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So...i have a problem with small pair (22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77). My strategy: if there is a raise i fold, if not i call to see the flop. But when i fold the table gives me the tird one and when i calll...i lose. So...when to call and when to fold this hands? What is the best strategy to play them in early or middle position?
try and get in there and play those pairs to hit a set for cheap...if its less than 5x the BB, its a very profitable play in the long run..
also, if you have good position at the table, aka...the hijack seat(2 seats to the right of the Dealer button), the cutoff seat(one seat to the right of the dealer button, and the button itself...i generally play these hands a little more aggressive...for example
you get dealt 33 in the cutoff seat, everyone folds around to you, i would personally raise it to about 3-4 times the big blind...alot of times you will just get folds around to you and take down the pot preflop...IF you get called, play cautiously...if the flop comes Js Ts 5h...the fact that your opponent called should be scary to you with this flop and i would reccomend you check this hand down and see what he called you down with, if he bets right out at you, i'd let it go and just fold regardless of what type of player he is...
however if the flop comes down...Kh 2s 9c...this isn't a high percentage flop in heads up poker...and i'd go ahead and bet at it, about the size of the pot...if he calls, you check down the hand further...most of the time he will fold to such a strong bet post-flop...he could have called with AJsuited and completely missed that flop, and to him a pot sized bet means hes drawing to three remaining aces...maybe even two
if you happen to hit a set of 3's...the amount of people in the hand and the quality of the flop will determine how you will play your hand here...if theres 3-4 people in the pot, you probably want to play your hand fast...bet about the size of the pot and hope that you get played back at...aka a reraise.. in which case you shove or re-pot it...if the flop is a draw heavy board like Ac 4c 3c, i'll take one shot at this maybe a mid range pot size bet...about half, then check it down...my goal with this bet is to isolate down to maybe one opponent, and if he plays it strongly enough i could either lose a big pot or win a big pot...i try to never get my money in before the river...
Now say the flop comes down Kd 3h 8s...i like to "slow play" my set of threes here and give a free card... because its not at all a scary board...u want someone in there with KQ and you WANT them to catch their Q or better yet another king, giving you a FULLHOUSE...its a great way to trap them and take everything they have...
i dunno try this out, i play this strategy in both cash games and tourneys, however tourneys i will sometimes fold these hands in early position if my table is aggressive....and also if i dont have that big of a chip stack
In big MTT tourneys I limp with small pocket pairs and call a bet that is not more than 5% of my stack. Because if you lucky enough and catch that set when someone pairs up most of the time you can double up.
For example yesterday i was playing a MTT and i was first to act and limped with 33 and the guy on the button three bet. it was a big enough bet to make me fold but this guy was raising with **** hands so i called.
flop came k 3 k
i checked and he bet at me and i pushed all in on him.....and doubled up because he had a King
I guess what i am trying to say is that people early on over play ak, aq and aj and if you can set up while they hit top pair you can double you.
AT the cash table i raise with them in late position because i want to control the pot and early position i will limp and pray that the pot doesn't get raised and mid position i will limp, raise depending on what people do before me.