Playing mid pairs, badly

Analyst · #1 10-29-2004, 12:59 PM

As I try and get used to SH, playing middle pairs (say, 99-66) is an area with which I'm struggling. Witness:

PokerStars 5/10 Hold'em (6 handed). Players are loose to very loose.

Preflop: Hero is CO with 6[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 6[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
UTG folds, MP calls, Hero calls, Button calls, SB completes, BB checks.

Flop: (5 SB) K[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 2[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] <font color="blue">(5 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, BB folds, MP folds, Hero folds, Button calls.

Preflop, I figured that my best chance was for a limp-fest, which did occur but I don't know if this was the right move. Raising still leaves the prospect of a multiway pot and a board full of overcards to my pair; folding seems weak.

The flop play seems wrong, too. However, calling or raising would seem to commit me to a showdown (do they have a K or not?), with almost certain overcards coming, and lately I've just spewed 2.5-3BB too many times with an almost-dead middle pair.

Thoughts?

spider · #2 10-29-2004, 01:23 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The flop play seems wrong, too. However, calling or raising would seem to commit me to a showdown (do they have a K or not?), with almost certain overcards coming,

[/ QUOTE ]

Two have already folded and the button will probably fold if you raise. That would leave only one person who can be helped by overcards. Unless you can read SB to only bet with a king, I would definitely raise here (Default for many people in SB there is to check-raise with a king). And with position, you can probably check the river if you want so it won't cost that much.

As far as pre-flop, I think most here would raise it. However, I think if you are new to SH and not comfortable with 66 & 77 you could fold them here -- especially if you don't like taking a shot with it on a favorable flop situation like this one. But even as a new SH player I think you need to instinctively raise 88 or 99 here.