[123Law]

Lately it seems that I have been catching a lot of pairs, but unfortunately they have all been small pairs - somewhere between 22 to 88.

I usually play these hands pretty tight, but I would love to see some discussion on how you all play small pocket pairs.

Do you even play them, or just chuck em early?

[iceberg]

Try to get in cheap. No set on the flop ... no bet. A pocket pair will turn into a set on the flop about 1 in 8 times and the payoff is usually excellent.
I've yet to hit a small set, and lose to a bigger set (knock on wood).

If the flop is coordinated for a straight or flush, play with caution.

[IvanDrago]

Depends on positon actually. In first positon i lay down small pocket pairs unless the blinds are low because they tend not to be any good unless you set. So best to just avoid those things. In position if no one else has called hell i'll raise with 22, a pair is a pair. I would also call any small raise with a pair because of the odds that you'll get paid off if you hit your set and you might already have them beat and theres a low flop for maybe a straight draw or something. But def fold in first two position unless its cheap to get in. But if you got no chips or shortstacked i would push, a pair is a pair.

-Drago

To the End!

[dovla]

i'll try to see the flop cheaply as possible.. not raising unless i want to steal..
set is a best possible hand you can have in poker! set rarely lose, it is the most hardest thing to read! set could be really dangerous vs high overcards if opponent hits a top pair with great kicker - he is toasted there..

if i'm good stacked, i would call 3-4 bb raise for low pocket pair.. if you get your third card in raised pot - you are usually going to take many chips!

[madmax155]

good point, its worth calling on a small pair because if u hit a set on the flop youre golden if not you have invested little into the pot. do not call big raises with small pocket pairs because if the board comes high you have no choice but to fold your seemingly strong hand preflop.

[Thinkerbell]

Seems to me that you want to either limp in, or raise big depending on the table and position. If the table is playing really tight, raising will usually get everybody out except players who actually have a hand. Then at least you know what you're up against--probably face cards or an overpair.

If the table is loose, getting to see the flop with minimum investment is key. Players are playing all kinds of cards at a loose table--a flop that looks like it shouldn't help anybody could have made 2 pair for someone.

And, as Drago said, position is a factor. It's unpleasant to call from an early position, and then have a raise happen. You've invested already; how much more are you willing to pay/lose to see the flop? That can be a slippery slope.

[123Law]

It never fails, whenever I play against someone who gets a small pair, they end up catching that third card. Me, when I get a small pair, I never catch it and end up losing a bunch chasing it.

I gotta pay more attention to 1) Chasing it cheaply, and 2) keeping in mind position.

Thanks for the input!

[gn2056]

i used to hate small pocket pairs now that i have been playing and learning a while there are some of my favorite hands the reason for this is my decisions are usually pretty simple, I especially enjoy pocket pairs of small value in ring games. The trick for me is putting my opponent on a hand first, and raising enough to get it to heads up or three hande preflop. Obviously i am going to bank if i hit a set, but putting my opponent on hand preflop and knowing how he has been playing previously is going to tell me whether to call or reraise an opponents bluff or fold. Also I have a good idea if I should bet at the pot even with a couple overs on the board.

[tbs89]

i hate small pocket pairs in early position and even sometimes in late... how do you play it because the situation is different everytime but if you hit a set or sometimes even quads they turn out to be the most unpredictable hand around!

[burea1124]

2s to 9s, try to get in cheap from any position. If someone raises too big, have the discipline to throw them away. However, I think they are definitely worth calling 2x 3x BB preflop raises.

If you don't hit a set on flop, check/fold. If you do, watch for straights and flush draws. If there are two cards of same suit or something like 8 9 T, you want to be ultra aggressive to protect your hand (especially if it's a multiway pot) If they outdraw you, you are going to go broke holding on to your set

If it's A Q 3 rainbow and you have 33, you are in for a partay. If there are people who are betting with AQ, AK, you can raise and hope for a re-raise or just slow-play all the way. I prefer just calling the flop and raising on the turn. However, I will just raise right away if there are too many people in the pot.

Another interesting thing I learned recently (might have been from this forum actually ...) is that if someone bets pre-flop, everyone else folds, you have late position, and you have small pocket pair, you can get them to fold something like AK right on the flop. Ak vs small pocket pair, as you all know, is 50/50. However, that's considering that AK sees cards all the way to the river. If AK only gets to 3 cards on the flop, small pocket pair has advantage. If you put him on these hands, heads-up, and the flop comes 4 6 9, don't let him see another card for free, make him pay with expensive bets. I'd even suggest going-all in if the pot is large enough.