Playing low-medium pocket pairs late

[edge]

This is something I often have trouble with, although I manage to win most of the pots ($10+1 level, most people play too tight with 4-5 left): playing low-medium pockets (22-99) with 4-5 left, and highish blinds (say, 100/200 at Stars, with the average stack around 3000).

I usually come in with a raise, since if I look at a flop with two overcards and don't hit my set, I'll have to fold to a decent bet. If I raise, it allows me to be the aggressor on the flop, and I'll usually pot it, unless an Ace falls, and someone out of the blinds limp-called me. Or something like that. I just find it difficult to play heads-up with two overcards, and I'm not happy about pushing preflop with 88, nor do I want to fold it. Limping and playing for set value seems difficult with high blinds; what does everyone else do in this situation?

[Hood]

It depends a lot on my stack size.

If I'm a short stack and no one has entered the pot, then I'll push. I'm happy to take down the blinds, and if I get called it's often a 50/50.

I certainly find you can't play these for set value when the blinds get high. If it's a low pocket-pair then I'll often fold them, or raise with aim to steal. I'm not going to get involved with the other big stack with 22-77. With 99-JJ, I may limp in from the small blind. If non-scary under cards flop then I'm going to push them hard.

But generally, when there's 4-5 left, I rarely limp in with any hand - I'm happy to take down the blinds or get a small-stack all in.

[PrayingMantis]

[ QUOTE ]
It depends a lot on my stack size.

If I'm a short stack and no one has entered the pot, then I'll push. I'm happy to take down the blinds, and if I get called it's often a 50/50.

I certainly find you can't play these for set value when the blinds get high. If it's a low pocket-pair then I'll often fold them, or raise with aim to steal. I'm not going to get involved with the other big stack with 22-77. With 99-JJ, I may limp in from the small blind. If non-scary under cards flop then I'm going to push them hard.

But generally, when there's 4-5 left, I rarely limp in with any hand - I'm happy to take down the blinds or get a small-stack all in.


[/ QUOTE ]

Good points. When short-handed, playing small pocket pairs is really about position, stacks and reads. You are almost never a significant favorite with a low-medium pair, but they are, many times, the right hands to open push with when you are playing the short-stack, and need the blinds or a coin-flip, or the right hands to bully with when you are big-stack (like many other hands). When you are medium stack, playing medium-low PP is tricky. Generally, they are great to open-raise with (short-handed, almost any PP is worth enough for it, IMO), in order to take down the blinds, but of course, if you are reraised or get called, you should be very careful. If you are facing a raise in front of you, low PP usually don't worth much, unless you use them for a steal re-raise, and gain significant folding equity. There are many variables here. Reading your opponents, and having a correct assessment of your overall EV, are crucial.