Propane Goat
Grinder and paint make me the welder I ain't
Moderator
Strategy is very dependent on whether you are playing a cash game or tournament, and if in a tournament then how many BB you have in your stack and how many players at the table. There is no single correct answer to this question.
Open-limping a small pair in EP when you have only 10-15 BB remaining then calling off your entire stack when someone shoves is about as bad a play as you can get, because you've given up all of your fold equity and it's likely that you will be no more than 50/50 to win by showdown at best.
However, at the same table with the same stack size, you could make a stronger argument for limping in on the button with a small pair to see the flop when multiple players have already limped in before you, because if you flop a set you have a good chance of winning a huge pot.
Yet another scenario at the same table with the same stack size: if I'm in the SB with a small pair and everyone at the table has folded, then I'm almost always shoving all-in here.
Open-limping a small pair in EP when you have only 10-15 BB remaining then calling off your entire stack when someone shoves is about as bad a play as you can get, because you've given up all of your fold equity and it's likely that you will be no more than 50/50 to win by showdown at best.
However, at the same table with the same stack size, you could make a stronger argument for limping in on the button with a small pair to see the flop when multiple players have already limped in before you, because if you flop a set you have a good chance of winning a huge pot.
Yet another scenario at the same table with the same stack size: if I'm in the SB with a small pair and everyone at the table has folded, then I'm almost always shoving all-in here.
F
fundiver199
Legend
Loyaler
We dont take a different line preflop, just because we have a small pair or for that matter, because we have pocket aces. In tournaments we can have a range for open limping from SB and in certain situations from BTN. The latter mostly in situations with high ICM-pressure (bubble or final table) and a stack size around 20BB, where we do not want to set it up for the players in the blinds to jeram on us and force us to fold most of our range.
In all other situations we raise first in. We can however have a range for limping behind other limpers, and that range can then include small pairs. In particular we will very often complete from SB, when someone has limped in front of us, because we are getting an amazing price to see the flop. If there are two limpers in front of us, there is rarely any reason to make an enormous raise with 44 from SB or BB to play a huge pot out of position, when we are mostly trying to flop a set.
With an effective stack size around 20BB small pairs are often a fold, because we dont want to raise them and then call off someone, who jam on us, and they play poorly postflop, if someone just call us. So for instance if we are CO, where we would normally open any pair, with 20BB effective we just fold it and wait for the next hand. When we get even shorter like 15BB (with an ante) or less, we can start to have a range for open jamming, which can then include most pairs depending on our position.
In all other situations we raise first in. We can however have a range for limping behind other limpers, and that range can then include small pairs. In particular we will very often complete from SB, when someone has limped in front of us, because we are getting an amazing price to see the flop. If there are two limpers in front of us, there is rarely any reason to make an enormous raise with 44 from SB or BB to play a huge pot out of position, when we are mostly trying to flop a set.
With an effective stack size around 20BB small pairs are often a fold, because we dont want to raise them and then call off someone, who jam on us, and they play poorly postflop, if someone just call us. So for instance if we are CO, where we would normally open any pair, with 20BB effective we just fold it and wait for the next hand. When we get even shorter like 15BB (with an ante) or less, we can start to have a range for open jamming, which can then include most pairs depending on our position.
23maxim88
Rock Star
Platinum Level
If I get the chance to see a flop cheap, I’ll enter the hand with small pocket pairs — either by limping or calling a min-raise — hoping to hit a set. It’s a sneaky hand that’s hard for opponents to read and can often win a really big pot.
dreamer13
Legend
Loyaler
With small pocket pairs, your main goal is to either flop a set or fold if you miss.It is the implied odds that make playing small pocket pairs profitable.And I want to tell you right away that the implied odds for a set are huge. It's not uncommon for most players to lose huge pots to sets when they hit the flop pretty well, because they won't often expect their opponent to have a set.