small and medium poket pair

[jerseys]

Hi, I play 0.10/0.20 and sometimes 0.15/0.30 on Party Poker. The problem I have is with playing small and medium poket pairs.

I know how to play AA-JJ. But one of my biggest concerns is TT-77. TT especially. Starting game chart in SSHE says you can even raise with it. But for me it VERY rarely wins UI. Smaller PP I most often tend to fold. From what I understand, you need a lot of players in the pot before entering with a small PP from late and especially tight players that can make a top pair at the flop. But to me there never seems to be enough players in the pot to even return my investment in small PP. I never even play small and medium PP from the MP.

So, I need some general pointers. How to recognise right circumstances for playing a small or medium PP? How many players need to be in the pot? What kind of players they should preferably be? Should I b/f on the flop if an overpair comes or c/f?

[Xylocain]

I think open limping with small annd medium pairs is generally bad unless the table is very loose passive.

I fold them if the pot is raised in front of me.

Over limping small and medium PPs is sweet. You don't have to be very tricky; no set no bet... or something like that.

I open raise 99 and against many i re-raise TT but its kind of read dependet. Many people never raises pre flop with less than JJ,QQ,KK,AA and (AK) and against those I fold pretty much everything.

If there is >7 people in the pot you can value-cap 22 and play for set value.

[i] and since I'm not a native speaker I can make fun you your spelling of poket.

[RemyXO]

I open-raise with TT and 99 in any position, but I play at more aggressive tables. Sure, they don't win as much as higher pairs, but they are pretty profitable. Raise them and play some postflop poker, aight?
Typically, if you get callers, overcards fall and you can't take it down with flop c-bet, you can give up and move on. But it depends ... post TT-99 hands that give you trouble.

I can three-bet with TT-99 in middle-late position depending on the villain. Certainly 3-bet in blind steal/blind defense situations.

Smaller pocket pairs are typically only playable for set value. You are 7.5:1 to hit your set. Limping first in from EP/MP with small pairs is just asking for trouble. Typically, I overlimp 2 villains if I am holding 88-22, overlimping one does not seem to be +EV.

If I am opening in OTB, CO, SB positions, I usually raise all pairs, unless the blinds are very aggressive.

[jerseys]

Thanks for the answers!

But i still have questions. If I'm 7,5:1 to make my set, don't I need to have more than just 2 limpers to limp and see if I flop a set?

Also, medium pocket pairs don't seem to ever win UI in micro limit where there's usually 3-4 seeing the flop (the games I'm in are like that on average), so Doesn't it make them worth only as much as small pairs? Should I really play from MP hands like 77 or 88? It kinda seems to be losing me moneys [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[RemyXO]

[ QUOTE ]
If I'm 7,5:1 to make my set, don't I need to have more than just 2 limpers to limp and see if I flop a set?

[/ QUOTE ]

If 2 people limp, you get 3.5:1 immediate odds. But you have very nice implied odds - you will almost always make up those two extra BBs and more, if you hit your set in a 4-way pot.

[ QUOTE ]

Also, medium pocket pairs don't seem to ever win UI in micro limit where there's usually 3-4 seeing the flop (the games I'm in are like that on average), so Doesn't it make them worth only as much as small pairs? Should I really play from MP hands like 77 or 88? It kinda seems to be losing me moneys

[/ QUOTE ]

88 and lower are good in multiway pots, where you play for set value, or heads-up, where they can win unimproved or you get a better hand to fold by c-betting. So, if you are in a loose game and find yourself in MP with 88/77/xx, make it simple and just overlimp two or fold. Open-raise them OTB or CO.

[jerseys]

[ QUOTE ]
If 2 people limp, you get 3.5:1 immediate odds. But you have very nice implied odds - you will almost always make up those two extra BBs and more, if you hit your set in a 4-way pot.

[/ QUOTE ]

I dunno, recently the games I play tend to be loose pre flop but then they tighten up and rarely go to showdown. That's the reason I started to question the whole PP thigy. I never seemed to get any action with a set. But maybe it was just a run of bad luck.

[Point Blank]

[ QUOTE ]
But for me it VERY rarely wins UI

[/ QUOTE ] ... remember a lot of value for the hand is preflop against poor players ... you should think about any hand you have and raise/call/fold accordingly to the situation.

even a crappy pocket like 22 is somewhat OK against a standard TAG UTG open raise (this could be a 3bet hand if you can get it heads up depending on the players post flop tendencies and currently play history)

[Point Blank]

<font color="red">also</font>

what you might want to do is run a search for a hand like 99 in this forum and note how people are playing them and what other posters have to say about said play

[jerseys]

thanks, Il do that. I'm new on this forum, so I'm a bit lost, so thanks for your directions!