Texas Holdem Poker

Ecomancer · Guest

I have been trying several methods to playing these smaller pairs and having a hard time.
If I play them slow 95% of the time I get out played.
If I play them aggressive I lose many of my chips when I get out played.
HELP.
What is the optimum play for pocket pairs 22-99?

Thanks
Amy

webmaster · Site Admin Joined: Nov 26, 2003 Posts: 668

How to play these is dependent on a number of factors particuarly table position and number of opponents. Most limit players will fold this hand if more than a couple of players call to see the flop.

Essentially these are only any good if you are heads up (even then your advantage over 2 overcards is slight at 4%).

The best way to play them is to call the flop only if you can get to it cheaply. You really need to hit trips on the flop or else fold. You may get to see the turn and river for free if noone bets which is a bonus. There is no point in calling bets on the turn and the river because you'll almost certainly have pot odds against you (return versus likelyhood of winning for the amount staked is negative).

As to table position you should certainly not be raising in early position. Chances are someone will have a higher pair and if not others with hands like AK will most likely call raises. Low pairs hardly ever stand up without the third card and as there are only 2 remaining in the deck the chances of catching it are fairly low (and even if you do it may not stand up).

In summary call a flop if its just the blind and bet it hard if you hit trips. If not, fold. Hope that helps.

Repoman75 · Guest

I agree with what has been said, however, there is another option. Let's say you just call and see the flop. If you are holding 88, and the flop comes 10, 5 , 6 , and you have position, and everyone either checks or does a minimal raise, DEFINITELY consider betting here. Don't bet huge, just above minimum. I have done this on NUMEROUS occasions online and is the absolute best way I have found in stealing pots. I say "stealing" because even though I may have the best hand on the flop, more than likely if I would have bluffed as well through the turn and river, I would have gotten outdrawn.

Try it and see what happens. And I hope my online enemies are watching!

dovla · Junior Member Joined: May 27, 2006 Posts: 14

low pairs - really difficult..
for me in online tournaments it depends of my stack.. if i'm short in stack i will usually fold small pp from early and mid position
if i'm good stacked if i have good pot odds i will usually limp or call a small raise.. i think raising from early position with low pocket pair is bad style of play..
i like to play small pp and call standard raise in a multi-way pot (but only when i'm good stacked) ..
for example .. if there are 3-4 players in a standard raised pot .. you have 20% of chances hitting 3rd card till the river.. here is my view of this situation: you know somebody is holding Ace - big kicker card (possibly AK) - if you hit your SET and ace or king hits the flop (flop like K58) - and you are holding 88 .. in 99% of situation, you will take his whole stack! set is the hardest to read in poker.. everybody would first put you against AQ,AJ,KQ.. and said - hey, i have the best kicker here.. but there is no chance he can win that POT!..
pocket pair is really dangerous thing, it is a small hand becoming a monster if you hit your SET, and always when you have stack and good pot odds limp or call standard raise to see the flop.. my biggest pots i took on small pocket pairs.. (nobody is thinking that you are holding that, and that is your advantage)

onemore · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 3:32 am Post subject:

I agree with dovla. I tend to just call with small pocket pairs and carry on calling bets or raising only if i hit the 3rd one.

riverruss · Junior Member Joined: Dec 23, 2005 Posts: 10

22-66 is a limp & fold on flop if you dont hit trips.
If raised preflop only call if it takes less than 5% of your stack.
In the Button or SB you can consider stealing with these if youve seen the BB fold to a raise previously.
77-TT generally same as above but maybe raise from late position if 1st in,again fold on the flop if you dont hit trips & there is more than 1 overcard and there is some significant betting action from the other players.
If you have less than 10bb most pairs are a push from mid to late position if you are 1st in.
If you do hit your trips just beware of a flush or straight co-ordinated board,keep the pot small.If you get re-raised on a co-ordinated flop with trips its probably time to get out.

poipman1 · Junior Member Joined: Jul 28, 2006 Posts: 8

With those pocket pairs I either raise the min. or just call. If someone comes over the top i'd have to fold because it is a coin flip and I do not like to put my chips in unless I know I will win.

cards2u · Junior Member Joined: Sep 30, 2006 Posts: 6

always a tough on. I always play 22-77 slow and hope to hit but i strongly recommend throwing them away if the flop leaves you. i think that is the key. 88 and 99 i always put in a small raise that way people know you have a hand and if you miss the flop this might gie you a bit of room for a bluff or to see the turn. Cool

cliffordz · Newbie Joined: Sep 30, 2006 Posts: 3

i would usually wait until the flop to make my decision on how to play them, and to reach the flop would be dependant on how much it would cost me to see it

Rossben70 · Newbie Joined: Sep 30, 2006 Posts: 3

I love to play either 22 or 99, i seem to always come out on top when i play those.

Mobster · Junior Member Joined: Jul 11, 2011 Posts: 13

Pairs of 5s are really cool for some reason for me Wink

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