88 really quick preflop

[reb]

I raise this.

[Isura]

I'd 3-bet for information and since my equity is probably good , especially with loose blinds.

[MAxx]

i'd prolly coldcall here b/c sb is loose, and hope the avg BB has at least a little somethin to call one raise and a huge pot with. i think this is sounding to be farily certain 4 way with probably a very good chance at 5. i cc here...

if the blinds were on the avg to tight side of things, i'd probaly go ahead and 3bet this puppy and keep it 3way with momentum in my court... hopefully.

edit: somebody mentioned 99, I would auto 3bet that. and i dont think 3betting 88 here would be bad at all.

[Trix]

I prefer calling, I dont think my equity is great, but my odds are almost there if I´m playing for a set and my pair have some value too, so I can´t fold.

[Brain]

I think I'm calling here since it looks like both the blinds will play. If they're tighter, then I definitely 3bet.

[Silverback]

you cant call,

you have to 3 bet or fold, find out if UTG will cap pre flop,

will they both check to you on the flop,

coldcalling will get you nowhere

[Stoli7]

I would never cold call, probably reraise, very rarely fold.

[StellarWind]

Definitely call.

Suppose this is AK v. 88. Slick needs to pair his hand to win. Otherwise you win. Roughly a tossup. Basic stuff.

Now suppose we add a third hand with two unpaired high cards. Who loses pot share in this process? Not Slick. He will still probably win if he pairs his hand. The burden of the third player entering the hand falls almost entirely upon 88. Of course my choice of AK is arbitrary. Any two unpaired cards greater than eight would be the same from the perspective of 88.

I've conveniently neglected to mention the possibility of a dominating overpair with either opponent. Given CO's stats one might have thought he would never coldcall here. Then you look at the reads on the three players behind him and you have to at least wonder if he is flatcalling a premium pair. The button will usually come to him without a fight and the blinds look like potential victims.

Anyway it is certainly true that UTG could happen to have an overpair. Overall there is no point in 3-betting because you don't have a fair share. Might as well play cheaply and hope for a big field to pay off your set.

[mperich]

I probably raise here because I like to raise. I think calling and raising are probably almost identical EV wise tho. Very close.

-Mike

[Stoli7]

Ofcourse helps if you have some reads how opponent play unimproved overcards... then small/medium pairs can become very valuable IMHO

Folding 88 on flop when A or K flopped is easy. Folding AK on flop 227 or 37J is not so easy. Many players move hands like AK or even AJ to showdown unimproved so they'll pay you on every street. The problem with small/medium pocket pairs is that they are beaten by larger pocket pairs. Big pocket pairs are usually easy spotted (if you 3 bet). There is also some extra abilities to make them fold if A or K flopped (if you 3 bet preflop! [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] ).