07- 5-05, LearnTexasHoldem:

Small Pocket Pairs In No Limit Holdem

Question: With low pockets pairs in early positions I just call the min bet and hope that I hit a set. When in late position I do the same thing most of the time. My question is when the table is weak (everybody limping) or down to 5 handed due to many folds, can my small pockets be used aggresively? I have found when it gets down to four or five handed, I can raise my 2's, enough to make everyone fold, or to take one player heads up. Once I have a caller, I like to open the betting with a pot sized bet, (basically betting that he's missed the flop, or he might think I have a better holding than him due to my preflop raise.) Does this strategy sound good, or is there another way you would suggest I play my low pockets, when many people fold and I am in late position?

Jesse

Top 3 Beginner Rooms

Answer: Certainly. I think you have a good idea of how to play the small pocket pairs. A hand's strength is relative to how many players are dealt in preflop. For example, A9 might not be a good hand in a 10 person game, but in a three person game it is really strong. Small pocket pairs do well in either volume pots, or in situations against very few players. The goal with the volume pot is to hit the set; you need the money in the pot to justify the call preflop since the majority of the time the small pair won't be playable after the flop. It is true, though, too that the pocket pair can be won without hitting the set, holding up unimproved.

A hand like 22 is actually a favorite against AK, heads up. The reason people don't value 22 like they do AK is because it is much harder to play 22 well postflop. There are very few flops that 22 will look good with. The first point to playing the small pocket pairs well if you are trying to win without hitting the set is to be the bettor. Raising preflop with the hand will help to limit the competition, hopefully just to one opponent. If you call with the hand, you are basically saying you'll have to hit a very favorable flop or muck (which doesn't happen that often).

The raise preflop is important because it limits the field, but also gives you the initiative on the flop. This is important because when you bet the flop against one opponent, you are doing what you said, basically betting that he/she hasn't hit the flop. Most flops will miss the opponent and he will give you credit for much more than you actually have. Compare what would happen if you just called with 44 preflop and just the blind was your opponent versus if you raised. In both situations your opponent has the same cards, but how he views them in relation to your hand changes.

Let's say he has something dismal like T7off. If you raise, he might muck (which you are fine with). If he calls, then his next problem will be actually flopping something he is comfortable playing against you with. Even if the flop comes back KT5, he will be hard pressed to call your flop bet. So you have the right idea how to play these hands. The hardest part of playing hands like these is when you get called on the flop. If the opponent raises you, you can easily get away from the hand. On the other hand if the flop comes back something like 9-6-2 and you get called by your opponent, it puts you in a really bad spot because you may or may not still be good with your 44.

Usually the tempo in a cash game is to raise preflop, bet the flop and if you get called, check the turn since you figure you are beat.Lastly, position changes how you play the hand too -- raise or limp -- because you can see that most of the field has already folded. You are on the right track and you should show a profit in these hands, just don't get stubborn if you get played back at.

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