How do you play low and middle pairs? |
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Posted Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:41 pm GMT by ComedyBee
Low and middle pairs are tricky little cards. If im in early or middle position with any of these pairs i will call anyone limping, but no raise unless there are like 4 calls to the raise in front of me.
The hope is to hit the set.
I was talking to a certain Mr Andy Bloch, i asked him how he plays these. He said he would also call limpers, but sometimes raise with middle pairs.
I put to you these questions:
1) Considering that flopping a discrete set is very profitable, is it a profitable play to always limp to see the flop.
If yes:
1a) How early will you limp from?
2) If someone raises a standard pot sized raise in front of you, when would you consider calling and with which cards.
3) If someone raises moderately from middle position and you think that if you pushed you could end up heads up, what is the lowest pair you would do it with?
I understand that these are relatively vague and the decisions would be based on many more factors than that i have presented here, but im after just general strategy.
CB
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Posted Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:53 pm GMT by xDiamond_CutteRx
Hmmm... interesting set of questions. I presume we're talking No Limit here?
Well, the biggest thing with sets is implied odds. If you hit a set and get the right flop against many players, you can take out their whole stack. Also, any set, even bottom set, is a very strong hand that can usually be played very strongly, even in multi-way pots.
1. Assuming the stacks are deep enough (stacks over 25-30x the SB + BB), I think limping in with hopes to hit a set is usually profitable, unless the game is very aggressive with many oversized raises preflop. On most tables though, I will limp in from any position, even under the gun, with even as little as 22. My hope is that if I hit a set, I can break someone. Note, though, that I limp from EP with several other hands as well to randomize my play.
2. Again, assuming the stacks are decently deep, I will usually be willing to call a standard raise as long as there is still enough in both stacks to justify trying to flop a set. With 22-66, if I don't hit the set I'm usually done, but sometimes you'll still get a decent flop and have the best hand with 77-JJ, so I'm willing to call slightly larger raises with 77 and above. I actually like it when there's a small raise preflop and I have a pair, because it becomes all the more likely that if I get the right flop, my opponent is going broke.
3. You mean going all-in? In deep-stacked games, I really don't like the pre-flop all-in move, and really only like doing it with Aces, although I can see situations where I'd be willing to do it with Kings or potentially even Queens. Often, I like to reraise an initial raise with Jacks or better, but I still want to leave myself a lot in my stack for the postflop play, where the meat of the hand is.
Posted Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:03 pm GMT by ComedyBee
No limit yes.
I do agree with what you say, it seems like a pretty uniform approach. Statistically you are more likely to flop overcards with JJ than not, of course this doesn't take into account what cards you think your opponent has. If you put him on AK KQ etc then he is less likely to hit and JJ will hold up more often than not.
CB
Posted Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:49 pm GMT by tame_deuces
In NL ring I'll sometimes raise, sometimes fold, sometimes limp, sometimes call and now and then I'll re-raise. 
Posted Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:14 pm GMT by mrcfkane
depends on the table. if the table is tight ill raise almost all the time, if the table is loose i will mix it up some
Posted Wed Sep 13, 2006 6:06 am GMT by kingetje
Theres nothing better then pocket pairs in NL cash games in my opinion. no matter how big or small. i will pretty much always play them unless im being priced out by a ridiculously sized raise.
you can flop a set and break an opponent, you can catch a flop looking like 5-5-8 and your, say pocket sixes are stilll good most probably
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