Playing 72

I wanted to know everyones opinion about playing 72. We all know that it is the "worst" starting hand in poker, but I have been trying something new with it and I think that it has generated significant profits for me.

When you play tight/agressive poker I is hard not to get pegged as a rock at the table. I have started play 72 everytime I get it dealt to me. I will fold to any raise pre flop but if I have the opportunity I will limp in.

Then 1 of 3 things happen.
1. Something hits. This is great because I will bet agressivley and take down the pot.
2. No one hits. This is also good becasue I will bet agressivly and take down the pot.
3. Some one else hits and bets (or rasies me) I will fold.

In situation 1 or 2 I make sure that I show my 72. Instantly my table image changes. Then I can got back to playing tight and be sure to have more callers when I do have a monster hand. While I do show a net loss when playing 72 but I am sure I make up for it when playing great hands.

If you are going to do this, you might as well raise it. One word of caution: there are plenty of people doing this with 72o specifically. My line to them is "oh, you're one of THOSE guys." Always seems to bother them when there's someone they haven't fooled. I'd pick a different, equally crap hand. Maybe something that would be a plausible fish raise, K8o or something.

Yah, i always know that when someone shows a hand like that it's a set up and am very careful of how i play against them. Now if someone plays 35o to showdown and wins with a river 2 pair, if they've set me up for that one then they'll fool me.

-'rilla

Fold all the time unless I'm the BB and can limp in.

I won't even bother playing them suited.

Mxx

He's not talking about playing them to win but playing them to set up table image.

-'rilla

grr - tired and seemed to have missed the point of this thread.

I've just taken a moment to reasses my thoughts on 72o. I usually do as mentioned above, and fold them. However, in light of the above post I think I might give that tactic a go.
One question on it. I'm dealt 72o and limp in. Flop comes as, eg, 359.
If there' just me and one other person in the hand, and they bet the minimum of say 20 chips - would you be best to fold and assume they have something - or raise and see what they come back with? If raise - how much? (imagine the start of and MTT and you both had 1500 before the hand started). It's a tiny bet and could be a tester to see if I have anything.

Mxx

Originally Posted by murphyz

If there' just me and one other person in the hand, and they bet the minimum of say 20 chips - would you be best to fold and assume they have something - or raise and see what they come back with? If raise - how much? (imagine the start of and MTT and you both had 1500 before the hand started). It's a tiny bet and could be a tester to see if I have anything.

This is much more likely to work if you raise preflop.

I see your point perhaps I have taken this too far. I first started doing it on a table where there were 3 guys all talking about pot odds an EV's and telling the fish how not to play. I like the idea of usinf another fish hand as a table image play.

Thanks

{This post has been removed}

I agree with Tyler and Rilla. If you're going to do this, don't do it with 72o because it is too obvious.

Originally Posted by JThibs

Then 1 of 3 things happen.
1. Something hits. This is great because I will bet agressivley and take down the pot.
2. No one hits. This is also good becasue I will bet agressivly and take down the pot.
3. Some one else hits and bets (or rasies me) I will fold.

You forgot #4:
Something hits (your 72) and also hits someone else. You will bet aggressively and go broke.

You have to make sacrifices to establish the image you want. Pick some weak cards you will bluff with. That part is right. But why pick the weakest cards in the world? Why sacrifice more than necessary?

Showing your 72, in my opinion, just establishes that you don't take the game very seriously. This might be valuable; you might piss someone off. But there are cheaper ways to do it -- you can establish that by talking trash or just drinking beer.

I like doing what Ripp says with 72o--play it like AA. My favorite way to play this hand (or any other really poor hand such as 23o) is to reraise PF--a move I will only make under normal circumstances with AA KK or QQ. Unless there's a very dangerous board, someone plays back at me, or I have a lot of chips and the other guy does too, I'm probably going to be overbetting the pot on the flop and pushing all-in on the turn if I choose to make this play. If I get busted so be it, at least I went broke with a ballsy play. And of course I'm going to show my rags if it gets folded to me at any point during the hand for the advertising value. I am not, however doing this to get a fish table image (though if someone pegs me as a fish b/c of it it's all the better) but rather to show that I'm willing to make and even set up big bluffs.

