Practice Playing Pairs

I was delt pairs about 4 or 5 times in a row last night so I thought I would post it and get some criticism about the way I played them. Did I bet correctly, lay the right ones down?

***** Hand History for Game 682996434 *****
15/30 TourneyTexasHTGameTable (NL) (Tournament 4242282) - Thu Jun 17 22:44:56 EDT 2004
Table Table 12355 (Real Money) -- Seat 5 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: drowelf (885)
Seat 2: jakie11 (695)
Seat 3: supernick (710)
Seat 4: yoda9 (1010)
Seat 5: adavis_ (770)
Seat 6: ehk103 (785)
Seat 7: dczrboy (760)
Seat 8: zipman (785)
Seat 9: MayKneeAck (800)
Seat 10: robe43 (800)
ehk103 posts small blind (10)
dczrboy posts big blind (15)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to robe43 [ 7s, 7c ]
zipman folds.
MayKneeAck folds.
robe43 calls (15)
drowelf calls (15)
jakie11 folds.
supernick folds.
yoda9 folds.
adavis_ calls (15)
ehk103 calls (5)
dczrboy checks.
** Dealing Flop ** : [ Qd, 8c, 9s ]
ehk103 checks.
dczrboy checks.
robe43 checks.
drowelf checks.
adavis_ checks.
** Dealing Turn ** : [ Kh ]
ehk103 checks.
supernick: man slow table
dczrboy checks.
robe43 checks.
drowelf checks.
adavis_ checks.
** Dealing River ** : [ Qh ]
ehk103 checks.
dczrboy checks.
robe43 checks.
drowelf checks.
adavis_ checks.
** Summary **
Main Pot: 75
Board: [ Qd 8c 9s Kh Qh ]
drowelf balance 870, lost 15 [ 3d 3h ] [ two pairs, queens and threes -- Kh,Qd,Qh,3d,3h ]
jakie11 balance 695, didn't bet (folded)
supernick balance 710, didn't bet (folded)
yoda9 balance 1010, didn't bet (folded)
adavis_ balance 755, lost 15 [ As Jc ] [ a pair of queens with ace kicker -- As,Kh,Qd,Qh,JcAs(kicker card) ]
ehk103 balance 770, lost 15 [ 2c 4s ] [ a pair of queens -- Kh,Qd,Qh,9s,8c ]
dczrboy balance 820, bet 15, collected 75, net +60 [ 2d 9c ] [ two pairs, queens and nines -- Kh,Qd,Qh,9c,9s ]
zipman balance 785, didn't bet (folded)
MayKneeAck balance 800, didn't bet (folded)
robe43 balance 785, lost 15 [ 7s 7c ] [ two pairs, queens and sevens -- Kh,Qd,Qh,7s,7c ]

***** Hand History for Game 683001082 *****
15/30 TourneyTexasHTGameTable (NL) (Tournament 4242282) - Thu Jun 17 22:46:26 EDT 2004
Table Table 12355 (Real Money) -- Seat 6 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: drowelf (870)
Seat 2: jakie11 (695)
Seat 3: supernick (710)
Seat 4: yoda9 (1010)
Seat 5: adavis_ (755)
Seat 6: ehk103 (770)
Seat 7: dczrboy (820)
Seat 8: zipman (785)
Seat 9: MayKneeAck (800)
Seat 10: robe43 (785)
dczrboy posts small blind (10)
zipman posts big blind (15)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to robe43 [ 2s, 2h ]
MayKneeAck folds.
robe43 calls (15)
drowelf folds.
jakie11 folds.
supernick calls (15)
yoda9 folds.
adavis_ folds.
ehk103 folds.
dczrboy calls (5)
zipman checks.
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 2d, Ts, 8s ]
dczrboy bets (15)
zipman folds.
robe43 raises (30) to 30
supernick raises (50) to 50
dczrboy calls (35)
robe43 raises (740) to 770
robe43 is all-In.
supernick folds.
dczrboy folds.
Creating Main Pot with $930 with robe43
** Summary **
Main Pot: 930
Board: [ 2d Ts 8s ]
drowelf balance 870, didn't bet (folded)
jakie11 balance 695, didn't bet (folded)
supernick balance 645, lost 65 (folded)
yoda9 balance 1010, didn't bet (folded)
adavis_ balance 755, didn't bet (folded)
ehk103 balance 770, didn't bet (folded)
dczrboy balance 755, lost 65 (folded)
zipman balance 770, lost 15 (folded)
MayKneeAck balance 800, didn't bet (folded)
robe43 balance 930, bet 785, collected 930, net +145

