Saturday, July 23, 2005
Playing small pocket pairs
The main strategy in Sit and Go's in order to win at a consistent rate is to be able to correctly move from tight to loose. First of all, there should be no time (with a few exceptions) that you should finish anywhere below 6th place. Generally, there's gonna be a few idiots at your table who bet way too much and way too often. Or, there's the people who love to call way too much trying to get draws. Generally, these people will lose right away (or, ironically, be a really huge stack right away if they catch their cards).
When I lose at the beginning of the game its usually because I'm bored and I try to make too many moves. One thing you (and I, both) must realize is that these people love to call. In fact, as I was writing this I started making stupid moves and my stack was less than a thousand at the beginning of the game (pretty stupid). But then I got aces, and lost an all in to pocket nines. Which leads me to my next topic: Playing low pocket pairs.
I think the best way for me to explain this topic is to perhaps list a few rules that I always go by when I have low pocket pairs.
1. If its early in the game, do not call a preflop all in with a low pocket pair.
Think about it. What is the guy who went all in (considering he has at least a small brain) going to have. Well, he's either going to have two high cards (AK, AQ), or he's going to have a pocket pair of some kind, probably a big one. Therefore, if you call with a low pocket pair you are either going to be a slight favorite against two high cards, or a huge underdog against two low cards. So, even if you think the guy has two high cards, you have to be just about 100% sure for calling him to be profitable. And, basically, you're never going to be 100% sure about anything. In the long run, you are going to lose a lot of chips calling an all in with low pocket pairs.
2. Times when it is safe to go all in preflop when you have low pocket pairs
Its safe to go all in if you think there is a good chance other people will fold and you'll win enough chips to make it worth it. For instance, if the blinds are big and you're small stack, and you're somewhat in mid to late position. Once again, however, if you're small stack and the blinds are big I would still not call an all in. You need to have that chance of everyone folding to make it worth it. Many people like to do this when someone else has already raised big, though. Because there is basically no chance that the other person will fold, I would never do this as it would more be in the category of calling an all in.
Its also safe to go all in when the table is shorthanded. Generally, in these situations people will be playing more loosely and will raise the pot without having great cards. If you raise over the top all in with your low pocket pair you may force them to lay down their mediocre hands, giving you a rather large pot without having to show cards. Or, if they do call, you'll probably still have the advantage. There may be times when you're dominated, but when the table is short-handed you need to take more chances.
3. Generally, play low pocket pairs just by calling and hoping for trips.
Personally, with low pocket pairs I try to get in as cheap as possible to catch trips. Yes, it can disguise your trips better if you raise a little bit preflop and catch them, and you can try that if you want (I'm not totally against it). The great thing about trips is nobody will guess that you have them. I always bet them or raise with them as soon as I get them. I do this not only so that the draws don't get a chance to get a free card, but I also do it so that if a draw comes out, somebody with high pair or low two pair would get scared away, even though they would have called quite a lot before the turn or river.
4. Pairs that are on the border of being low and high (such as 1010, JJ) can be played either as small pairs or as large pairs depending on the situation.
I think it depends on how many chips you have and how short-handed the table is. If you're short stack, I would still be reluctant to call an all in with them, but I probably wouldn't think twice about going all in with them. Unlike with small pocket pairs, however, if I thought someone was pushing me around as a small stack, for instance in the big blind, I would call an all in.
Also, if the table is short-handed, you definitely want to be raising with these hands. People may fold, and if someone calls and the flop is all smaller than your pocket pair, I wouldn't be reluctant to go all in. Even if you bet and were raised way over top, I would call every time. People are desperate, and love the move of raising the preflop raiser after the flop. A lot of times they'll have nothing. And the other times they probably just have a low pair. If the flop comes with a lot of high cards, you should still bet again after the flop, but if you get raised, you should fold. The other person is probaly scared that you have big cards too, and they wouldn't raise you unless they had something pretty good. If there's just one big card, you'll have to make a judgement call based on how the person's been playing. It could be somebody that's desperate, or he may actually have it.