{This post has been removed}

nh? hahaha

Originally Posted by Ripptyde

why flirt with 7/2os without playing it as you would AA (maybe a little oversimplified but the point is that you are either representing a strong hand and prepared to throw out a huge raise/reraise....not limp with a semi bluff) ....also I don't want to be in a big pot with anymore than 1 other person. If you have 3 in the pot with 2 callers on your first bluff...then it's time to bail. Heads up ONLY

Beautifully said, you want to setup table image, dont do it against more than one opponent, most will be following the game anyway and see your play and think your a fish. It's especially powerfull when you can WIN a hand with 72o, it may be just me but showdown hands usually influence a table more than someone showing a "brilliant" bluff.

Rippy - what do you do if the flop is 689? 68Q? 682?
I imagine it's read dependent

Here's some examples of 27o played fast. Every time I bought the pot I showed my hand. Take notice of how I cost myself the pot in the last hand posted by not betting the turn. I'm beginning think it might sometimes be a good play to bet the flop and check the turn when you do have a real hand and there's no real draw out. Then bet around pot size on the river, and watch you're opponent's bluff alert go on and call you down with a lot of marginal holdings

Thru 27k hands in PT, 72o is a $138 winner for me, though I must admit I've become a little squeamish and almost never make the stone-cold bluff set-up play anymore.

***** Hand History for Game 1005551163 *****
$50 NL Hold'em - Thursday, September 30, 14:36:23 EDT 2004
Table Table 14188 (6 max) (Real Money)
Seat 1 is the button
Total number of players : 5
Seat 1: RiverDraw ( $50.95 )
Seat 3: moneymoneman ( $58.85 )
Seat 6: NotTooGood27 ( $80 )
Seat 8: durango155 ( $35 )
Seat 10: shk54 ( $98.15 )
moneymoneman posts small blind [$0.5].
NotTooGood27 posts big blind [$1].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to NotTooGood27 [ 7d 2s ]
>You have options at Table 14125 (6 max) Table!.
durango155 raises [$3].
shk54 calls [$3].
RiverDraw folds.
moneymoneman folds.
>You have options at Table 14155 (6 max) Table!.
NotTooGood27 raises [$9].
durango155 folds.
shk54 calls [$7].
>You have options at Table 14125 (6 max) Table!.
** Dealing Flop ** [ 9d, 6c, Js ]
NotTooGood27 bets [$25].
shk54 calls [$25].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 8s ]
NotTooGood27 is all-In.
shk54 calls [$45].
** Dealing River ** [ 8h ]
>You have options at Table 14202 (6 max) Table!.
NotTooGood27 shows [ 7d, 2s ] a pair of eights.
shk54 shows [ Jh, Th ] two pairs, jacks and eights.
shk54 wins $161.50 from the main pot with two pairs, jacks and eights.


***** Hand History for Game 1067324675 *****
$100 NL Hold'em - Saturday, October 16, 21:00:49 EDT 2004
Table Table 14753 (6 max) (Real Money)
Seat 6 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: awwmyface ( $246.25 )
Seat 5: ComputerMath ( $84 )
Seat 6: RedBull2K4 ( $65 )
Seat 10: BallzDeeep ( $117.7 )
Seat 3: NotTooGood27 ( $94 )
Seat 8: tosuch ( $100 )
awwmyface posts small blind [$1].
NotTooGood27 posts big blind [$2].
tosuch posts big blind [$2].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to NotTooGood27 [ 2c 7h ]
ComputerMath calls [$2].
RedBull2K4 folds.
tosuch checks.
>You have options at Table 14188 (6 max) Table!.
BallzDeeep folds.
awwmyface raises [$5].
>You have options at Table 14161 (6 max) Table!.
NotTooGood27 raises [$13].
ComputerMath folds.
>You have options at Table 14188 (6 max) Table!.
BallzDeeep: gotta pay to see the rckts
>You have options at Table 14184 (6 max) Table!.
tosuch folds.
>You have options at Table 14188 (6 max) Table!.
awwmyface calls [$9].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 5s, 4c, 7d ]
>You have options at Table 14161 (6 max) Table!.
awwmyface checks.
NotTooGood27 bets [$25].
>You have options at Table 14188 (6 max) Table!.
awwmyface calls [$25].
** Dealing Turn ** [ Ac ]
>You have options at Table 14161 (6 max) Table!.
awwmyface checks.
NotTooGood27 is all-In.
awwmyface calls [$54].
** Dealing River ** [ 4d ]
awwmyface shows [ 5c, 2h ] two pairs, fives and fours.
NotTooGood27 shows [ 2c, 7h ] two pairs, sevens and fours.
NotTooGood27 wins $190 from the main pot with two pairs, sevens and fours.


