Thoughts on raising middle pairs from the Blinds?

[Bullet_Dodger]

What is everyones thoughts on raising middle pairs from the Big Blind? Small Blind? (55-99) (beginning, middle, and late parts of tournies) I see almost everyone checking these every time, but there are more options than that. This includes ....

1) Raising small- I might do this early in a tournament to build the pot for when I hit my set, especially if there are numerous loose players in the pot.
2) Raising Large
3) Push All-in- I like to do this later in a tourney, where the dead money in the pot is a significant gain to Hero's stack. (especially if there are a few limpers) I might push my 20XBB+ stack in hopes that everyone folds. Since most players don't limp with big pairs, even If I'm called I should be ahead more often then I'm behind. I might even be rooting for a coin-flip given the dead money in the pot. Plays like these will help accumulate chips, although they have great risk. I will certainly do this less if there are two or more bigger stacks that have limped in.

For example, a hand came up in another tournament ...

Big Blind is t150 (8 handed)
UTG+1 (t4814)
MP1 (t6705)
MP2 (t5020)
CO (t3045)
Button (t6822)
SB (t4014)
Hero (t4165)
UTG (t5915)

Preflop: Hero is BB with 9[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 9[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, UTG+1 calls t150, MP1 calls t150, MP2 calls t150, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>, SB completes, <font color="#CC3333">Hero is all-in</font>, UTG+1 folds, MP1 folds, MP2 calls all-in, SB folds.

Flop: (t1950) 4[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], Q[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players)</font>

Turn: (t8780) T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

River: (t8780) Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="#0000FF">(2 players, 1 all-in)</font>

Final Pot: t8780

[Gomez]

I like to push with these. I get called by A-xs or smaller pairs more often than bigger pairs. The dead money makes it ++EV in my experience.

[binions]

I don't mind raising medium pocket pairs a small amount from the blinds to build a pot, but only when the stacks are large enough that even if I am reraised a normal amount, I am still getting at least 10:1 implied odds.

With stacks medium stacks, I limp and hope to trap.

With relatively short stacks, I will will either limp hoping to hit a home run or raise a group of limpers all in (unless I have a read on the original limper that he will limp a monster).

Bottom line, implied odds are key to the decision whether and how much to raise.

[jclin]

[ QUOTE ]
I like to push with these. I get called by A-xs or smaller pairs more often than bigger pairs. The dead money makes it ++EV in my experience.

[/ QUOTE ]

[dmk]

...yuck

[jclin]

b/c of going busto against overcards/higher PP/anything? maybe this is a bad leak in my game?

[nath]

I'm pretty sure this isn't the most +EV way to play this. Maybe it depends on your buyin level.

Stack sizes are a factor. Deep enough I just complete. Shallow enough that picking up the dead money is important and I might raise or shove.

[NoahSD]

You're WAY too deep to push. I'd push with a stack that's ~3x the pot (I dunno if there are antes). You're like 6x the pot or something, which means this play sucks a lot.