Generally, however, if it was a full table I would still be hoping for trips with these cards. I would raise if I was in late position, though, trying to steal the blinds, but having a good fall back if I get called. I may do this with lower pocket pairs also if I thought they'd fold.
When I lose at the beginning of the game its usually because I'm bored and I try to make too many moves. One thing you (and I, both) must realize is that these people love to call. In fact, as I was writing this I started making stupid moves and my stack was less than a thousand at the beginning of the game (pretty stupid). But then I got aces, and lost an all in to pocket nines. Which leads me to my next topic: Playing low pocket pairs.
I think the best way for me to explain this topic is to perhaps list a few rules that I always go by when I have low pocket pairs.
1. If its early in the game, do not call a preflop all in with a low pocket pair.
Think about it. What is the guy who went all in (considering he has at least a small brain) going to have. Well, he's either going to have two high cards (AK, AQ), or he's going to have a pocket pair of some kind, probably a big one. Therefore, if you call with a low pocket pair you are either going to be a slight favorite against two high cards, or a huge underdog against two low cards. So, even if you think the guy has two high cards, you have to be just about 100% sure for calling him to be profitable. And, basically, you're never going to be 100% sure about anything. In the long run, you are going to lose a lot of chips calling an all in with low pocket pairs.
2. Times when it is safe to go all in preflop when you have low pocket pairs
Its safe to go all in if you think there is a good chance other people will fold and you'll win enough chips to make it worth it. For instance, if the blinds are big and you're small stack, and you're somewhat in mid to late position. Once again, however, if you're small stack and the blinds are big I would still not call an all in. You need to have that chance of everyone folding to make it worth it. Many people like to do this when someone else has already raised big, though. Because there is basically no chance that the other person will fold, I would never do this as it would more be in the category of calling an all in.
Its also safe to go all in when the table is shorthanded. Generally, in these situations people will be playing more loosely and will raise the pot without having great cards. If you raise over the top all in with your low pocket pair you may force them to lay down their mediocre hands, giving you a rather large pot without having to show cards. Or, if they do call, you'll probably still have the advantage. There may be times when you're dominated, but when the table is short-handed you need to take more chances.
3. Generally, play low pocket pairs just by calling and hoping for trips.
Personally, with low pocket pairs I try to get in as cheap as possible to catch trips. Yes, it can disguise your trips better if you raise a little bit preflop and catch them, and you can try that if you want (I'm not totally against it). The great thing about trips is nobody will guess that you have them. I always bet them or raise with them as soon as I get them. I do this not only so that the draws don't get a chance to get a free card, but I also do it so that if a draw comes out, somebody with high pair or low two pair would get scared away, even though they would have called quite a lot before the turn or river.
4. Pairs that are on the border of being low and high (such as 1010, JJ) can be played either as small pairs or as large pairs depending on the situation.
I think it depends on how many chips you have and how short-handed the table is. If you're short stack, I would still be reluctant to call an all in with them, but I probably wouldn't think twice about going all in with them. Unlike with small pocket pairs, however, if I thought someone was pushing me around as a small stack, for instance in the big blind, I would call an all in.
Also, if the table is short-handed, you definitely want to be raising with these hands. People may fold, and if someone calls and the flop is all smaller than your pocket pair, I wouldn't be reluctant to go all in. Even if you bet and were raised way over top, I would call every time. People are desperate, and love the move of raising the preflop raiser after the flop. A lot of times they'll have nothing. And the other times they probably just have a low pair. If the flop comes with a lot of high cards, you should still bet again after the flop, but if you get raised, you should fold. The other person is probaly scared that you have big cards too, and they wouldn't raise you unless they had something pretty good. If there's just one big card, you'll have to make a judgement call based on how the person's been playing. It could be somebody that's desperate, or he may actually have it.
Generally, however, if it was a full table I would still be hoping for trips with these cards. I would raise if I was in late position, though, trying to steal the blinds, but having a good fall back if I get called. I may do this with lower pocket pairs also if I thought they'd fold.
# posted by Clyde @ 12:07 PM 
