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Playing small PPs

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jl87

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148 posts
Joined 07/2008

Atm I am losing $ for my small PPs. I've made a couple of changes to my PP game eg. less cold calling with small PPs from the blinds against CO/Button opens, donk/check raising dry flops occasionally.

What else should I implement into my game to turn small PPs into winners?

Posted almost 5 years ago

DJ Sensei

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3163 posts
Joined 10/2007

Well, the primary value of small pocket pairs is hitting sets with them against big pairs. If you miss your set they are very difficult to play, especially out of position. If your opponent's range is so wide that he no longer is holding big pairs often enough to yield your necessary implied odds, then you cannot play those little pairs profitably for set value anymore. So either you need to make new value in them (most often by bluffing more and catching more bluffs with them) or you need to stop playing them except in the best implied-odds situations (for example, being on the button against a UTG raise from a tight player and not many probable squeezers left to act behind you would be one of the best situations).

The latter should be lot easier than the former, too, though it may or may not ultimately be as profitable.

Posted almost 5 years ago

jl87

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148 posts
Joined 07/2008

heres another question..

when considering make plays to make small PPs profitable, would you be more willing to do that against a TAG 13/10 who might fold more hands or against a semi lag 17/13 whos range is wide enough that he won't have a very good holding msot of the time against your raise?

Also in FR games, in multiway pots when flop comes ragragrag and you miss you set, initial raiser checks around to you on the button, how often would you take stabs? and in what condition?

Posted almost 5 years ago

Sounded Simple

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1009 posts
Joined 03/2008

when considering make plays to make small PPs profitable, would you be more willing to do that against a TAG 13/10 who might fold more hands or against a semi lag 17/13 whos range is wide enough that he won't have a very good holding msot of the time against your raise?



A good sample on "fold to 3-bet" on HUD is helpful here, some players have a leak in that they open a wide range but fold too much to 3-bets. This can apply to players even outside the examples that you give.

The other factor to remember is history between you and the villan, if you have been 3-betting him a ton then he may make the correct adjustments against your 3-bets while continuing to fold a lot against other villans.

Posted almost 5 years ago

DJ Sensei

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3163 posts
Joined 10/2007

heres another question..

when considering make plays to make small PPs profitable, would you be more willing to do that against a TAG 13/10 who might fold more hands or against a semi lag 17/13 whos range is wide enough that he won't have a very good holding msot of the time against your raise? Obviously it depends a lot, but I'll make a lot more plays against weak-tight opponents rather than good aggressive ones. OOP against a very good opponent I think practicing avoidance is usually the best play with little pairs.

Also in FR games, in multiway pots when flop comes ragragrag and you miss you set, initial raiser checks around to you on the button, how often would you take stabs? and in what condition? I stab a lot when checked to in this spot when I think the chances that I'll take it down without a fight are good. (and I checkraise bluff lots of aggressive players who make that same bet when checked to!)

Posted almost 5 years ago

Bull_G8er

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65 posts
Joined 02/2008

What do you look for from an aggression factor when you are thinking about check raising?

I have generally been letting my little pairs go in this situation as I tend to find myself in multiway unless I am the last to act. Which I know is not such a very hot method.

How many people in the pot do you look for before calling with small PP becomes a no brainer, assuming the raise is from an early and there are others between them and yourself?

Posted almost 5 years ago

robracing

Avatar for robracing

10 posts
Joined 07/2008

It depends on the stack sizes.

I am looking for at least one full stack, or at least two 3/4 stacks to be in, before I will cold call with a small/medium pair.

Posted almost 5 years ago

dohdohdoh

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3119 posts
Joined 12/2007

It depends on the stack sizes.

I am looking for at least one full stack, or at least two 3/4 stacks to be in, before I will cold call with a small/medium pair.



So true. I will sometimes call a 50bb stack with players to act, particularly if the 50bb stack is fishy.

My coach bottomset is always saying, calling the pf raise is fine as long as the raiser is likely to stack off. Some players will slow down with KQ on KXXXX brd and it's hard to make 100bbs with every set.

Posted almost 5 years ago




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