the raise your giving yourself the correct odds.

I thing the thing you need to think about and look at is more about post flop play. Lets take pocket 8's. You raise and get called and the flop is something low like 7, 5,4. This is where many players can over play there hand. Yes your ahead of someone with a 7 but its when players really start betting you need to be concerned. Some players will go all in on a raise reraise for 100BB and seem shocked when the lose to pocket nine or tens or 75 or some other random hand. To often you will see someone just putting in so many chips with this very venerable hand.

 

[BIGAUS]

I think cautiously optimistic is a way to play them. Usually with middle-to-low pocket pairs, your hope is to flop a set or a draw of some sort where you maybe have top pair or second top pair plus a flush or straight draw. Don't be too over aggressive with your hand unless you do flop a combination of draws to a top hand or you sense weakness from your opponent with hand history and can force them to fold.

 

[alien666dj]

Pocket pairs should be played from raises and reraises for high pocket pairs, raises for medium pocket pairs, and calls for small pocket pairs.

 

[0546474]

Pocket pairs should be played from raises and reraises for high pocket pairs, raises for medium pocket pairs, and calls for small pocket pairs.

I think everything is much more complicated!!! And folding from early position, with small pocket pairs, you never play??? Or limp with AA from late position (if everyone folded before you)!!!

 

[Zapahlohotrona]

In early positions with a deep stack, I fold pairs to fives 90% of the time. At 10% - limp. With 66, 77, 88 and 99 - limp, sometimes raise. 1010 and above is a raise. But this is a base that can be adjusted depending on the table.

 

[terryk]

A small/med pair is a losing hand unless you get the "terd",,,, :deal:

 

[otmputquant]

Appreciate this post. Had pocket 8s and flopped a set. raised 3 bb on the btn and got called. villain manages to get a straight on the river. For me, I need to improve my game when analyzing my opponents range. I didn't think someone would call UTG with low suited connector.

 

[nuttea]

I know there is no perfect, guaranteed, positive, all encompassing answer on how to play small to medium pocket pairs, and I have tried various strategies from Jamming pre to limping and other tries...Is there an answer from the analysts or pros about the recommended tactics???

A small pair is a relatively easy hand to play because it all comes down to hitting a set on the flop. If it doesn't, you will usually have to pay dearly for your decision in order to pull the set on subsequent streets. But having received a set, you try to collect the largest pot possible. Well, if you miss, you need to leave the distribution in the cheapest way - you have nothing more to do here. Paying for the turn and river is impractical even for a minimum fee of 1-2 blinds (but this does not happen in reality, since the bets will be much larger): your chances of hitting a set are negligible.

 

[TomCj]

Heads Up Anyone?

From what I've seen during play,

the best chance of winning with low pairs is to get heads up against just one opponent pre-flop

then you have a chance of them not hitting anything

with more than one opponent, and
after the flop, there are just too many cards that can come out to beat you

If you get lucky and hit your trips on the flop or later - great!
but don't count on it to happen often


TC