coldcalling 55 in EP

[rigoletto]

20-40 online. Game is generally tight agressive, but there are a few loose guys overplaying their hands which makes the game worthwile.

In this hand there are two posters behind me. Tight guy raises UTG I coldcall with 55, posters and BB calls. 5 to the flop for 10½ sb.


Flop: 5c 7c As

UTG bets, I call, tight very agressive (TVA) player raises, folded to UTG who 3-bets, I cap.

Turn: 6s

UTG checks, I bet, both call.

River: Th

UTG checks, I bet, TVA folds and UTG calls

[Dynasty]

My advocating of playing small pairs in EP was controversial enough to get a Jan Fisher article written about it. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Fisher's article (http://www.cardplayer.com/?sec=afeature&art_id=13531)

But, there's no chance at all that I'm playing 55:

1. in a generally tight-aggressive game (even in an un-raised pot)
2. after a tight UTG raises pre-flop (even with two posters)

This is an auto-muck. The game has got to be loose. And, the game has got to see less than 50% pre-flop raises.

I might have just called the 3-bet on the flop since UTG clearly likes his hand. Of course, I would do it with the intention of raising the turn.

[rigoletto]

The reason these hands were of interest is that the member couldn?t believe what he was saying, and wondered if we agreed with him. The game he described was a very aggressive one, more so than usual. He was talking about playing hands like ace-small suited and a pair of deuces when under the gun (first to act). After being negatively critiqued for playing these hands when under the gun, he went on to post that his preflop action was not in question, and that it was the post-flop play that was. He believed that playing these hands from early position was acceptable.

Was this really you???

[skp]

Whether you coldcall with 55 depends a lot on the nature of the game. A raise is bad news even with ideal game conditions (i.e. a preflop raise hurts implied odds) but coldcalling can still be a profitable call.

It can be extremely unprofitable to fold, if you (like me) are prone to steam a little when you flop a set after having folded.

Your hand had some peculiar circumstances that favour coldcalling. I am referring to the two posters. Their presence makes it more likely that (a) you will have a multiway pot and (b) the UTG is more likely to be raising with a pocket pair which means you get more action if you happen to flop your set. Also, you indicated that there were players that were prone to overplay their hands postflop. That's a good thing when you have a small pocket pair that you will play beyond the flop only if you have a set. The likelihood of aggressive postflop action is not a good thing for you when you hold suited connectors.

Overall, I would make the coldcall here...but then again, I have always been a sucker for pocket pairs /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Incidentally, like Dynsaty, I too might have just called the 3 bet on the flop with a view (a) perhaps letting the late position guy cap and/or (b) raising UTG on the turn. If the late position guy capped the flop and then UTG checked the turn, I would probably bet out myself in case the late position guy smugly accepts the free card to his flush draw or whatever.

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
Was this really you???

[/ QUOTE ]

It's hard to believe it's not. Here's the 2+2 thread in question.

Axs thread (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=308385&page=&view=&sb=5&o =&fpart=all&vc=1)

I think my use of the phrase "particularly aggressive" led people to draw conclusions about the nature of the game which I did not intend (both in the thread and in the discussion group). As I said later in the thread, if you can't play Axs or 22 UTG in a game, then you shouldn't be playing in that game.