PP Confusion

[bennyk]

I've been hoping someone could shed some light on the appropriate play of pocket pairs in loose passive micro games. There seems to be some inconsistency in the strategies of Izmet Fekali (http://www.fekali.com/) and others on 2+2.
Please correct me:
Izmet basically says that it's a good idea to play PP's as CHEAP as possible, since they rely on implied odds in multiway pots. This means you would NOT want to raise PF, since you are simply increasing the size of the preflop "mistake" you have to make up if you hit your hand. Many on this board have claimed that PF raises with pairs show an immediate profit, and according to this source that does not appear to be true.
Anyway, this is how I played this hand.

Ultimate Bet 0.50/1 Hold'em (9 handed)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with 8/images/graemlins/club.gif, 8/images/graemlins/diamond.gif. CO posts a blind of $0.50.
<font color="CC3333">UTG raises</font>, UTG+1 folds, Hero calls, MP2 folds, MP3 folds, CO (poster) calls, Button calls, SB calls, BB folds.

Flop: (11 SB) A/images/graemlins/heart.gif, 3/images/graemlins/club.gif, Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(5 players)</font>
SB checks, UTG checks, Hero checks, CO checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets</font>, SB folds, UTG calls, Hero calls, CO folds.

Turn: (7 BB) 8/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
UTG checks, Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">Button bets</font>, UTG folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, Button calls.

River: (11 BB) 3/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(2 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, Button calls.

Final Pot: 13 BB
<font color="green">Main Pot: 13 BB, between Button and Hero.</font> &gt; <font color="white">Pot won by Hero (13 BB).</font>

Results in white below: <font color="white">
Button shows Kc Ad (two pair, aces and threes).
Hero shows 8c 8d (full house, eights full of threes).
Outcome: Hero wins 13 BB. </font>

You know, I've been thinking about this hand...and I totally f'ed it up. What a loser.
bk

[cold_cash]

You need to be more specific with the size of the pocket pair. Pocket Kings need to be played a lot differently than pocket threes in most instances. It's my opinion that at the micro-limits you can play ANY pocket pair profitably. You do NOT want to be playing big pairs "as cheaply as possible". I don't know if that's what you're saying, but I just wanted to chime in and say that.

In the hand you used in your example, I think I would most likely 3-bet if there's any chance of a heads up pot.

[bennyk]

Right,
Clearly AA-TT should be played their own way, since they will show an immediate profit both heads-up and multi-way. My question is more about hands that either win their share heads up, and rely on implied odds to play well agaist more than 1 opponent.
Thanks for clearing that up...
bk

[cold_cash]

I think it's a mixture between how many callers you're expecting in the pot with you, and how poorly they play post-flop.

Usually, if you have 22-66 you would like to play against 9 people for a single bet. (That's just an arbitrary range I made up, for the record.) With AA, you want to be playing against 9 people in a capped pot. If you have a pair of 3's, you obviously don't want to be playing in a raised pot against 3 solid players.

If you're playing with a group that plays poorly and aggressively after the flop, you might not mind paying 2 bets, however. If you know the table is capable of vomiting chips all over you when you make a set, you need to take that into consideration.