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View Full Version : What to do here? Small pair late in the tournament.


trumpman84
10-02-2004, 03:26 AM
I'm in 4th in chips, when I get pocket 3's two off the button. I do my standard open raise to 3x, and am played back into with a minimum raise (400 to call, already have 600 out there). I call just hoping to get a set for cheap. He bets out the minimum on the flop. This could mean he just has overcards (perhaps AK) and missed. What do you do? I had about 1300 left (about 6 1/2 BB) and I've put just under half my stack into the pot already.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t200 (5 handed)

Hero (t2360)
Button (t3645)
SB (t660)
BB (t3510)
UTG (t3325)

Preflop: Hero is MP with 3/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
UTG folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises to t600</font>, Button folds, SB folds, <font color="CC3333">BB raises to t1000</font>, Hero calls t400.

Flop: (t2075) T/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 2/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, Q/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">BB bets t200</font>, <font color="CC3333">Hero ??</font>

Gator
10-04-2004, 09:55 AM
Limp or fold preflop - fold to his post flop bet.
You can't count of hitting a two outter on the turn and if you don't get the set you have no confidence in this hand.

AK has no more of a chance to hit on the flop then 32. The difference is that if you hit with AK you can feel confident about the hand. If you hit 32 (i.e. 3 T Q flop) you cannot feel confident about betting this hand and making some money.

Similarly with 33. Unless you flop the set, you don't know if this big stack is bullying you or slowplaying a monster. So, you have to let it go.

When there are four left and you are either the big stack or the small stack, you can push the small pairs and hope they hold up. You sure don't want to get into betting rounds with them (expecially head to head late in the tournament) and watch them eat up your stack.

Your either a huge dog post flop (needing another 3) or your opponent is a small dog drawing to a minimum of six outs (and more likely 8-10 with flush and straight draws probable).

rachelwxm
10-04-2004, 11:21 AM
I would fold 33 at this position, especially considering sb is very short stack. 33 is usually played for set since its hardly favorate against any two. But when you open raise, your odds decrease as set.
Anyway, 5 handed with blinds that high, I always fold small pair early position. JMO

HajiShirazu
10-04-2004, 11:25 AM
It's hard to believe that somebody would be bad enough to bet 200 into a 2,000 pot on a QT board with two diamonds and an opponent with 1300 left if they had a hand. The preflop action does kind of smell like a big hand but it may just be ace king. Your stack size really puts you in a quandry for this whole hand, I might add. I always hate the 10-15bb range yet it is so common in these things.
I think I push all in here. I think that this time, the min bet means weakness. And even given the pot size it would be hard for the opponent to call off his money with something like 88 on this board.

NotMitch
10-04-2004, 12:27 PM
Pot odds aside I think folding preflop is best. If you really feel commited because half you stack is in middle you had to push preflop instead of calling.

If you just call the pot is bigger than your stack on the flop and you hate just about any flop without a 3 in it. That is a lousy spot to be in. Plus a lot a players are going to put you all in on the flop no matter what falls and make you make a choice for all your chips.