Steve O
06-10-2005, 10:20 AM
My Thoughts On Playing Small Pocket Pairs In NLHE Tournaments:
If I get a small pocket pair, nines or less, in a late position I am looking
to:
See the flop cheaply.
Make my set on the flop.
Have a flop with low flush/straight potential.
Have someone make a decent bet.
Have 0-2 callers of that bet.
If these conditions are met I will go all-in, otherwise I will fold; either
pre-flop after someone does a big raise or on the flop if someone makes a
large bet/raise.
Therefore I am looking to win the pot uncontested or hope my trips hold up
if someone calls my all-in.
Example:
Last night I was in the early stages of a low stake NLHE multi table
tournament. I have no/minimal knowledge of the other players.
I've got the button and get 44 in the hole. My stack is about 1500, BB is
50. 3 people flat call before me, I call, LB calls, BB checks.
Six of us see the flop, pot is 300. The flop comes A 6 4 (rainbow). The
first 4 players check and the fifth player -- whose stack is only a few
chips less than mine -- bets 300, making the pot 600.
I take his pot size bet to indicate he has made his hand. As there was no
pre-flop raising, and he made a pot bet, I don't believe he has AA. I
consider him holding 66 to be a possibility, but a slim one, so put him on
an A with overcard, A6 or A4. I re-raise all-in. He thinks for a bit then
calls and turns over 66...
Needless to say my 1 out doesn't come in and I'm left with a couple of chips
to play lotto with.
Even though I lost I'm still happy with the play and will do it again. I
don't think a pre-flop raise, to feign AA, would have helped much. As I
wanted someone to hit a high pair or 2 pair and most people won't lay down
their 'lovely' pocket pairs pre-flop anyway. Plus I've got crap odds of
hitting and wouldn't want to defend my raise if I didn't hit.
This is, really, the only way I like to play small pockets, I'm more than
happy to throw them away under most other circumstances.
Anyone care to give their thoughts on these matters? :)
If I get a small pocket pair, nines or less, in a late position I am looking
to:
See the flop cheaply.
Make my set on the flop.
Have a flop with low flush/straight potential.
Have someone make a decent bet.
Have 0-2 callers of that bet.
If these conditions are met I will go all-in, otherwise I will fold; either
pre-flop after someone does a big raise or on the flop if someone makes a
large bet/raise.
Therefore I am looking to win the pot uncontested or hope my trips hold up
if someone calls my all-in.
Example:
Last night I was in the early stages of a low stake NLHE multi table
tournament. I have no/minimal knowledge of the other players.
I've got the button and get 44 in the hole. My stack is about 1500, BB is
50. 3 people flat call before me, I call, LB calls, BB checks.
Six of us see the flop, pot is 300. The flop comes A 6 4 (rainbow). The
first 4 players check and the fifth player -- whose stack is only a few
chips less than mine -- bets 300, making the pot 600.
I take his pot size bet to indicate he has made his hand. As there was no
pre-flop raising, and he made a pot bet, I don't believe he has AA. I
consider him holding 66 to be a possibility, but a slim one, so put him on
an A with overcard, A6 or A4. I re-raise all-in. He thinks for a bit then
calls and turns over 66...
Needless to say my 1 out doesn't come in and I'm left with a couple of chips
to play lotto with.
Even though I lost I'm still happy with the play and will do it again. I
don't think a pre-flop raise, to feign AA, would have helped much. As I
wanted someone to hit a high pair or 2 pair and most people won't lay down
their 'lovely' pocket pairs pre-flop anyway. Plus I've got crap odds of
hitting and wouldn't want to defend my raise if I didn't hit.
This is, really, the only way I like to play small pockets, I'm more than
happy to throw them away under most other circumstances.
Anyone care to give their thoughts on these matters? :)