Playing small/mid pocket pairs preflop? Advice Please.

[thirteen]

How is everyone playing their small/mid pocket pairs (22 thru 88)?

I have some bad habits from playing NL for the past year and I think I'm leaking bets. In NL you'd limp in almost any position or open raise on the CO or button, but you'd also be willing to call standard PF raise with them because of the implied odds of stacking your opponent when you hit your set. Obviously in limit the implied odds are less.

So far my adjustment has been to fold 22-66 in early position, but open raise in CO or button, or call with one or two limpers, but fold to a raise from a tight player. With 77-88 I might open raise from EP or call a raise in LP (depends on table).

It seems better, but I'm still not sure I'm approaching pocket pairs the right way in a SH Limit game.

[sharpie]

I usually either open raise or 3 bet someone's open raise if I'm gonna play them.

[thirteen]

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I usually either open raise or 3 bet someone's open raise if I'm gonna play them.

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Are they a standard fold in most positions? What about a multiway limped pot, can they be played for set value?

[Wools]

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Are they a standard fold in most positions? What about a multiway limped pot, can they be played for set value?

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With two limpers, I'll limp most pairs and sometimes raise 77 and 88, but those are villain dependent. 99 and up is a raise. One limper, I'll make it two with 77 and up, sometimes 66, again position, villain, and blinds dependent. In a loose passive game(re: low pfr%) I'll limp in EP on occassion.

[True]

open raise 77 utg, 66 UTG+1, 55/44 CO, 22/33 OTB

I will limp 22-55 with one very bad limper, or 2 average limpers. Ise raise 55/66 with one limper and tight blinds.

True

[PokerGejan]

The problem with the small Pocket Pairs is:
You would like to either play against the whole field in order to get the right odds or just against one oponent in order to get a coin flip with dead money in the pot.

Playing small PP with 2/3 opponents is definetly a bad investment, the chans for you to hit your set on the flop (1:8) is lower than the risk of the other players floping a better hand.

UTG and UTG+1 fold them unless the table is very tight and fear your raises. First in from CO or button raise against passive players.

If the game is very loose and passive, take a shot and limp you will never get the odds 1:8 on the flop but the implied odds are definetly there with a lot of limpers swiming all the way to the River with their midle pairs.

[BigBrother]

Actually a very passive post-flop game is NOT good for small pocket pairs since your opponents don't fold so they suck out on you more often and they don't raise (with hands like TPTK) so you have a hard time getting paid when you hit your set.

The power of the small PP in SH play is showdown value HU or 3-way. To maximize your value you need to adjust be being aggressive with your made hand when your opponents are still drawing (ie- missed overcards).

As always, position helps, so better to dump the small pairs in EP and play then in LP until you get more comfortable OOP in the marginal situations.