Small/medium pairs in early position - standard line?

[christyirish]

Im new to limit. Im looking for afew standard preflop lines.
Assuming its folded around, whats the standard play with...

Firstly, small pairs say 22 to 55, in early and mid position

Secondly, medium pairs, 66 to 99, in ealy and mid position

Thanks for your help

[Xhad]

99 is a far cry from 66. Anyway...

If you are almost positive the pot will be 5 handed or more, play all pocket pairs. Limping from UTG, coldcalling raises, whatever. In tight games or pots that might go shorthanded be more prudent. You can usually play 77-88 if the pot isn't raised yet, always play them from mid position in unraised pots (raise if there aren't already at least two limpers), and save 22-55 for pots that you know will be multiway or steal situations.

[Harv72b]

It depends.

If you're talking about a small stakes online game, which typically plays tight and aggressive, 22-55 are folds from early/mid position. Unless the table is waaaaaay tight, then I might try raising with them from MP on. In a more loose and passive game, such as many small stakes live games, you can generally get away with openlimping here.

The second scenario also depends on the above factors. In most games I'll openraise 99 & 88 from EP on, although again I could see openlimping in a loose/passive game & playing for set value. I'll fold 77 & 66 on a tight/aggressive table, though sometimes I'll openraise with them from MP & once in a blue moon from EP. Loose/passive, then again I'm often openlimping.

The key is that a small to mid pocket pair wants one of two kinds of pots--either a multiway pot where you can see the flop cheaply & try to catch a set or OESD, or a HU pot where you'll have the initiative postflop. If the table's tight & aggressive, then you're most likely going to have someone raise after you if you try to limp, at which point you're often playing a HU pot out of position and without initiative--so you generally fold (or raise, hoping to either steal the blinds or get into a HU pot where at least you can better define your opponent's range). In a loose/passive game, raising is not likely to thin out the field & you will therefore end up playing a large pot out of position with a hand that's very likely to shrivel up once the flop comes down. So you limp, allow others to limp behind you, check/fold most flops, and every so often win a big pot after flopping a set or quads.

[christyirish]

So an UTG raise with 77 is at the aggresive end of standard play? and a UTG raise with 44 would be sorta maniac play? Again assuming a standard table (25% of people seeing flop)

What about KQ and KQs, would they be a fold,limp or raise from early position? Or is that a situation that depends completly on what type of player you are and what type of table it is?

Thanks for this

[Jantjebeton]

[ QUOTE ]
So an UTG raise with 77 is at the aggresive end of standard play? and a UTG raise with 44 would be sorta maniac play? Again assuming a standard table (25% of people seeing flop)

What about KQ and KQs, would they be a fold,limp or raise from early position? Or is that a situation that depends completly on what type of player you are and what type of table it is?

Thanks for this

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with you on the pocket pairs....
KQ and KQs, I like to raise those from EP.

[Hielko]

Stox says:
openraise 99+ 7 of the button,
openraise 88+ 6 of the button,
openraise 77+ 5 of the button.

[Xhad]

[ QUOTE ]
What about KQ and KQs, would they be a fold,limp or raise from early position? Or is that a situation that depends completly on what type of player you are and what type of table it is?

[/ QUOTE ]

Always open for a raise for now. If someone else has already raised then fold KQo (assuming you're not a blind) and use your judgement with KQs. It's not 100% optimal but it's close enough until you get more experience.

[Bob T.]

live limp, online fold the little ones, raise the medium ones.