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Playing Small Pocket Pairs in Cash NL (22-99)
These are my favourite hands to play since they are super easy to play and you have the potential to make massive pots if you hit your set. They win the most money since they are most difficult to detect (hidden monsters), unlike flushes or straights. Against tight players or fish who overvalue big pairs, they are most valuable.
Since you will only flop a set once out of every seven times, ideally you want to get to see a flop as cheaply as possible and in late position. The more people already in the pot, the better since you can get more action and even multi-way all in and scoop a massive pot.
If you are the first to enter the pot you should always raise since limping and having to call a raise and almost always check-folding is not profitable in the long run (and very predictable if you do hit). By being the raiser, you can win the pot by representing many flops when cbetting or having the best hand by hitting your set and having someone with a 2nd best hand give you enough action.
Calling Raises
The rule of thumb is that you should only be calling raises with pocket pairs if the person raising (or you for that matter) has at least 50 big blinds behind - the more big blinds the better. In other words, if you are playing a 1 / 2 game the person and you should have at least $100 to make it profitable. Since flopping a set is about a 7.5 to 1 shot, players are relying on implied odds, or the assumption that they will be paid off should their hand hit.
Also, you should be in late position when cold calling since, there is a good chance that someone may re-raise and you won’t even get to see a flop! Being in late position also gives you a chance to steal the pot if everybody checks.
Playing sets on the flop
Folding a top and middle set on the flop are always out of the question. Folding bottom set is possible but an extremely good read needs to be made against a specific person. Set over set situations are very rare.
Sets are hands that should almost always be played fast since you want to start building a pot right away and protect your hand from draws. The only time you should think about slow playing your set is if you are in position against a very aggressive opponent who will bet all the way with crap or the flop is very dry (ie no major draws).
Below are situations when you should fast play your set to get all your money in with the best vs draws:
***** Hand History for Game 645793988 ***** (Betfair)
$200.00 USD NL Texas Hold’em - Wednesday, February 03, 02:59:50 ET 2010
Table Oxygen 65 (Real Money)
Seat 5 is the button
Seat 1: oleg555 ( $109.10 USD )
Seat 2: AKgusano ( $69.74 USD )
Seat 3: lnik777l ( $194.60 USD )
Seat 4: thegam ( $327.15 USD )
Seat 5: tcmoreira ( $956.14 USD )
Seat 6: BrasilNut ( $398.00 USD )
BrasilNut posts small blind [$1.00 USD].
oleg555 posts big blind [$2.00 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to BrasilNut [ 7h 7c ]
AKgusano folds
lnik777l folds
thegam folds
tcmoreira calls [$2.00 USD]
BrasilNut calls [$1.00 USD]
oleg555 raises [$2.80 USD]
tcmoreira calls [$2.80 USD]
BrasilNut calls [$2.80 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 7d, 6c, 4c ]
BrasilNut checks
oleg555 bets [$10.00 USD]
tcmoreira calls [$10.00 USD]
BrasilNut raises [$40.00 USD]
oleg555 calls [$30.00 USD]
tcmoreira folds
** Dealing Turn ** [ 9s ]
BrasilNut bets [$353.20 USD]
oleg555 calls [$64.30 USD]
BrasilNut wins $288.90 USD
oleg555 shows [As, Tc ]
BrasilNut shows [7h, 7c ]
** Dealing River ** [ 6d ]
BrasilNut wins $230.00 USD from main pot
——————————————————————————-
***** Hand History for Game 646980926 ***** (Betfair)
$50.00 USD NL Texas Hold’em - Friday, February 05, 12:37:16 ET 2010
Table Neon 70 (Real Money)
Seat 2 is the button
Seat 1: GreenSteve ( $66.98 USD )
Seat 2: BrasilNut ( $52.70 USD )
Seat 3: PARMA1 ( $0.00 USD )
Seat 4: baems ( $0.00 USD )
Seat 5: amarilin ( $35.31 USD )
Seat 6: athanat0s ( $90.79 USD )
amarilin posts small blind [$0.25 USD].
athanat0s posts big blind [$0.50 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to BrasilNut [ 5d 5s ]
GreenSteve folds
BrasilNut raises [$1.75 USD]
amarilin calls [$1.50 USD]
athanat0s calls [$1.25 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 4d, 6c, 5h ]
amarilin bets [$5.25 USD]
athanat0s raises [$21.00 USD]
BrasilNut raises [$50.95 USD]
amarilin calls [$28.31 USD]
athanat0s calls [$29.95 USD]
BrasilNut shows [5d, 5s ]
amarilin shows [3c, Ks ]
athanat0s shows [Jh, Js ]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 4c ]
** Dealing River ** [ 7s ]
BrasilNut wins $34.78 USD from main pot
BrasilNut wins $103.93 USD from main pot
***** Hand History for Game 650916234 ***** (Betfair)
$50.00 USD NL Texas Hold’em - Friday, February 12, 06:02:07 ET 2010
Table Neon 85 (Real Money)
Seat 5 is the button
Seat 1: BrasilNut ( $50.00 USD )
Seat 2: evis122 ( $20.72 USD )
Seat 3: potbuster ( $23.64 USD )
Seat 4: Suvorova ( $24.96 USD )
Seat 5: SandraLay ( $42.78 USD )
Seat 6: BingoBingo ( $48.50 USD )
BingoBingo posts small blind [$0.25 USD].
