10-13-04, LearnTexasHoldem:
Playing Low Pocket Pairs
Thanks,
Rich Boles
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Let's define low pocket pairs -- 77 or 88 and below.
Now let's break down the tips into no limit holdem play and limit holdem play.
Note --- I'm going to leave out tournament play because that has a lot of other factors like chip stack size, the level of the tournament, your position, etc. But the general idea with tournaments with low pocket pairs is that you want to raise them or fold them. You don't just call because chances are that the flop will bring a bunch of overcards that will make your decisions harder later. If you have very few chips left, any pair is good to go all-in with.
Limit Holdem Play - with any small pocket pair in limit holdem, you want one of two outcomes preflop; one, you want everyone to fold so you are heads up with your pocket pair; two, you want everyone in, in hopes that you'll catch a set. How you play pocket pairs varies some depending on the game and stake size but I'll assume you are playing lower limits where the players are generally looser (more people see the flop).
If most pots go unraised preflop and there are usually a lot of people in, I would play the pocket pairs from any position for one bet. If the table is tighter and you can't assume 4 people are going to see the flop, then I would only play the pairs in positions where I could guess I was going to get my 4 players -- for example, calling after one player called already. See in these types of games, low pocket pairs are really just an odds game because they aren't going to hold up unless you hit your set.
You can still call a raise preflop with the low pocket pairs but once again, you want to have 4 people in. You don't want to have to put in a lot of money with this hand. An example of this is if it was raised and reraised before it got to you and you had 77. You would muck there because paying 3 bets with 77 preflop isn't a good investment.
The other situation you like with your 77 and below is if you are heads up. If you can get heads up preflop with the pair then you are a favorite against most hands that don't already have you beat. If the players fold to you and you have 77 in late position, raise instead of just call. For flop play, if a lot of people are in, you'll need to catch your set or have extra outs to continue (like a straight draw). In heads up play though, your 77 may be the best hand so if they check, bet. No free cards for them!
No Limit Holdem Play - no limit is much different when it comes to pocket pairs compared to limit holdem. The main difference is that in no limit holdem, if you miss the flop, you are a huge underdog because the person usually makes a bet big enough to shut you out from drawing. This helps the little pocket pairs. On the World Poker Tour you'll see the percentages of a hand like 77 against a hand like QK and they are practically even money.
That is a little misleading though because this compares the two hands with all the cards out; chances are though, if the person misses on the flop with QK, he/she probably won't go till the river if you keep betting. This makes pocket pairs much stronger in no limit. In no limit cash games, my goal is always to win a big pot. And if I'm not going to win a big pot, I'm either trying to not lose a lot in a hand or I'm trying to shape my table image for winning a big pot in a future hand. I like to use little pocket pairs as way to build pots preflop and keep people offguard. I also like to use them to trap other players.
Like in limit holdem, you need to pay attention to the texture of the game and how tight or loose it is preflop but generally, I like to play pocket pairs in any position in no limit cash games. How I play preflop depends on what I hope to accomplish in the hand. Let me give a few examples to illustrate this. Let's say I am dealt 44 under the gun. I will limp in (just call), or maybe I'll just do the minimum raise. If I just double the big blind, my hope is to just build a pot in case I hit my set (I use that play a lot instead of just calling).
On the other hand if everyone folds to me and I'm in late position, I'll raise my regular amount (3 or 4 times the big blind). I want the blinds to fold or one person to call me since I know chances are they won't hit the flop and they have no idea what I have. I'm not afraid of getting reraised in either situation because I can easily fold at anytime. It doesn't matter what the flop looks like when I'm heads up in no limit with a little pair, I'll bet if they check to me. If they raise or call then I'm probably beat and I can fold but most of the time I win.
My ideal situation in no limit is to trap someone with a big pair or AK. I will routinely call a decent sized raise preflop to gamble with them if they have a large stack -- especially if they are weak players who overvalue AA and KK postflop. The upside in no limit is always something you should pay attention to. For example, let's say someone raises preflop 3 or 4 times the big blind and I have 33. They have a lot of chips and so do I. I will call them in hopes of hitting my set. If I miss, I just fold to them if they bet.
Notice I do this with position though. Sometimes they will even check to me and give me a free card because they have KK and the flop comes Ace high. But if I do hit my set and they have a big pair, I'll get their whole stack. I'll slow play on the flop so the pot is big, then raise their turn bet. By that time they will be committed.
Compare no limit and limit play. By recognizing the differences and similarities you'll have a better idea of how to play pocket pairs in general. In both cases, you want there to be a significant return on your investment when you play your pocket pair. In no limit you do that by trying to build a pot preflop or trying to trap someone with a lot of chips. In limit holdem, you have to wait till enough players call preflop.
The other option is if you are going to try to win the pot unimproved on the flop. In limit that is harder to do then in no limit since in no limit you can bet however much you like on the flop and force them to pay if they want to play. Either way though, you want as few people in with you as possible if you want to win unimproved with 77 and below so that means raise in late position if no one is in yet in both games.
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