Small pocket pairs refer to pairs that are 99 and below and have most frequently been the reason for players to overestimate their hand and in turn loose a great deal of money just because they could not overlook a matching pair in the hole. We shall discuss how you can attempt playing these pocket pairs so that you are able to capitalize on them and at the same time reduce your losses.
Playing in the Early Position:
Playing with pocket pairs in the early position is one of the toughest moves, but if you play it the right way, you can earn yourself a great deal of money. The best way to attempt playing these cards in an early position is to limp in and wait to see the developments. There may be an opportunity for you to disguise your hand with the correct board and very little players or you may also stand a chance of devastating a big hand if you manage to hit a set.
Suppose you have 77 and are under the gun, you decide to limp in and the next player raises four times the blind, you will require all the possible odds that you can get to call at this point. You are lucky if you can get callers at this stage because this gives you a 5:1 odds that you require to put your money in. Another great fact is that with more players there is a greater chance of the bigger cards having been distributed to the players. In case there are not more than three callers or if another of the players is at the top again, it would be better to simply let go.
If you find the callers and manage to have a go at the monster pot, you may be in a tense situation as you cannot decide whether to continue or not with the hand. In such a situation when you are playing with small pocket pairs, it would be only right to back out if the board staring at you has cards below your 77.
For example, if you are gazing at a board 2-4-6, it is worth making a bet no less than the pot. If another player gets over the top, you will soon know your position at that point because the player may either have bigger pocket pairs or may just be playing up. You will have to recall their strategy at an earlier game and then go by your instincts apart from which you must consider the amount of cash you have with you. At this stage the odds may be too big for your left over cash and therefore the only feasible move would be to call in.
However, you can be in a very powerful position if you manage to hit your set because this can get you some handsome profits. With several players at this point, the raiser will definitely make an extension bet. Here is a great chance for you to check raise and gain some profits. This structure can be set up if there is a prospect of a flush or a straight on the board. If this is the situation, then what you need to do is evaluate the odds and try to get these hands out of play by placing a big bet on the flop as you would not want any one to draw to your set.
If the board is not very risky, you can make a check raise by checking your stake to the first raiser allowing him to lead out. If your luck holds, there may be a player who has cards valuable enough to go ahead with the hand. Considering the amount of cash you have left, you could choose to either make a large bet or put in all that you have. You would probably be able to take down a big pot here. You may decide to bet out if you have hit your set but the amount of chip stack you have left is below half the pot size. Here you can push completely off the bat.
It is advisable that you change your playing strategy off and on because if you continue to play in the same pattern, you stand a risk of your opponents getting to know all your moves and nipping you at the bud during a game. You could try something different by placing a smaller bet on the flop with the hope that the original raiser will come out on top again. Try using the technique that you would implement on a medium hand and pretend to display a few weaknesses. If you manage to fool them, they will begin miscalculating your hands allowing you to utilize your flop a set technique to make some healthy gains as you play along.
Playing in the Early Position:
Playing with pocket pairs in the early position is one of the toughest moves, but if you play it the right way, you can earn yourself a great deal of money. The best way to attempt playing these cards in an early position is to limp in and wait to see the developments. There may be an opportunity for you to disguise your hand with the correct board and very little players or you may also stand a chance of devastating a big hand if you manage to hit a set.
Suppose you have 77 and are under the gun, you decide to limp in and the next player raises four times the blind, you will require all the possible odds that you can get to call at this point. You are lucky if you can get callers at this stage because this gives you a 5:1 odds that you require to put your money in. Another great fact is that with more players there is a greater chance of the bigger cards having been distributed to the players. In case there are not more than three callers or if another of the players is at the top again, it would be better to simply let go.
If you find the callers and manage to have a go at the monster pot, you may be in a tense situation as you cannot decide whether to continue or not with the hand. In such a situation when you are playing with small pocket pairs, it would be only right to back out if the board staring at you has cards below your 77.
For example, if you are gazing at a board 2-4-6, it is worth making a bet no less than the pot. If another player gets over the top, you will soon know your position at that point because the player may either have bigger pocket pairs or may just be playing up. You will have to recall their strategy at an earlier game and then go by your instincts apart from which you must consider the amount of cash you have with you. At this stage the odds may be too big for your left over cash and therefore the only feasible move would be to call in.
However, you can be in a very powerful position if you manage to hit your set because this can get you some handsome profits. With several players at this point, the raiser will definitely make an extension bet. Here is a great chance for you to check raise and gain some profits. This structure can be set up if there is a prospect of a flush or a straight on the board. If this is the situation, then what you need to do is evaluate the odds and try to get these hands out of play by placing a big bet on the flop as you would not want any one to draw to your set.
If the board is not very risky, you can make a check raise by checking your stake to the first raiser allowing him to lead out. If your luck holds, there may be a player who has cards valuable enough to go ahead with the hand. Considering the amount of cash you have left, you could choose to either make a large bet or put in all that you have. You would probably be able to take down a big pot here. You may decide to bet out if you have hit your set but the amount of chip stack you have left is below half the pot size. Here you can push completely off the bat.
It is advisable that you change your playing strategy off and on because if you continue to play in the same pattern, you stand a risk of your opponents getting to know all your moves and nipping you at the bud during a game. You could try something different by placing a smaller bet on the flop with the hope that the original raiser will come out on top again. Try using the technique that you would implement on a medium hand and pretend to display a few weaknesses. If you manage to fool them, they will begin miscalculating your hands allowing you to utilize your flop a set technique to make some healthy gains as you play along.
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