Learning Limit poker, and have a question

[Unvme]

question is relating pocket pairs.

If you hit a set 7.51 times you have a pocket pair, then basically if you are calling to hit a set with a pocket pair then you need to be making 7.51 times the amount you are calling to make it profittable.

So, if you are playing 30-60 and you are calling 30 preflop with a pocket pair, then you need to profit 225 on the hand. This wont normally happen because that would mean the pot would have to get to aleast 450 which isnt too high for 30-60 but you cant be sure you will get paid when you hit.

So my question is why play any pocket pair that you wouldnt feel comfortable calling someone down with, like 8s or higher. Its possible to be an over pair with 8s or better, plus with a flop like 24Q you would be ok calling 1 bettor down with something like 8s. So why not just go ahead fold any low pocket pair in EP-MP, it would seem to be more profittable in the long run.

thanks for input

[Michael Davis]

The pot doesn't have to be $450 to make $225 unless it's a heads up game. If the game has frequent multiway action, this is why those pocket pairs become profitable.

But if you're talking about a 30-60 game where a limper is often isolated by a late position player and has to call a raise preflop, then, yes, you should probably fold the weak pocket pairs and raise any that are strong enough to win on their own.

-Michael

[Hermes]

I think the answer to your question is to look at the implied odds not the pot odds. In a multi-way pot, you may only be getting 4:1 pot odds to your 7.5:1 draw. However, if you hit your set on the flop you stand to win much more than the 4 small bets in the pot right now. You have 3 more betting rounds to go with a hand that figures to be the best. Therefore your implied odds for the hand are much greater than 4:1.

[cardcounter0]

You are correct. If you are in a tight game where few are typically seeing the flop, you probably should only play progressively larger pairs as you move away from the button. However, if you are in a loose Party Poker type game, where 5-6 are usually seeing every flop, even 22 can be played UTG.

[jedi]

If you're just starting to learn limit poker this is the best advice I can give you.

Buy "Winning Small Stakes Hold Em" by Ed Miller.