the issue with small pairs

[bspahn]

hey i know this will be kinda weird since u cant really ever generalize... however i think a lot of us smaller stakes grinders have a lot of leaks/issues with dealing with small pairs, from all sorts of positions...

one thing that's tough is it seems to me with small pairs you either have no clue where you're at, and this leads to either making incorrect folds when your'e ahead, playing too passively - or conversely constantly turning your hand into a bluff.

fact is for hands like 22-66 almost every single board texture is going to suck, and we're not sure what to do.

i can list some examples, but it won't really help all that much, i'm sure the high stakes guys know roughly what issues i'm talking about...

some common stuff:
raise UTG/MP, get called and we're oop: flop is Axx or QJx or 983hh etc and we've got these small pairs... if we cbet we're bluffing, if we check it's basically to check-fold... we hit sets basically never so 7/8 times we raise these hands and get called we're like ahh crap now what...

the other part of the coin is calling with them.. if we're calling IP against EP raisers it's pretty easy, we fold when miss and try and build a pot when we flop sets or other good equity... however when we're in the blinds then what...

we're against a CO/BTN stealer who's going to have a wide range, basically we dont' have odds to get paid off to set mine, and we'll basically fold to almost every cbet again because the board texture will be bad, so this leaves us with a couple choices.. we can bluff-3bet pre, or fold...

i think if most of us look at significantly large samples in our databases we'll find that collectively 22-66 are likely showing losses, so are we better off just not playing them except when we're certain we have very good implied odds against tight enough opponents???

[bjsaust]

I rarely call with small pairs from the blinds. If I do its either against a particularly aggressive player, or a super tight player. I don't mind open folding them from EP either.

[JL]

i think if most of us look at significantly large samples in our databases we'll find that collectively 22-66 are likely showing losses, so are we better off just not playing them except when we're certain we have very good implied odds against tight enough opponents???

I am winning with 22-66 after the last 150k hands of 5-max.

I raise them from any position when it is unopened, and I always call an open with them when I am in position.
I fold them from the blinds versus most players, unless it is a multiway pot or I am in the SB and BB is a fish.
I never call a 3bet with them, unless it's a min3bet.

What do you think is causing you to lose with 22-66? Have you tried running some filters in HEM to find spots where you are losing?

I've been thinking about 3betting 22-66 from the blinds rather than folding. However, hands like 97s seem like they would be better to have in a 3bet pot...thoughts on this?

[Renton]

3-betting them to stack off can be good

[bspahn]

well exactly, this is one of my major issues with these pairs, they just don't flop anything whereras if you're going to 3bet bluff with some hands like 89s or some broadways etc at least they have a good chance of flopping something good ie 8 / 9 + outs, pair & gutshot or whatever in a 3bet pot where you can get in with FE if you don't hit top pair...

I am winning with 22-66 after the last 150k hands of 5-max.

I raise them from any position when it is unopened, and I always call an open with them when I am in position.
I fold them from the blinds versus most players, unless it is a multiway pot or I am in the SB and BB is a fish.
I never call a 3bet with them, unless it's a min3bet.

What do you think is causing you to lose with 22-66? Have you tried running some filters in HEM to find spots where you are losing?

I've been thinking about 3betting 22-66 from the blinds rather than folding. However, hands like 97s seem like they would be better to have in a 3bet pot...thoughts on this?

[Alexos]

good post, playing small pairs can definitely be a leak for a lot of ppl

I'd fold from the blinds unless theres another caller, and incorporate them in my 3b/5b shove range vs some ppl. Even IP it'll be hard to play them, unless the PFR is really passive postflop, or nitty enough that our implied odds skyrocket.

[meeloche]

good post, playing small pairs can definitely be a leak for a lot of ppl

I'd fold from the blinds unless theres another caller, and incorporate them in my 3b/5b shove range vs some ppl. Even IP it'll be hard to play them, unless the PFR is really passive postflop, or nitty enough that our implied odds skyrocket.

this for me as well.

[Genitruc]

if you never fold them preflop vs certain villains in certain positions i think it might help in playing them profitably

[PokerWang]

If the opponent is LAG then I would really be forced to fold OOP. Unless I have 22s then I'd call. Then I'd win and he'd accuse me of cheating as suited pairs never happen in a poker game. Unless it's me of course. Suited pairs and 5 of a kind happen to me often.