***** Hand History for Game 968778280 *****
0/0 TEXASHTGAMETABLE (NL) - MON SEP 20 16:39:18 EDT 2004
Table Table 14132 (6 max) (Real Money) -- Seat 2 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: Roscoe66 ( $50)
Seat 2: fox12333 ( $44.50)
Seat 3: tiltox ( $47.50)
Seat 4: fuzzhead2004 ( $74.95)
Seat 5: McGurgen ( $163.53)
Seat 6: NotTooGood27 ( $159.38)
tiltox posts small blind (0.50)
fuzzhead2004 posts big blind (1)
Roscoe66 posts big blind (1)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to NotTooGood27 [ 7h, 2d ]
McGurgen folds.
NotTooGood27 raises (4) to 4
Roscoe66 calls (3)
fox12333 folds.
tiltox folds.
fuzzhead2004 folds.
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 3h, Ks, Ts ]
NotTooGood27 bets (7)
Roscoe66 calls (7)
** Dealing Turn ** : [ 3s ]
NotTooGood27 bets (15)
Roscoe66 calls (15)
** Dealing River ** : [ 4d ]
NotTooGood27 bets (25)
Roscoe66 folds.
** Summary **
Main Pot: $76.50 | Rake: $2
Board: [ 3h Ks Ts 3s 4d ]
Roscoe66 balance $24, lost $26 (folded)
fox12333 balance $44.50, didn't bet (folded)
tiltox balance $47, lost $0.50 (folded)
fuzzhead2004 balance $73.95, lost $1 (folded)
McGurgen balance $163.53, didn't bet (folded)
NotTooGood27 balance $184.88, bet $51, collected $76.50, net +$25.50 [ 7h 2d ] [ a pair of three


***** Hand History for Game 958062728 *****
0/0 TEXASHTGAMETABLE (NL) - FRI SEP 17 17:27:11 EDT 2004
Table Table 14377 (6 max) (Real Money) -- Seat 6 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: NotTooGood27 ( $107.95)
Seat 2: PaulKersey ( $95.05)
Seat 3: John_Force ( $48.50)
Seat 4: frankybones ( $37.85)
Seat 5: VB_ALL_IN ( $189.15)
Seat 6: chillieu ( $45)
NotTooGood27 posts small blind (0.50)
PaulKersey posts big blind (1)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to NotTooGood27 [ 2s, 7d ]
John_Force folds.
frankybones folds.
VB_ALL_IN calls (1)
chillieu calls (1)
NotTooGood27 raises (4.50) to 5
PaulKersey raises (9) to 10
VB_ALL_IN folds.
chillieu folds.
NotTooGood27 calls (5)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 5c, 6h, As ]
NotTooGood27 checks.
PaulKersey bets (5)
NotTooGood27 raises (25) to 25
PaulKersey folds.
** Summary **
Main Pot: $50.40 | Rake: $1.60
Board: [ 5c 6h As ]
NotTooGood27 balance $123.35, bet $35, collected $50.40, net +$15.40 [ 2s 7d ] [ high card ace -- As,7d,6h,5c,2s ]
PaulKersey balance $80.05, lost $15 (folded)
John_Force balance $50, didn't bet (folded)
frankybones balance $37.85, didn't bet (folded)
VB_ALL_IN balance $188.15, lost $1 (folded)
chillieu balance $44, lost $1 (folded)



