Stud 8B- Small Pair Small Kicker

I'm trying to figure out a hole in my game. I tend to play small pairs/small kickers too often (and then frequently folding fourth). According to Zee :"..shouldn't play these hands unless the situation is advantageous". There is discussion about not playing these hands with scare cards behind me or into a raised pot. Am I correctly inferring it's ok to play if I can get in for the bring-in? It just seems like such a passive place to be.. I'm also assuming all my cards are live...

[Nick_Foxx]

At the low limits where multi-way pots are the norm, I have found these kinds of hands quite profitable, if you can get in for just the bring-in or one bet on 3rd street, if the kicker is good (i.e., you have a 2-flush and/or 2-straight as well), and this should go without saying, but if your cards are live. The key is not getting tied to the hand if you seemingly catch good and other people appear to catch better. I try not to take one off in this situation, because at that point you are likely a dog in both directions.

Mike

[grb137]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm trying to figure out a hole in my game. I tend to play small pairs/small kickers too often (and then frequently folding fourth). According to Zee :"..shouldn't play these hands unless the situation is advantageous". There is discussion about not playing these hands with scare cards behind me or into a raised pot. Am I correctly inferring it's ok to play if I can get in for the bring-in? It just seems like such a passive place to be.. I'm also assuming all my cards are live...

[/ QUOTE ]

In my opinion, small pairs with small kickers are only advantageous when:
- the pair and kicker are completely live
- the kicker is a SF card
- the babies are still live

I think otherwise its not worth your money.

[Aicirt]

Im primarily a tournament player so take this for what its worth.

I really dont like these hands in multiway play. Id much rather play this hand heads up. In tournaments Ill raise these hands late in the tournament to try to steal the antes. In a cash game, I might open a pot up if I think I can get the antes or to isolate a player I could outplay. I muck these hands instantly in the early stages of a tournament and would muck them most of the time in cash games.

Aicirt