BrasilNut posts big blind [$0.50 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to BrasilNut [ 3c 3s ]
evis122 calls [$0.50 USD]
potbuster raises [$2.40 USD]
Suvorova folds
SandraLay folds
BingoBingo folds
BrasilNut calls [$1.90 USD]
evis122 calls [$1.90 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ Qc, 3h, 9h ]
BrasilNut bets [$3.72 USD]
evis122 folds
potbuster raises [$8.00 USD]
BrasilNut raises [$43.88 USD]
potbuster calls [$13.24 USD]
BrasilNut wins $26.36 USD
BrasilNut shows [3c, 3s ]
potbuster shows [Qh, Kh ]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 8h ]
** Dealing River ** [ 7s ]
potbuster wins $47.48 USD from main pot
When you should consider slow playing your set:
***** Hand History for Game 652502430 ***** (Betfair)
$50.00 USD NL Texas Hold’em - Monday, February 15, 06:25:05 ET 2010
Table Neon 16 (Real Money)
Seat 4 is the button
Seat 1: nacbreda ( $70.10 USD )
Seat 2: jethro2007 ( $74.10 USD )
Seat 3: getinvolved ( $136.54 USD )
Seat 4: Iwant2brich ( $50.00 USD )
Seat 5: tutankamen ( $0.00 USD )
Seat 6: BrasilNut ( $79.22 USD )
BrasilNut posts small blind [$0.25 USD].
nacbreda posts big blind [$0.50 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to BrasilNut [ As Ad ]
jethro2007 calls [$0.50 USD]
getinvolved folds
Iwant2brich folds
BrasilNut raises [$2.75 USD]
nacbreda calls [$2.50 USD]
jethro2007 calls [$2.50 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ 7d, Ac, 6s ]
BrasilNut checks
nacbreda checks
jethro2007 checks
** Dealing Turn ** [ 3d ]
BrasilNut bets [$4.50 USD]
nacbreda folds
jethro2007 raises [$9.00 USD]
BrasilNut raises [$22.50 USD]
jethro2007 raises [$36.00 USD]
BrasilNut raises [$49.22 USD]
jethro2007 calls [$26.10 USD]
BrasilNut wins $5.12 USD
jethro2007 shows [3h, 3c ]
BrasilNut shows [As, Ad ]
** Dealing River ** [ Ks ]
BrasilNut wins $148.20 USD from main pot
***** Hand History for Game 651451820 ***** (Betfair)
$50.00 USD NL Texas Hold’em - Saturday, February 13, 05:10:08 ET 2010
Table Neon 136 (Real Money)
Seat 5 is the button
Seat 1: BrasilNut ( $66.77 USD )
Seat 2: mEga PlAyer ( $24.00 USD )
Seat 3: luvr ( $46.85 USD )
Seat 4: BASZDMEG ( $50.00 USD )
Seat 5: TO PAIDI ( $38.45 USD )
Seat 6: krokodilaki ( $141.10 USD )
krokodilaki posts small blind [$0.25 USD].
BrasilNut posts big blind [$0.50 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to BrasilNut [ Ah Ad ]
mEga PlAyer calls [$0.50 USD]
luvr folds
TO PAIDI folds
krokodilaki calls [$0.25 USD]
BrasilNut raises [$9.50 USD]
mEga PlAyer folds
krokodilaki calls [$9.50 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ Ac, 2c, Td ]
krokodilaki bets [$20.50 USD]
BrasilNut calls [$20.50 USD]
** Dealing Turn ** [ Ts ]
krokodilaki bets [$110.60 USD]
BrasilNut calls [$36.27 USD]
krokodilaki wins $74.33 USD
BrasilNut shows [Ah, Ad ]
krokodilaki shows [Qh, Kc ]
** Dealing River ** [ 8c ]
BrasilNut wins $131.04 USD from main pot
***** Hand History for Game 646111484 ***** (Betfair)
$50.00 USD NL Texas Hold’em - Wednesday, February 03, 07:29:17 ET 2010
Table Neon 93 (Real Money)
Seat 1 is the button
Seat 1: 55Cool ( $44.25 USD )
Seat 2: ida1810 ( $42.07 USD )
Seat 5: BrasilNut ( $45.38 USD )
Seat 6: trikoypis ( $50.67 USD )
ida1810 posts small blind [$0.25 USD].
BrasilNut posts big blind [$0.50 USD].
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to BrasilNut [ 9c 9h ]
trikoypis folds
55Cool folds
ida1810 raises [$0.75 USD]
BrasilNut raises [$4.50 USD]
ida1810 calls [$4.00 USD]
** Dealing Flop ** [ Th, 2d, 9d ]
ida1810 bets [$10.00 USD]
BrasilNut calls [$10.00 USD]
** Dealing Turn ** [ 7h ]
ida1810 bets [$27.07 USD]
BrasilNut calls [$27.07 USD]
ida1810 shows [8d, Qd ]
BrasilNut shows [9c, 9h ]
** Dealing River ** [ 3d ]
ida1810 wins $82.14 USD from main pot
