Unimproved small pocket-pair hand questions

imported_Jim C · #1 01-27-2005, 04:15 PM

Hi everyone,

I was in a good game with several very loose and passive players. Very few pots were raised preflop where I was not doing the raising. I limped UTG with 55.

This hand is illustrative of a general question I have. When I play a small PP like this and the board comes rags, I almost always take a shot at the pot thinking that my hand is quite likely the best hand. I will usually do the same thing with unimproved big overcards when rags flop, especially if I raised preflop. Is this correct or am I losing lots of money here? What about when I'm called or, as in this example, raised? When the raiser checks behind me on 4th, I interpret this that he has unimproved big cards and my hand is good. The problem is that I needed to call his flop raise to get there, and I am concerned this is a mistake. I am also concerned that habitually taking stabs at pots with unimproved small/medium pairs is a bad thing.

Please criticize this hand and how I am playing these types of hands in general.

Thanks everyone,

Jim

Party Poker 2/4 Hold'em (8 handed) converter

Preflop: Hero is UTG with 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img].
Hero calls, 2 folds, MP2 raises, CO calls, Button calls, 2 folds, Hero calls.

Flop: (9.50 SB) 6[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img], 3[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (4 players)
Hero bets, MP2 raises, CO calls, Button folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (7.75 BB) 3[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero checks, MP2 checks, CO checks.

River: (7.75 BB) T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] (3 players)
Hero bets, MP2 folds, CO folds.

Final Pot: 8.75 BB

molawn2mo · #2 01-27-2005, 04:23 PM

This hand looks fine. He was on overs and took the free card. River blanked. He folded. Sometimes they will call the river.

If he had bet the turn, without a read, you fold.

spydog · #3 01-27-2005, 04:24 PM

In the hand posted, I would check-fold this 100% of the time.

There are times where you can play small pocket pairs profitably, even when you don't hit.

Example is when you limp from EP expecting lots of callers. Nobody raises and its 3 or 4 players to the flop. Aggressive BB bets out on a ragged flop. Then a raise might make sense if your pocket pair is higher than middle pair. Even then, the situation has to be just right.

Bottom line, play low PP for set value and be prepared to checkfold a lot of flops.

Sarge85 · #4 01-27-2005, 04:24 PM

I think you probably played the hand as well as possible. The pot is big enough, and the flop raggedy enough that it will require some work. Some will question the limp in EP, but if the table right then the table is right.

I think betting the flop is the only chance you have at winning the hand. The PF raiser did all he could to help you out by raising the two behind out.

I think you need to have good feel that the PF raiser will be aggresive enough to raise with overcards in general though.

Sarge[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]