cold calling medium pairs preflop

open raised utg+2, you're next with 55/66/77/88 - how often do you call, and how do you justify it? how about tiny pairs?

99% of the time I'm not cold calling anything less than 88s here UNLESS alot of smallish cards have been coming up (in which case I might reraise 88).

depending on the raiser, id be calling, raising with the 88. if it was a tight rock raiser i may even fold. with lower pairs i want to know for sure it will be at least 3-4 people seeing the flop. and i preferably want position.


but if you must play the tiny pairs, then raise with em and give em some deceptive value. also watch how the initial raiser reacts. and THINK of the hand(s) he'll put you on. probably not a low/mid pair, but higher cards. if he caps, he probably has a higher pair. then youve stepped in it. but if you dont flop your set, release...


some ideas


b

It depends on how loose the table is, and who the raiser is, but these are obvious.


Me, I'll fold 5s, 6s, and 7s almost always (sometimes 7s being the exception). I'll often fold 8s and 9s to a tighter raiser.


Unless it is a loose table, I'd never call. In a tighter table, I'm 3-betting if I'm calling. I want to take control of the hand right now.


We've heard for years that two overcards against a small pair is 50-50. That's bunk


True, its close to 50-50 if you go to the river. However, assuming you have a decent image, AQ, AJ, KQ, AT, and maybe even AK will have a tough time going past the flop if they miss. You've just changed a 50-50 proposition into about a 70-30 proposition. If you just call preflop, then you can't do this. Of course, when it gets checked to you, you need to bet dang near every flop.


If the game is looser, you can call with these. You specifically don't want to 3-bet, because you want more players in. Now, you need to flop a set to bet, so you want more players in to pay you off when you flop your set. Position doesn't matter as much in looser games, because it will go to a showdown (side note: Position still matters as far as controlling the size of the pot, but position won't win you as many pots).


I'm also more apt to call with these against weaker/more passive players. If they are going to bet the flop when it misses them, I am slightly less likely to call, because when they have AQ, and the board comes K 9 4, and I have 77, I'm mucking. If they check when they miss, I'd be more likely to call.


Hope this helps,


Josh

Unless alot of smallish cards have been coming up? C'mon now, you know it's random Babe!

are you joking?!