09- 9-05, LearnTexasHoldem:
Calling With Little Pocket Pairs In No Limit
I am on the button w/ 22. UTG raises 3 times the blind, everyone folds to me. How many chips do I need to call the raise? I know the odds of flopping a set is 7.5 to 1 but, I can flop a set and still loose, or not get it paid off if I do catch a 2. Do I need a minimum of 10x the raise? 15x? Hmmm. More???
Oh, and what if there is a caller in front of me? How about 2 callers? I read allot and have not found anyone who knows, or is willing to share, the math about these situations.
And how about w/ 56 suited?. Is it as good as the 22 or does the math change? Maybe more callers of the raise helps this hand more than it does the 22?
Thanks!
Joe
Top 3 Beginner Rooms
Answer: I would call in that spot with a little pocket pair with a few stipulations. First of all, what am I hoping is going to happen here? My ideal situation is that I flop a set and bust someone, not just win a big pot, but actually trap someone in with a big hand like AK, QQ, AA, etc. So the first constraint is to make sure my opponent or opponents have enough chips to make it worthwhile -- "how deep are they?"
The next consideration is how large the blinds are. In the first part of the tournament this would be a safer play than it would be later one when the blinds are much higher. You asked specifically about how much needs to be in the pot, or how many players, are needed to make this call correct? This is where no limit holdem and limit holdem differ. In no limit holdem, as I mentioned above, you can potentially bust someone completely and take all their chips.
You need to pay more attention to the implied odds versus the pot odds. You may be giving up a little preflop, but it is more than compensated for postflop if you hit. (Also, I like small pocket pairs because they are easy to play post flop -- you miss, you muck.) So, as long as the blinds aren't to large and the opponent's are deep enough, I'll call with 22 there.
Now for the 56s. This is less of a hand than 22 is. If the 22 hits a flop, it is a made hand. What can the 56s hit that you are comfortable with? Ideally you could hit two pair, but that is very unlikely and even if you did, a big pair like AA wouldn't be that fair behind to the river. Next, you could hit a flush or straight draw, but again this isn't strong since now you have to both catch a draw on the flop, then complete it to win -- unlikely.
Lastly, you could catch one pair with a 5 or 6, but how comfortable are you going to be playing that to the river against a preflop raiser? With the 56s you need much more money in preflop to justify the call. I would say that if you could guarantee 4+ callers preflop, you would be getting the odds to play. Just like the 22, the bigger the blinds, the less likely I would put any chips in with a suited connector in a tournament -- at least calling with one. You would be better off saving the money for when you could have a stronger starting hand or at least be the aggressor and not the caller.
Your rating:
Click on the clover of your choiceTop 5 Poker Rooms
| Colt Poker Free $10 | Read Review |
|---|---|
| Cake Poker Free $10 | Read Review |
| Minted Poker | Read Review |
| Poker Stars | Read Review |
| 888poker | Read Review |
