Advice needed on Small to medium PP

[Gareth]

Early in a MTT if i get a small/medium PP I'll just limp in or call a small raise and hope to hit a set on the flop if not just fold it.

Chip stack 4-6000

My problem is when the blinds start going up, say to 100/200 + and i'm first to act in early to middle position - i'm not sure if i should just be calling here or raising.

I seem to lose a lot of chips when i just limp in at this stage of the tourny.

[mgobluefb]

Later in the tournament, you probably shouldn't be limping with small PPs (unless there are a LOT of players in the pot before you). Depending on the pair, your stack, the blinds, and your position, you should either be raising or folding.

For example, if you're in early-mid position, you would probably want to lay 44 down. However, if you're short-stacked, this might be a good opportunity to double up.

In late position, you might want to raise to simply steal the blinds.

With a big stack, you might want to play PPs aggressively, accepting the possible coinflip situations with smaller stacks.

It depends.

[Theeggman]

Later in the tournament. . . Depending on the pair, your stack, the blinds, and your position, you should either be raising or folding.

Problem with raising here is that you're committing too many chips to an 8:1 shot to hit your set. I agree though, mid-tourney - depending on the table - I may raise with low/mid pps. I'll also muck them in ep if I think I'll have to call (or fold to) a raise.

It depends.

**eggman nods**

[Gareth]

mgobluefb - thanks for the advice - I gave it a try in my last MTT, i was able to build up a decent stack quite quickly and when it came to having low/med PP's I was raising first to act and was getting a lot more chips from doing this - also calling allin's from the short stacks after raising if no one else was in the pot.

If i'm short stacked i'm pushing with a PP.

In the late position i do that already raise to take the blinds with a PP.

theeggman - I should probally mix it up sometimes raise and sometimes just call.

"it depends" - makes me everytime i see that - so true

[drmcboy]

I've been trying to discipline myself and not limp PPs/SCs so much as the blinds go up, trying to use Harrington's suggestions. It's not just the blinds, it's the blinds and the stacks. If you're at 7K chips, and blinds are 100/200 and three other similiar sized stacks have limped, it's a good spot because everyone has the money to pay off your set. If three 2K stacks have limped, they are weak, but you should either be making a move to pick up the pot or laying down, because even if you hit you aren't going to make enough back for all the times you miss.

In EP it's a table feel... often a big stack limping UTG or UTG+1 will spook people and give you a chance to get a multiway pot going. If the table is raising most deals, folding or raising is the better play IMO.

[studboyjoe]

In this case, stacks and what level of the tournament govern my actions. big stack, i'm raising it; short stack, I'm all in; middle stack, trickier. fold when raised (depending on opponent's stack), limp with a family pot, other variables.

[Gareth]

drmcboy - Just played a MTT tourny tonight adopting the raise with PP and SC's and it paid off well - finished 2nd. Your point about the players stack sizes is something i'm going to have to start taking into account, to often I back off to equal or greater stack sizes when they limp in - waiting for a stronger hand to raise against them. I think that i really need to get harrighton's book 1 and 2, have yet to read a poker book and feel it will improve my game greatly.

I've noticed this when UTG UTG+1 limps in often it will get folded to the BB or sometimes you end up with 4 callers but when this happens the pot its usually won by the first to bet at the pot. Agree if you know you are getting raised you might as well be the one raising first instead of limping then calling a raise.

studboyjoe - yeah ive been converted to the raise with big stack - short stack, all in is what i usually do, middle stack - very true it is a harder decision - table dynamics play a big part in this with me in how i play it.

[Miffed22001]

Be aggresive, its a decent hand.
I found when i stepped up to $10 buy ins from the lower limits that people were unwilling to call a push from late position or even mid position if you had a decent stack and the pot was unraised.
Imo, they are great to steal blinds with in an unraised pot. In early position its just a call, even a fold but in later positions you can bully and push a lot more.
i reckon others will disagree with me and certainly this style is probably not what the books recomend but put yourself on the other end of this problem. I wouldnt call a late pusher with AJ or AT even AQin early position even if i might be a slight favourite. Too often someone will turn over a big hand that dominates me.
Use it to steal but be aggressive even overly so.

[drmcboy]

Early in a MTT.

You're pushing1k-1.5k with small PPs with nothing on the table, guaranteed if you get called it's a flip or you're dominated ... not good unless you're the worst player at the table. later when blinds up, fine, not early.

[chardrian]

Small PPs are not just "hope to hit set" hands - they are the favored hands heads up generally. If u limp them, then u are relegating yourself to hoping to hit the set.