Battling the monkies, the sequel

[MBTIGUY]

Basically the same question as "Battling the Monkies" but about how to play two low pair on fourth. Assume, it's low limit, low/no ante, split structured betting, and you had good reasons to have played low pair/low kicker on 3rd street (i.e. late position limp, you're the bring-in, live cards, good implied odds).

OK, so I say to myself, "Pump or dump" and pumped but got several callers. Do you slow down your betting on 5th if your hand does not improve or do you continue to push the drawing hands?

[Michael Davis]

If your cards are still live, in general you shouldn't slow down your betting. If your hand is best, it's marginal, but is still a +EV hand. But if there are indications that your hand is not best, or even might not be best, you've got to dump.

-Michael

[CJC]

Hello,

I remember the very first stud book I ever read, which was Roy West's book.. ( someday I will find my copy of that.. disappeared a few years ago ).. Anywhoo.. The biggest thing that stood out to me was his quote "Two small pair is a Death Hand"

To Me.. The way the games play nowadays ( at least at the smaller limit ).. They are worse than that...

When you have 2 small pair on 4th street.. You MUST eliminate players.. but NOT necessarily on 4th street...

I can't get into a lot of details now.. ( getting ready to leave to Vegas ) but don't forget about checkraising if possible.. or checking 4th with intention of raising 5th.. Stuff like that.. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Later,

CJ

[Ron]

Hi, [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] I play LL and I see many small pots won with 2 sm pr. but for me it is a money loser. You can not reraise or hardly call a reraise so you fold to pr AA, I just don't play them. In LL you can not drive anyone out who has a big pr and he has the right odds to chase, [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] I would rather save money for hands that offer better winning odds. These are the types hands you win SMALL pots and LOSE all the big pots [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img] "Gamble comes alone with every hand - Value dosen't come along that often" [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Al Mirpuri]

Two small pair on fourth is a through ticket. Play it slow until you pick up your full house and then raise. If you have not made a full house on the river and someone bets then you should drop as a rule. Watch out for bluffs on the river as well.

[SittingBull]

completely live,your small two prs on 4th can be considered a drawing hand against a large field if U cannot eliminate enough players. U are about a 3 to 1 dog on filling by the river and your hand will win a decent % of the times that U do fill.
However,against HEAVY action,it's an early folding hand.
For a single bet,it's clearly a call if the table is loose. For a rather conservative table,your strategy is the best.
HappyPokering, [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
SittingBull
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Andy B]

I'm not saying you should never do it, but there isn't a lot of money to be made laying down two pair for one more bet on the river in a big pot. Two small pair isn't an automatic through ticket to the river, but I'll play them more often than not.