How to Play Small Two Pair...

Hello Again all,


I see that since I last logged on we have had some more discussion on playing two small pair.


I would like to post a hand from this morning(or late last night,don't really remember when) from a baby stud(1-3) game I was in. I think this hand clearly represents when and how( and Why) to play two small pair. Of course if posters here disagree with the way I played it,please let me know so and why. ( That is of course why we are all here to begin with )


5c to my immediate left brings it in for a dollar. The entire table calls the $1 bring in. ( gotta love 1-3) I am last to act and call with (2d6s)6c


4th pairs the bring man with 5c5d. He bets 2 dollars.


A caller with 5h4d calls the $2. All fold to the player to my immediate right who has 5s and has just caught Kd. He raises to $5. Now I now know EXACTLY what this man has. He is a solid player for low limit and only plays good starting hands. He has one pair of Kings and started with 3 spades.


I am next to act and have just caught the 2c giving me (2s6s)6c2c. I re-raise to $8 and both players behind me fold and good opponent to my immediate right calls.


5th

I catch Ac giving me (2d6s)6c2cAc

opponent catches 2h giving him 5sKd2h


I am high and bet $3 and he calls.


6th

I catch Kc giving me (2d6s)6c2cAcKc

Opponent catches case 2.. 5sKd2h2s.


Now he is high and CHECKS. Now I am in one of those precarious situations that we have in Stud. I know he has me beat right now with Kings and dueces ( plus his four flush ) but I also have an AK four flush showing on my board. I decide to semi bluff the AK flush and bet $3 ( and I decide I am betting the river no matter what if he checks ) He calls $3.


River I am fortunate enough to catch a 6d giving me the small boat. My opponent checks and I bet $3 then he RAISES to $6, I re-raise to $9 and he calls showing a AKQ high spade flush and my boat takes it down.


Comments welcomed.

Later,

CJ

Hi CJ,


Frankly, you got very, very lucky on this hand.


First, you were very lucky that nobody else made a bigger two pair or trips on fourth. Then you were very lucky that the fourth-street raiser was on your immediate right so you could reraise everyone else out before they made a bigger two pair or trips on a later street. Then you got lucky again when you bagged a winning out on the river. That's a helluva parlay sequence.


If you keep playing 662o in multiway pots it's going to cost you a lot of money in the long run. You're not going to get many hands where absolutely everything goes right like it did on this one. If the 2 is suited that's a little better but even that's only marginally playable.


So your play was okay from 4th street on, but you really shouldn't have played the hand at all to begin with. I know it's a tough fold, but you have to make these or you're giving up a lot of your edge over the fish who play these types of hands.


TRLS

Hello,


Thanks for the response. While I agree with much of what you said. The very fact that I was LAST to act in a pot in which everyone has called (unraised pot) in a game which (usually) people will pay you off all the way is the very reason you can play a hand such as this on 3rd. ( with two suited cards )


Later,


CJ

CJ: The answer is "Vide infra". You did the right thing. It was marginal, but none-the-less correct. Take the mother *%c*&# down. It's your marginal/profitaable win for the next 500 hands.