Pocket Pairs 22-77 in No Limit
Hold'em
written by BeatTheFish.com
...Fishy says, "Bite-size pairs...
sounds like my style!"
While there may be a
generally accepted by-the-book way of playing small pocket pairs
in no limit hold'em (i.e. only play them cheaply from late
position and only continue if you flop a set), I would like to give
my own thoughts about these potentially valuable holdings in this
strategy article. For the sake of understanding, I'll call "small"
pocket pairs deuces through sevens as the same general rules can
apply to all of them. With any of these pairs, almost certainly will
you face an overcard on the flop and almost certainly are they in
major jeopardy if they don't improve. Thus, your goal should still
be to spike that set on the flop. With that in mind, let's explore
some of my tips for making these hands as profitable as possible in
online small-to-middle stakes games:
1. Position is extremely important in
playing small pocket pairs. While this is true about every hand,
you shouldn't overlook it when considering how (or if) you're going
to play a small pocket pair. Hands like pocket fours increase in
value as you get closer to the button. If you're acting after
everyone else preflop, you have more information available to you
such as how much you'll have to call to see a flop and if any of
your opponents tried to show strength by raising the pot. Besides
that, you'll be able to act last on each subsequent betting round.
While this may sound like hold'em 101, don't overlook this important
concept when playing these mini pairs. In an aggressive game,
routinely limping in with small pairs in early position is a
mistake. You'll often wind up in an unwelcome situation when you get
raised and face paying more than you wanted to only to act out of
position on the flop.
2. Stack sizes also dictate the value
of your hand. Small pocket pairs go way up in implied value when
the stacks are deep at the table. This is because you can expect to
win much more when you do hit your set on the flop. In a $1/2 game,
playing pocket deuces from the button makes more sense if you and
the other limpers have $300 rather than $50. If you or your
opponents have fairly small stacks, it isn't a great play to invest
a good portion of your remaining chips looking to hit a set on the
flop. If you or your opponent is probably going to end up all-in
anyway, you should either wait for better starting cards or just
shove it in preflop. However, keep in mind that if the stacks are
deep (100 big blinds or more), small pocket pairs become more
playable. You can invest a small amount to potentially win a massive
pot.
3. In passive games, you can play
more small pocket pairs. As mentioned in tip #1, position
plays in important role partially because you don't want to face a
lot of raises out of position. However, in passive games without a
lot of preflop raising you can safely play all of your small pocket
pairs. After playing a few rounds with the same players, you'll be
able to read the general playing style of the table. If you face
little chance of being raised preflop and lots of players like to
limp in, why not play any pair from any position? While it's still
preferable to be in position after the flop, I will still take the
opportunity to get in cheaply with my pocket treys or fours.
Occasionally, you should also raise with your small pairs to mix up
your game. When you raise, one of two positive results can occur:
you can either win the pot uncontested or you build a pot for those
times that you do flop a set.
4. Read your opponents carefully and
realize what hands you want to be up against. While the
old poker adage may advise you to flop a set cheaply with a small
pocket pair at all costs, unraised pots will probably earn you the
least return when you flop a monster. With pocket fives in a $1/2
game, I think that is wrong to think, "Well, he was first off and
raised it to $8. He probably has Aces or Kings so I had better
fold." In fact, you should want to be up against a big pocket
pair when you have a small pocket pair. Why? If you flop a set,
you're extremely likely to take all of your opponent's chips.
I realize that the odds of hitting a set
on the flop with a pocket pair are about 7.5 to 1 against (about
12%), but if the table has deep stacks and you double up 12% of the
time you call the $8 it's a no-brainer +EV decision. Let's assume
that your under-the-gun opponent has pocket Aces and raises it to $8
preflop. Let's also assume that he's willing to put all his chips in
on just about every flop (a reasonable assumption for low-stakes
online games). You both had $200 and you've folded on the flop 7
times for a current stack of $144. The 8th time, you hit the set and
double up to $288. In the short run, you may hit the set in
less or more tries, but in the long run this scenario is still
profitable. Another positive is that most of your opponents will
also be willing to risk all of their money with AK in a raised pot
when they pair up on the flop.
The important point is that you should
try to choose spots to play your pairs when it looks likely that you
will double up. While your might get better pot odds and have to
risk less in an unraised 4-way pot, you're also likely to get any
action when you hit. If you aren't on a short bankroll and you read
your opponent as having a strong hand, I recommend playing small
pocket pairs much more than "the book" recommends. If you actually
observe high stakes games with professional players and deep stacks,
it is very difficult to get them off of any pocket pair preflop.
This is because of the extremely high implied odds in this table
scenario. Realize what you want your opponents to have and play
accordingly.
While I would like to save future
articles for extracting maximum value out of your small pocket pairs
on the flop, I hope that I have given you some useful tips for
making profitable decisions before the flop. In short, I think that
tight strategy book advice isn't always the most profitable for
loose online games. Situations like passive games and opponents who
over-commit to big hands can make it possible to play any pocket
pair for a call or even a small raise. However, this also the type
of hand that requires extreme discipline prior to playing with
confidence. If you do not yet have the discipline to easily lay down
your small pair on a tricky flop, you're probably better off
sticking to premium starting hands.
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