***** Hand History for Game 1093754406 *****
$50 NL Hold'em - Saturday, October 23, 21:09:18 EDT 2004
Table Table 14290 (6 max) (Real Money)
Seat 2 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: tas02 ( $79.06 )
Seat 3: NotTooGood27 ( $64.23 )
Seat 5: MRMND ( $23.65 )
Seat 8: Chris1094 ( $75.6 )
Seat 10: TieDyed ( $137.85 )
Seat 6: Taeyoung ( $42 )
MRMND posts small blind [$0.5].
Taeyoung posts big blind [$1].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to NotTooGood27 [ 2h 7d ]
>You have options at Table 14957 (6 max) Table!.
Chris1094 folds.
TieDyed folds.
>You have options at Table 14853 (6 max) Table!.
tas02 raises [$2].
NotTooGood27 raises [$6].
>You have options at Table 14291 (6 max) Table!.
MRMND calls [$5.5].
>You have options at Table 14957 (6 max) Table!.
Taeyoung folds.
tas02 calls [$4].
** Dealing Flop ** [ 8h, Ah, Td ]
MRMND checks.
tas02 checks.
>You have options at Table 14291 (6 max) Table!.
>You have options at Table 14853 (6 max) Table!.
NotTooGood27 bets [$15].
MRMND folds.
tas02 folds.
>You have options at Table 14957 (6 max) Table!.
NotTooGood27 does not show cards.
NotTooGood27 wins $33.05
>You have options at Table 14291 (6 max) Table!.


***** Hand History for Game 1111581563 *****
$50 NL Hold'em - Thursday, October 28, 14:46:55 EDT 2004
Table Table 14158 (6 max) (Real Money)
Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 5
Seat 1: Calejo ( $124.2 )
Seat 3: masonandrews ( $47 )
Seat 5: cassady83 ( $33.85 )
Seat 6: Julia21 ( $45.05 )
Seat 8: NotTooGood27 ( $35.1 )
Calejo posts small blind [$0.5].
masonandrews posts big blind [$1].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to NotTooGood27 [ 7h 2s ]
cassady83 calls [$1].
Julia21 folds.
NotTooGood27 raises [$6].
>You have options at Table 14469 (6 max) Table!.
Calejo folds.
masonandrews calls [$5].
cassady83 calls [$5].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Qs, Ah, 8d ]
masonandrews checks.
cassady83 checks.
>You have options at Table 14187 (6 max) Table!.
benjaminGT has joined the table.
NotTooGood27 bets [$15].
masonandrews folds.
cassady83 folds.
NotTooGood27 shows [ 7h, 2s ] high card ace.
>You have options at Table 14153 (6 max) Table!.
NotTooGood27 wins $32.6 from the main pot with high card ace.

***** Hand History for Game 1005296156 *****
0/0 TEXASHTGAMETABLE (NL) - THU SEP 30 12:43:34 EDT 2004
Table Table 15204 (6 max) (Real Money) -- Seat 6 is the button
Total number of players : 6
Seat 1: rprobst10 ( $270.40)
Seat 2: colcaya ( $101.50)
Seat 3: haff31 ( $107.15)
Seat 4: NotTooGood27 ( $103.05)
Seat 5: ZZTiger99 ( $89.45)
Seat 6: I__Goochy__I ( $103.10)
rprobst10 posts small blind (1)
colcaya posts big blind (2)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to NotTooGood27 [ 7h, 2s ]
rprobst10: nh
haff31 folds.
haff31: ty
NotTooGood27 raises (8) to 8
ZZTiger99 folds.
I__Goochy__I folds.
haff31: i knew the ace would come
rprobst10: had other pockets of course
rprobst10 calls (7)
colcaya folds.
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 5d, Ks, 9s ]
rprobst10 checks.
NotTooGood27 bets (15)
rprobst10 folds.
** Summary **
Main Pot: $32.10 | Rake: $0.90
Board: [ 5d Ks 9s ]
rprobst10 balance $262.40, lost $8 (folded)
colcaya balance $99.50, lost $2 (folded)
haff31 balance $107.15, didn't bet (folded)
NotTooGood27 balance $112.15, bet $23, collected $32.10, net +$9.10 [ 7h 2s ] [ high card king -- Ks,9s,7h,5d,2s ]
ZZTiger99 balance $89.45, didn't bet (folded)
I__Goochy__I balance $103.10, didn't bet (folded)


