No Limit Hold'em Cash Game : Betting small-middle pocket pairs ?

[RyoSaeba]

Hi,

I am thinking about the way pocket pair can be played. In cash game, I usually try to limp pocket pairs to get a set on the flop. When you catch one or two sets with this pattern, it is easily readable by your opponents. So, is it worth to bet instead of limping with pocket pair ? Is it not a way to give your money to your opponents ? 1/8 to get the set. If you bet at least 4BB and there is only one opponent you are screwed. If the opponent raises you, you are in a bad shape unless you sense him weak and semi-bluff if you do not have the set. Plus, your set is not the nuts everytime...

How do you play pocket pairs when you are in position ? Against some limpers ? against a raiser ?

[ottsville]

Whast pocket pairs?
What is your image?
Reads on other players?
6max or FR?
Metagame concerns...

There's lots of factors to include in the decision. This topic comes up all the time in the Fullring forum. Search there for some different takes on it.

[MrWooster]

In 6max - I will always bet any PP from any position if no one has raised, and I will usually call a min-raise - 2xMinraise with 55-99 if the pot is multiway - with TT+ I will re-raise and probably go AI with a read on villain.

[RyoSaeba]

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Whast pocket pairs?
What is your image?
Reads on other players?
6max or FR?
Metagame concerns...

[/ QUOTE ]

Pocket pairs from 22 to 99. Image Tight and Agressive, even we can say unknown at the beginning of a game. Read ? Some lag, tag, a mixed table. FR. What do you mean by Metagame ?

Btw thanks for your contribution.

Alright mr Wooster, and what about Full ring games ?

[MrWooster]

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Alright mr Wooster, and what about Full ring games ?

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Sorry - can't help you there - I only play six max - try asking in the NL Full Ring forum

[gotmarc]

The answer is it depends. A lot of it has to do with your stack size, your posiiton and some other factors. If you have a stack of 300x the BB (and the players have you covered) It's probably better to raise something like 6 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]6 [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]. IF you only have 50 or 60 times the big blind, then you're probably better off limping.

The simple reason is that you'll have better implied odds with a bigger stack. with the smaller stack, not so much and if you do get re-raised--it really sucks. But if you get reraised with the big stack, you flop a set and your opponent has A [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]. . . well you can see why it's worth the raise with the bigger stack.

[ottsville]

The answer is.... IT DEPENDS. There's so many variables to consider and at stakes where players are observant enough, you want to vary your play sometimes. So always raising or always limping is wrong...do whatever is +EV in the long run.

Meta-game refers to the entire "game." Not just this hand, not necessarily just this session, but the whole she-bang. Let's say you have created a TAG image at a table and you are on the button with a couple of limpers and raise your 67s because you want to vary your play. NOw let's say you show down a straight or flush at the end...how does that affect your image? How does it affect the next time you raise? How does it affect how the other players 3bet you?
etc....

Seriously - check the fullring nl forum. Playing small to med prs PF has had at least two threads in the past month.

[Kal With A K]

In my opinion, gotmarc has it backwards.

If you have pocket sixes, you should limp with a large stack, so that, if you hit, you can stack everyone else.

With a small stack, you can't really afford to limp in, so you either fold or raise. There's very little calling with a small stack.

[ottsville]

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In my opinion, gotmarc has it backwards.

If you have pocket sixes, you should limp with a large stack, so that, if you hit, you can stack everyone else.

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In all but the lowest limits players rarely stack off in limped pots. This is one reason to raise them with large effective stacks.


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With a small stack, you can't really afford to limp in, so you either fold or raise. There's very little calling with a small stack.

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50-60 times the bb(as marc used) is not quite short stacked, so pushing is not necessarily the right play either. Especially if we are talking cash games and not tourneys.

Either way, so much of your decision is situational.

Why don't you newer posters try to come up with a list of the factors that you should consider when trying to decide what to do with a hand like 88 in mp3?