Taking a pass on smal PP, mid-levels

[Big Limpin']

So, i've stopped playing small PP's from EP in the mid-stages.

Early, i'd say ducks are worth a T20 limp. Huge implied odds.

And late/bubble, usually a EP push if stacks:BB ratio is small.

But, in the mid-stages (say 50-100 to 150-300 ?)i've been mucking, and feeling good about it.

Too much coin to limp, and either fold to re-raise, or miss set 7 times in 8. And the implied odds arent really there anymore. \

And, too early to be taking blinds, coinflip best case if called (blinds not big enough yet).


Anyone else do this?

I'm almost postive this is a good play for me, EV wise, but that could be due to my not playing them optimally.

WOuld liek to hear your reasons for doing the same, or convince me that i could grind money out of these hands...

Thanks

[Gramps]

I muck them more times than not at 25/50 and 50/100 (on Party). Problem is that once you get to that point, if you limp (even limp behind one or two limpers), people love to start pushing all-in behind you, because it gets to where the chips in the pot already are 15%+ of their stack. Unless it's a shortish stack pushing behind you and everyone folds to you meaning you're last to act, it's hard to call a push like that with a baby pair. [side note - that's why it can be good to limp with something like 99 or TT behind one or two limpers - can be kind of tough to play after a raise postflop anyhow, but you can trap short-stack pushers against whose range of hands you're a sizable favorite + you have a nice overlay]

Hard to raise with 'em, because people will come over the top of you with enough chips where a call isn't justified given their likely range of hands, and if your raise is just called it's tough to play postflop 7/8 of the time.

But I think they're underrated pushing hands, even with 7-8 BB. Once you get to 100/200 and 150/300, you're going to be pushing a lot, and small pairs can be good hands for that (especially at higher buy-ins where you can steal blinds a higher % of the time).

Does suck when you get called by an overpair, but I think on average you'll win a higher % of the time against hands that would call you than some other hands that people are more comfortable pushing (like Ace-small). So...I'll weigh in on the opinion that they're good pushing hands on the short stack, but no shame in folding them in many situations once you get to Level 3 and beyond.

[1C5]

I would love to hear what some of the winning players think of this strategy but it sounds like a sound one to me. I have been playing the same way.

[microbet]

I think this is pretty standard.

PP wants to be either a cheap shot for trips, have a decent shot at being higher than any card on the flop or be heads up.

Plug 22 into a hand calculator (http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_odds/texas_holdem.php)
against two other hands like 10,9 and 7,6 and you will see how much 22 needs another 2 or needs to be heads up.