Small pocket pairs. Am I leaking
 

I think I maybe leaking should I be play small pocket pair 2's-9's after a single rasie preflop from any postion?

Thanks
Sneakychicken

Re: Small pocket pairs. Am I leaking
 

If you mean if someone raises, should you cold-call with any pocket pair, the answer is no as a general rule.

Re: Small pocket pairs. Am I leaking
 

I usually reraise with 9's, but if capped I'll slow down. As for 88-22, if there's a good amount of people in and the blinds are loose and will call, I sometimes call a raise to try and hit a set.

Re: Small pocket pairs. Am I leaking
 

With medium-small PPs I only call a raise if it looks like it's going to be 4+ players to the flop - you are looking for a set and need the implied odds that a multiway pot brings.

If the preflop action goes Limp Limp limp Raise - call it, the limpers will almost certainly call the raise, and one or both of the blinds may well come in too.

OTOH if it goes fold fold fold raise preflop, then I fold, we don't want to end up heads up with a small pair against the PFR.

Mat

Re: Small pocket pairs. Am I leaking
 

I almost always 3 bet 99.

As for 88 - 22 you don't want to cold call a raise with out some insurance that others are going to see the flop with you. Usually 3 - 4 on the flop is enough to make up the needed bets post flop.

Small PPs make money one of two ways. Either they flop a set against a lot of people and drag a huge pot or against one opponent and wins by dodging at least 5 outs sometimes as many as 3 times.

Mostly you should be folding 88 - 22 to a raise if it's to you unless you are comfortable 3 betting it to get it HU and then getting it on post flop, which is way harder to do profitably.

Re: Small pocket pairs. Am I leaking
 

To further the discussion, I usually dont call 22-88 from early & middle positions unless I'm reasonably confident the pot won't be raised. As others have said if it IS raised and 3-4 come along I don't curse as much. I don't like paying 2 bets for hole cards that will make a decent hand on the flop only 10% of the time.

Re: Small pocket pairs. Am I leaking
 

Thanks again for your input guys I think this should reduce my variance alot.

Sneakychicken

Re: Small pocket pairs. Am I leaking
 

With no reads, the only place I will is the BB, and that's only if I close the pf action. With a decent read, I will sometimes call with position and every once in awhile raise in the CO or Button to isolate a player who I believe will pf raise any 2 broadway.

Re: Small pocket pairs. Am I leaking
 

depending on reads/position, I raise 88+ to isloate, sometimes higher, sometimes lower pp's.

Like others are saying, cold calling is only good if you have enough limpers in to play for a set.

Re: Small pocket pairs. Am I leaking
 

I'm generally playing pp from any position to no raise and calling one bet with them preflop. If it's two to go before it gets to me and I don't have reads I'll generally fold them but if the original raiser is of the any ace will do variety I may call. On the flop if I miss I'll call one bet with a PP if the board isn't coordinated enough that my set would give someone else a straight or flush. If I'm HU with someone whose range of raising hands is wider than AA-QQ I may call him down if there are no high cards on the board.