[Freudian]

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If you have seven players seeing a flop for a 3xBB raise, you should be more likely to double up if you hit your set than in a button minraises/you call-situation.

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You will also be more likely to lose your stack to a bigger set or straight when you hit.

It's very difficult to calculate your implied odds equity with small pairs for this reason (and many others.)

The best evidence to help with this is to look at your PT data with regard to your small pairs. You are likely to find that you are either losing a little, or making a little with them in the first 3 levels with the former being much more likely when you get below 77.

That information, which is similar for several pros that I know, leads me to believe that the implied odds for these hands are quite poor once you account for all considerations.

This is an age-old argument: "play your pairs early, the implied odds are great" vs. "small pairs are garbage hands." Thanks to pokertracker and all of the experienced players on this forum, we have the benefit of knowing something about the play of these hands early: they are not making anyone very much money.

So, I fold them. If you want to limp some with them... that's fine. But if you are routinely calling raises with small pairs in levels 1-3, you are leaking chips. This isn't really a matter of opinion, just look at your own data or ask somebody with a bajillion hands played how much they are making with pocket 6's in level 1.

Irieguy

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I agree that you shouldn't call raises with small pairs unless the situation is right. If I am on the button in level 1 and six players are in for 45 chips I will call every time.

If there are two players I will fold. But I agree that they probably will be losing hands if you routinely call raises with them.