Small pocket pairs

[Nate tha' Great]

I did a little analysis for myself recently concerning small pocket pairs. Specifically, the issue I wanted to examine was on which sort of flops you are likely to be ahead when the action is heads up (considering both the potential to be dominated by a higher pocket and for your opponent's high-rank cards to have hit on the flop). The conclusions were pretty intuitive - flops containing an Ace are not worth futher investment, flops containing two cards in the J-K range are usually trouble - but on flops like this one, I'm now proceeding with the hand as though I'm in the lead, which I think I will be perhaps 2/3 of the time.

Party Poker 10/20 Hold'em (6 max, 6 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)

Preflop: NateThaGreat is UTG with 4/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 4/images/graemlins/club.gif.
<font color="CC3333">NateThaGreat raises</font>, MP folds, <font color="CC3333">CO 3-bets</font>, Button folds, SB folds, BB folds, NateThaGreat calls.

Flop: (7.50 SB) J/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 5/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
NateThaGreat checks, <font color="CC3333">CO bets</font>, <font color="CC3333">NateThaGreat raises</font>, CO calls.

Turn: (5.75 BB) 5/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
<font color="CC3333">NateThaGreat bets</font>, CO calls.

River: (7.75 BB) K/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
NateThaGreat checks, CO checks.

Final Pot: 7.75 BB
<font color="#990066">Main Pot: 7.75 BB, between NateThaGreat and CO.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by NateThaGreat (7.75 BB).</font>

Results in white below: <font color="white">
NateThaGreat shows 4s 4c (two pair, fives and fours).
CO shows Qc As (one pair, fives).
Outcome: NateThaGreat wins 7.75 BB. </font>

[Vehn]

You have to bet the river here sir.

[stripsqueez]

your conclusions about when you are likely to be in front seem reasonably obvious - if your going to play small pocket pairs UTG then i think its best to play them aggressively - i can buy the limp in with the expectation of lots of limpers argument but i think its a rare 10/20 6 max game where those conditions exist

generally i think playing 44 this way UTG isnt a big winner long term so i view its playability more as a matter of shania/table image than long term default choice - all my small pairs are in front after 70,000 hands and i play 22-55 conservatively - i routinely fold them UTG and UTG+1 without a plan

one concern i have about playing 44 this way is your choice of game - you like the loose aggro games where guys will repeatedly take shots at you - seems to me that this is going to make judging when your in front post flop with marginal hands like 44 plenty tough - i have folded 44 folded to me on the button sometimes because i know i have aggro dodgy guys in the blinds and dont want to feel lost post flop - this may be, and probably is, insane for the founder of the raise A2o when folded to you on the button club, but thats what i do

i have a mate with some significant 5/10 6 max stats - he gets a shovel out when dealt 22 UTG - he wins a bit more than me with the small pairs

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[Nate tha' Great]

[ QUOTE ]
You have to bet the river here sir.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe I do. But as a value bet or to put pressure on a hand like 88 to fold?

The thing is, I'm *not* all that thrilled about folding to a raise, since this is a spot where a lot of opponents will bluff.

[Vehn]

Its a value bet obviously. If you can't fold to a raise then don't bet. But I find the # of opponents in this game that have the clownability to bluff raise the river here to be very small.


Party Poker 10/20 Hold'em (6 max, 6 handed)

Preflop: Hero is SB with A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, Q/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG folds, MP folds, CO folds, Button raises, Hero 3-bets, BB folds, Button calls.

Flop: (7 SB) 7/images/graemlins/club.gif, 4/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 8/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
Hero bets, Button calls.

Turn: (4.50 BB) J/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
Hero bets, Button calls.

River: (6.50 BB) 3/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(2 players) </font>
Hero bets, Button calls.

Final Pot: 8.50 BB

Results in white below: <font color="white">
Hero shows As Qc (high card, ace).
Button shows Ad 9h (high card, ace).
Outcome: Hero wins 8.50 BB. </font>

[Nate tha' Great]

[ QUOTE ]
Its a value bet obviously. If you can't fold to a raise then don't bet. But I find the # of opponents in this game that have the clownability to bluff raise the river here to be very small.

[/ QUOTE ]

Fair enough ... but this dude did 3-bet me, so the situation is a little bit different (I'm willing to credit him with a better range of hands) than if he had opened on the Button and I was defending my blind with a pair.

[fyodor]

I was surprised to see he had AQ when I finally looked because I had decided that was about the only holding he could have that you beat. And this is why I wouldn't have bet the river. What could he have that I beat that he oould possibly call me with? All I could come up with was AQ and if he thinks at all he can't call with that. What does he think you have that he could beat? Just a flat out bluff.

I think you played it fine.

I also like your thoughts on if there is an Ace or 2 in the zone just toss the little ones, otherwise assume you are ahead. Makes sense to me.

You're not the same guy who told me last week to limp with 44 UTG are you? I still have nightmares about the button who limped behind me with 23o and hit the bike. /images/graemlins/shocked.gif

[Nate tha' Great]

[ QUOTE ]
You're not the same guy who told me last week to limp with 44 UTG are you? I still have nightmares about the button who limped behind me with 23o and hit the bike. /images/graemlins/shocked.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah, I remember that hand. It's still very rare that I limp with little pairs in the 6-max games but I do it pretty regularly in full games. One of the reasons why I think the limp is okay is because, on the chance that you *are* isolated and the action winds up being heads up, the hand isn't *that* hard to play if you're willing to go to battle sometimes on a rag flop. That's a little bit different than if you hold, say, an Ax suited hand.