the old 2-2

[shortmofia11]

if your short stacked do u play it or fold or push it all? If your big stack do you raise it? What are the fundamentals behind the old 2-2?

 

[CAJUN43]

22 reply

22

no one should play 22 unless you're the big blind, and everyone has only called the blind. the same is true for 33, 44, 55, 66, and 77. there is, however, one exception...at the beginning of a freeroll. if every one has limped in, then go all-in. you'll likely be at least a 52 to 48 favorite if someone calls (that's an AK calling, or worse). A big pair would not have limped in.

 

[twizzybop]

Now what if 2-5 others go all-in with you? Remember you are in a freeroll so anybody will go all-in with anything especially against the 2's. Why risk life and limb on the worst starting pair early in a tourney? Any position then just call them early, anybody raises you normally should fold. Yet to change your style on occasion a tiny raise can be called.

 

[poker_totr]

Small stack early possition move in fold to early raises big stack fold early poss raise l8 possision call 2-4x raise if close to caping action i think

 

[histeric1]

I very much enjoy pocket 2's. They're very easy to fold if necessary and they are wonderful cards to spike a set. The trick is just to limp with them or even min raise in certain positions. But short stacked in a tournament, it's a bad idea to rely on dueces.

 

[Nabbin Bones]

cajun has a good read on this -- tough to play unless everyone is limping in. don't throw away a chance in a tourney on low pocket pairs

 

[seagraham]

i only play a 22 if i can limp, hopefully hit a set, if not, just toss it away

 

[chicubs1616]

I just limp with 22, the ONLY reason you should be playing 22 is to hit a set or try and bluff someone out of a pot if you only have 1 opponent. At the VERY BEST you are in a coinflip or are completely destroyed by another pocket pair, even pocket 3's kill you here.

CAJUN 43: You said "no one should play 22 unless you're the big blind, and everyone has only called the blind. the same is true for 33, 44, 55, 66, and 77."

If you do not play 33-77 aggressively sometimes, you won't be getting any value out of them. With these PP's you can steal blinds and they can hold up if you get called preflop. I won't raise with these cards in early position, but I consider it when I am in late position.

Late in tournaments, these middle pocket pairs go way up in value.

 

[gocubsgo]

With 2-2 and short stacked, id push it all in hoping to only have one caller. That way im probably good for 50-50

 

[b huey]

if your short stacked do u play it or fold or push it all? If your big stack do you raise it? What are the fundamentals behind the old 2-2?

I almost NEVER play the 22... unless in the bb with only callers... most times it's only a good bet until the flop, turn or river...lol
B Huey

 

[Bryan The Jew]

I have never played a 22-44 in my life. Unless you hit a set, that hand will never win and the odds of hitting a set are 4%. Those odds are hurrendous and that is why I wouldn't play a 22.

 

[PaisanDom]

playing NL games, 22 is profitable if you can get it cheap. If the pot is unraised you can limp in and are ~9-1 to hit trips, and when you do you hit they pay off big.

Bryan- where did you learn your math to figure 4%?

IMO, Small pp are more profitable than middle pairs, since they are easier to get rid of

 

[RammerJammer]

You play them, but you don't call a big bet with them, you definitely don't go all in with them, and if someone comes back over you, you throw them away like they were on fire. But don't dismiss them immediately if you can see an inexpensive flop. Nothing shows up then to help, chuck 'em.

I'm constantly amazed and amused at the players who look down their noses at small pocket pairs, but will clutch AK, AQ, or AJ to their chest like the proverbial stone tablets until they crash and burn.

 

[Atticus01]

2-2

hate 2-2....i always get suckered with it.....and anybody can beat it.....like going against 23...he still has a chance.....good post though

 

[steffne]

The only way I would play 2 2 is limp if blinds are low, if a raise before my turn, fold. If no help on the flop, then get out.

Steff

 

[Poker Player 100]

if its a small bet.

I limp in

 

[bubbasbestbabe]

This may sound weird but I look at it this way. If all the tble is betting pretty good I figure that most of them have high cards holding, that means my dueces stand a better chance of showing up on the flop than the higher cards cause of the high percentage of being held and taken out of circulation. Has workrd many times before for me

 

[Four Dogs]

I have never played a 22-44 in my life. Unless you hit a set, that hand will never win and the odds of hitting a set are 4%. Those odds are hurrendous and that is why I wouldn't play a 22.

Better check your numbers. Odds of hitting trips aren't quite that bad. More like 12:1 against. In late position, against 1 caller, hope for an ugly flop.

I never play 2-2, i think is a worst hand

Never say never.

 

[bigsliks]

The worst thing that can happen is only one person limps in, late in the tourney and you think nows a good time to go all in, only to be trapped by pocket queens or jacks. People can be very sneeky lol.:tongue:

 

[MicheleW]

I just saw someone go all in short stacked with 2-2. The other guy called with A-2. I thought he was toast, but he pulled through to double up. That was a gamble.

Play smaller pp's in late position and limp in - see the flop - if no set - fold if there is a bet.

Going all in and getting called is such a crap shoot. There's no turning back - unless you've got the nutz you are going to to in or out real quick.

 

[smurf653]

Wouldn't always write off 2-2, if it is cheap enough I would try at least to see the flop. Might hit the trips or as in one case I hit K 2 2 on the flop, glad I didn't fold the pocket twos on that occassion.....

 

[nateofdeath]

even shortstacked, with any low pair, you're hoping for a set.

 

[Jon_UK]

Some of you really need to sort out your stats. If you see the flop with any pocket pair the odds of hitting a set are 7.51 to 1. Therefore you only need implied odds such that you win ~8 times your initial call, BB or whatever, to make this a profitable play in the long run. Often you can make much more than this.

 

[robwhufc]

Depends how short stacked I suppose. I would go all in if I felt that folding would eliminate me from tournament in next few hands. Personally when i'm very low stacked, pot odds are no longer an issue. Pick a hand, and go with it - if you're out you're out, if you win you're back in the tournament with at least a fighting chance.

 

[baudib]

I won a four-way all-in with pocket 4s once when I was shortstacked. I also won one last night in a three-way with pocket 3s vs. AJ and pocket 10s...caught a straight on the river.