Couple of independent $22+2 hands

[EricW]

Just what is the best way to play pocket pairs after there is a min raiser and then multiple callers

HAND ONE:

#Game No : 2858130068
***** Hand History for Game 2858130068 *****
NL Texas Hold'em $20 Buy-in + $2 Entry Fee Trny:16470089 Level:3 Blinds(25/50) - Wednesday, October 19, 21:23:06 EDT 2005
Table Table 13758 (Real Money)
Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 7
Seat 1: queennutcrkr ( $675 )
Seat 2: IH8AQsuited ( $1100 )
Seat 4: stierney321 ( $1940 )
Seat 6: Hooep ( $1810 )
Seat 7: rickyq ( $315 )
Seat 9: Hero ( $945 )
Seat 10: awon24 ( $1215 )
Trny:16470089 Level:3
Blinds(25/50)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Hero [ Th Ts ]
>You have options at Table 13791 Table!.
queennutcrkr folds.
IH8AQsuited folds.
>You have options at Table 13779 Table!.
stierney321 raises [100].
Hooep folds.
rickyq folds.
Hero is all-In [920]

----------------------------------


HAND TWO:

#Game No : 2858117486
***** Hand History for Game 2858117486 *****
NL Texas Hold'em $20 Buy-in + $2 Entry Fee Trny:16470084 Level:2 Blinds(15/30) - Wednesday, October 19, 21:08:40 EDT 2005
Table Table 13775 (Real Money)
Seat 1 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: MrWickedd ( $780 )
Seat 2: Hero ( $745 )
Seat 3: mwl342 ( $1595 )
Seat 4: mrkpete ( $920 )
Seat 5: Sean090 ( $605 )
Seat 6: rascaldog22 ( $925 )
Seat 7: cjwessel ( $770 )
Seat 8: Kicks_66 ( $690 )
Seat 9: Nazbuhdazz ( $760 )
Seat 10: bigslizy ( $210 )
Trny:16470084 Level:2
Blinds(15/30)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Hero [ Th Ts ]
mrkpete raises [60].
Sean090 calls [60].
rascaldog22 folds.
>You have options at Table 13791 Table!.
>You have options at Table 13791 Table!.
>You have options at Table 13791 Table!.
>You have options at Table 13758 Table!.
>You have options at Table 13779 Table!.
cjwessel folds.
Kicks_66 calls [60].
>You have options at Table 13779 Table!.
Nazbuhdazz folds.
Kicks_66: can you guys please slow down, this lightning fast pace is a killer
bigslizy folds.
MrWickedd calls [60].
Hero is all-In [730]


-----------------------

[EricW]

anyone?

Warning: I play more aggro than most at the 2+2ers at 22s and 11s

Hand 1: I like a reraise, but pushing TT this early is not something I like to do. The pot just isn't big enough, and you are solidly behind the range that calls you. My move: Make it 275 Preflop. Note: This move is only good if you are confident in your ability to not get outplayed postflop when an overcard hits.

Hand 2: Pushing is too high risk /reward for my taste, as there are a lot of people in the pot, and lower buyin players will often call off all of their chips once they have called a PFR. At this point in the tournament you definitely dont want to be all in VS AJo and KQs, as losing will take away your biggest advantage of bubble play. Call for set value/proceed cautiously with an overpair. Pot odds are decent, and the implied odds are huge.

Edit: Also, in both hands, a lot of villians will make minraises with AA/KK hoping to get a lot of callers/disguise their hand. The minbet doesn't imply as much weakness as you think it does, though it is definitely not a super strong play.

[flyingmoose]

I like the second push a lot. Min-raises don't usually mean monsters until the blinds become more significant. It still COULD mean a monster, of course -- but I make moves like this constantly and find 88 much more often than AA. The likelihood of someone cold-calling a min-raise with JJ-AA is even smaller. I would guess that you have the best hand (even if it's only marginally the best hand), and you have a good amount of fold equity into a very nice pot.

The second push I like less. The villain's stack is large, so he may give you a spite call with QJs or KQ. You're risking more to win less. Try to take a quick glance through the Hand History to see how the villain got his stack. If he had some uber donk-luck, I call and lead T100 into any flop. If he got his stack through tight/smart play, I push.

I wouldn't reraise push hand one, but it's probably not terrible. Mostly you'll win the pot right there because mostly his minraise means he has a weak raising hand. Sometimes he'll have AA-KK and you'll go broke. I don't think you'll get too many calls from pairs you dominate here because your stack is too big. With these stacks and blinds, I would probably either flat call or reraise to 250 depending on my read. I would only push if I had a reason to think 22-99 was calling.

I don't really like the push in the second hand either. I can see why you'd do it--it's likely you're ahead, and you're going to get called a lot here, and there's a decent amount of dead money. But still, I don't push this. It seems too early for me, and rather than taking a small edge by pushing preflop, I'd usually rather try to flop the set--you're definitely getting good implied odds. Yeah, it's true you'll get some calls from 77-99, but you will also see JJ a lot here, and the occasional monster from the raiser.

Both pushes are probably profitable, but in each case you have other choices that are IMO more profitable and involve less variance.

Moose had an interesting idea about trying to look through the entire hand history to see how the big stack got his chips, but

[ QUOTE ]

>You have options at Table 13791 Table!.
>You have options at Table 13791 Table!.
>You have options at Table 13791 Table!.
>You have options at Table 13758 Table!.
>You have options at Table 13779 Table!.
cjwessel folds.
Kicks_66 calls [60].
>You have options at Table 13779 Table!.
Kicks_66: can you guys please slow down, this lightning fast pace is a killer


[/ QUOTE ]

but I'm not sure you have time here [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[EricW]

I dunno if reraising is the best idea. If our stacks were really large, then yes, I think reraising is best. However, the stacks are not very large. I have 745 chips. I can't see how reraising 1/3 of my chips only to fold to an over card on the flop is the best play. Basically by reraising, I'm praying for no over cards or a set. I dunno about leaving myself 460 chips is the best idea.

That being said, I don't know if reraising all in is the best play either.

Sorry if I wasn't clear, but I said I would only consider reraising to 250 on the first hand, and even then I would only do it depending on my read of the raiser. It wouldn't take you down to 460 chips, it would take you down to 670 or something, and the blinds are still 25/50, so you're not crippled.

[ QUOTE ]
I can't see how reraising 1/3 of my chips only to fold to an over card on the flop is the best play

[/ QUOTE ]

If you feel like you would likely fold to any overcard on the flop, then I agree, reraising is not the way to go here.

And yeah, on the second hand, if you were going to reraise, then reraising any amount less than all-in would be a mistake.

[tigerite]

I like the first, it's a good blind defence but it does depend on how loose the guy is. Despite the strength of your hand, you don't really want to be called by KJ and other such bollox here.

The second, I don't like. Just call and try to spike a set, it'll win you more +EV in the long run than a push here. AKo I would push here probably, but not TT.

Edited to say, well actually KJo wouldn't hurt you too much to call, but KQs wouldn't be as fantastic to see.

[Insty]

Flat call, see what the flop brings. Tens suck.

[bennies]

Interesting close hands.

Hand 1: I don't think there is much between the 3 options, folding, calling or pushing. Calling requires some flop skills.

Hand 2: This is a great spot. You stand to win a lot by pushing (I imagine you get a walk about 1/3 of the time and otherwise it's mostly a coinflip) but calling for set value is also very good.