How to Play
Small Pocket Pairs
The small pocket pair
is one of the most profitable hands in poker.
It’s fairly easy to play, it makes powerful
hands like sets and full houses and it sometimes
even wins pots without improving. Many players
show a profit with small pocket pairs but that
doesn’t mean they are played perfectly. In fact,
poker players make all sorts of mistakes with
small pocket pairs.
Six-max no limit is the most common cash game
played today so this article will be written
specifically for shorthanded players. If you
play in full ring games, many of these same
principles still apply except you have to play a
little tighter from early position.
First In
In shorthanded games,
all pairs from 22-AA should be played with
aggression from all positions. In early
position, it is better to come in with a raise
rather than limping in. It’s OK to raise with
small pocket pairs from early position in
shorthanded games because there are not many
people left to act behind you. In most cases,
you’ll be the only one contending for the pot.
Additionally, you’re likely to have the best
hand. Even if someone calls you and a couple
overcards come, a continuation bet will most
likely win the hand. Raising from early position
also provides the secondary benefit of
disguising your hand. If you catch a set with
something like 44 from early position, your
opponent will have a hard time guessing your
hand.
In
middle and late position, you can come in with a
raise any time you are the first person in the
pot. You now have even fewer people to act
behind you and will most likely win the pot
without any trouble. Even if you do get action,
you can play a little poker and will usually win
if you place a bet after the flop.
After Limpers
You have several
options when people limp in front of you. The
easiest is to limp in behind them and hope for a
multi-way pot. If you hit a set in a multi-way
pot, there’s a good chance you’ll win a
larger-than-average pot.
If
only a single person has entered the pot in
front of you, a raise also works. It will
usually get everyone else to fold and leave the
pot heads up between you and the limper. By
raising, you take the lead in the hand and put
the pressure on the limper. Many times the
limper will fold to your raise before the flop
or fold when you bet after the flop.
When
several people limp in, you should probably just
limp in behind them. The odds of you taking down
the pot without a showdown drop significantly
when there are several other people in the pot.
That’s OK, though, because hitting sets in
multi-way pots is never a bad thing.
After a Raise
When another player
raises in front of you, it’s usually correct to
call the raise and try to hit a set. In this
situation, you have to be careful because
players are extra aggressive in today’s games.
If you simply call and fold every time you miss
your set, you won’t make any money in these
situations.
The
reason I say that is because many players raise
with hands that need help after the flop. When
you go calling raises with small pocket pairs,
you don’t have the implied odds that you might
think you have. Even if you hit your set, you’re
not guaranteed to get paid off.
You
can call small and normal sized raises with
small pocket pairs but you should fold if the
raise is larger than average. The exception to
that rule is if both you and the raiser have
large stacks. In that case, you now have the
implied odds to try to hit a set and win a large
pot.
If you
want to call raises with small pocket pairs and
see a profit, you need to be willing to play
some poker after the flop. You never want to be
too predictable because then the other opponents
will know exactly what you have when you call
those raises. Try calling a bet on the flop and
then betting the turn if the preflop raiser
checks to you.
When
you are in the blinds, it is almost never
correct to call raises with small pocket pairs.
First of all, you have poor position and will
have to check/fold when you miss the set.
Second, you won’t get paid off very often
because your opponents often raise from late
position with weak hands. Even if you do hit
your set, the odds of you getting paid aren’t
that great.
The
only time you can profitably call raises from
the blind are when several other people have
also called the raise. In that case, you will
have both immediate pot odds and implied odds. A
set in a large, multi-way pot is a major
moneymaker.
Summary
The best way to play
pocket pairs is with a classic tight-aggressive
approach. You can play them from all positions
but you should never open the pot with a limp.
Any time you are the first person in, come in
with a raise. Remember that small pocket pairs
are mainly drawing hands. They usually need help
from the board to win the showdown.
There
are two ways to play sets:
1. As
the aggressor – You come in with a preflop raise
and try to win a small pot with aggression. If
you catch a set and someone gives you action,
that’s just a nice bonus.
2. As
the drawer – If you call a raise with a set, you
will usually need help from the board to win the
pot. Sometimes you can steal the pot but usually
you’ll end up having to fold to the preflop
raiser’s aggression. When you do catch a set,
you will often win a large pot because the
person who initiated the betting is likely to be
attached to his hand.
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