***** Hand History for Game 1067324900 *****
$50 NL Hold'em - Saturday, October 16, 21:00:53 EDT 2004
Table Table 14188 (6 max) (Real Money)
Seat 6 is the button
Total number of players : 5
Seat 1: NotTooGood27 ( $125 )
Seat 6: kirk2457 ( $17.45 )
Seat 8: AksesFoo ( $154.4 )
Seat 10: rekoppoker ( $53 )
Seat 5: MIJAMMIN ( $48 )
NotTooGood27 posts small blind [$0.5].
MIJAMMIN posts big blind [$1].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to NotTooGood27 [ 2s 7c ]
kirk2457 calls [$1].
AksesFoo folds.
rekoppoker calls [$1].
NotTooGood27 raises [$5.5].
>You have options at Table 14753 (6 max) Table!.
>You have options at Table 14161 (6 max) Table!.
MIJAMMIN folds.
kirk2457 folds.
rekoppoker calls [$5].
** Dealing Flop ** [ Ah, Kd, Jd ]
NotTooGood27 bets [$12].
>You have options at Table 14184 (6 max) Table!.
rekoppoker calls [$12].
** Dealing Turn ** [ 8s ]
>You have options at Table 14161 (6 max) Table!.
>You have options at Table 14753 (6 max) Table!.
NotTooGood27 checks.
PUSKILLA has joined the table.
rekoppoker checks.
** Dealing River ** [ 5d ]
>You have options at Table 14161 (6 max) Table!.
>You have options at Table 14753 (6 max) Table!.
NotTooGood27 bets [$25].
>You have options at Table 14161 (6 max) Table!.
rekoppoker calls [$25].
>You have options at Table 14161 (6 max) Table!.
NotTooGood27 shows [ 2s, 7c ] high card ace.
rekoppoker shows [ Td, Jc ] a pair of jacks.
rekoppoker wins $86 from the main pot with a pair of jacks.

lol interesting post. I have been playing 72 os the whole yr. not to set up a table image but just as an interesting anccedote. I will let u know my record lol. i lost countless hands...... even with sets which always seems to be outkicked or beaten by a boat. I split a pot once with a 4 card str on the board and i only won one pot the whole time and the winning hand? ......










flop 4 of a kinds lol.

you can play it when the blinds are high enough and you have enough money
if not, throw them, thats trash bro

{This post has been removed}

Ive played 72 when i was in the small blind, the bigblind doubled the blinds, everyone else called, so what the hell, i did too. Flop comes 772. I check, BB goes all in. everyone folds, I call. BB had AA. It is too obvious to play those hands. It doesnt make you look lose, it makes you look like a jackass, because everyone who is tight will sometimes play those hands, and show them, to try and show tehy are not tight. But the 72 is too obvious.

To the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies

Here's a little story about a man named Bags,
A poor poker player, always keepin' firepay fed.

Then one day he was bluffing at a pot,
And up from the pockets came 2 ugly twats...
Queens that is, biotches, two of 'em...

Well the other players said, bags ain't very smart,
Seven on the flop, may have got him part,
But all that he had was 7 2 from the start.....


Was playing in a 600 FPP tournament on PS. I'm SB, it folds to me so I raise to try to steal it. BB calls, and the flop comes 7 Q 2, 2 pair, I'm going for it, you see what he had from the song.

Hmm, i agree with what TylerK wrote above - seems to be alot of people doing this 72o thing lately to set up a table image.
The thing is its quite easy to spot if the person is trying to set up a table image. Because they will play a decent game of poker, then out of nowhere raise and reraise with 72o, then convert back to there tight style.

So if your going to do the whole 72o thing, change it to something less obvious such as J5.

Originally Posted by highroller

Hmm, i agree with what TylerK wrote above - seems to be alot of people doing this 72o thing lately to set up a table image.
The thing is its quite easy to spot if the person is trying to set up a table image. Because they will play a decent game of poker, then out of nowhere raise and reraise with 72o, then convert back to there tight style.

So if your going to do the whole 72o thing, change it to something less obvious such as J5.

Random, Jack 5 is my favorite hand. Everyone at my home game calls me 'jack 5' and everyone has started to raise preflop with it. I believe it was someone elses favorite hand as well.. Hypermegachi maybe?