***** Hand History for Game 683005054 *****
15/30 TourneyTexasHTGameTable (NL) (Tournament 4242282) - Thu Jun 17 22:47:43 EDT 2004
Table Table 12355 (Real Money) -- Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: drowelf (870)
Seat 2: jakie11 (695)
Seat 3: supernick (645)
Seat 4: yoda9 (1010)
Seat 5: adavis_ (755)
Seat 6: ehk103 (770)
Seat 7: dczrboy (755)
Seat 8: zipman (770)
Seat 9: MayKneeAck (800)
Seat 10: robe43 (930)
zipman posts small blind (10)
MayKneeAck posts big blind (15)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to robe43 [ 8c, 8h ]
robe43 calls (15)
drowelf raises (30) to 30
jakie11 folds.
supernick folds.
yoda9 folds.
adavis_ folds.
ehk103 calls (30)
dczrboy calls (30)
zipman folds.
MayKneeAck folds.
robe43 calls (15)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 2h, 7h, Kd ]
robe43 checks.
drowelf bets (55)
ehk103 folds.
dczrboy folds.
robe43 folds.
** Summary **
Main Pot: 200
Board: [ 2h 7h Kd ]
drowelf balance 985, bet 85, collected 200, net +115
jakie11 balance 695, didn't bet (folded)
supernick balance 645, didn't bet (folded)
yoda9 balance 1010, didn't bet (folded)
adavis_ balance 755, didn't bet (folded)
ehk103 balance 740, lost 30 (folded)
dczrboy balance 725, lost 30 (folded)
zipman balance 760, lost 10 (folded)
MayKneeAck balance 785, lost 15 (folded)
robe43 balance 900, lost 30 (folded)

***** Hand History for Game 683007994 *****
15/30 TourneyTexasHTGameTable (NL) (Tournament 4242282) - Thu Jun 17 22:48:40 EDT 2004
Table Table 12355 (Real Money) -- Seat 8 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 1: drowelf (985)
Seat 2: jakie11 (695)
Seat 3: supernick (645)
Seat 4: yoda9 (1010)
Seat 5: adavis_ (755)
Seat 6: ehk103 (740)
Seat 7: dczrboy (725)
Seat 8: zipman (760)
Seat 9: MayKneeAck (785)
Seat 10: robe43 (900)
MayKneeAck posts small blind (10)
robe43 posts big blind (15)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to robe43 [ Qs, Qd ]
drowelf calls (15)
jakie11 calls (15)
supernick folds.
yoda9 folds.
adavis_ raises (50) to 50
ehk103 raises (200) to 200
dczrboy calls (200)
zipman folds.
MayKneeAck folds.
robe43 raises (885) to 900
robe43 is all-In.
drowelf folds.
jakie11 folds.
adavis_ calls (705)
adavis_ is all-In.
ehk103 calls (540)
ehk103 is all-In.
dczrboy calls (525)
dczrboy is all-In.
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 2c, Jd, 3d ]
** Dealing Turn ** : [ Kd ]
** Dealing River ** : [ Ad ]
Creating Main Pot with $2940 with dczrboy
Creating Side Pot 1 with $45 with ehk103
Creating Side Pot 2 with $30 with adavis_
Creating Side Pot 3 with $145 with robe43
** Summary **
Main Pot: 2940 | Side Pot 1: 45 | Side Pot 2: 30 | Side Pot 3: 145
Board: [ 2c Jd 3d Kd Ad ]
drowelf balance 970, lost 15 (folded)
jakie11 balance 680, lost 15 (folded)
supernick balance 645, didn't bet (folded)
yoda9 balance 1010, didn't bet (folded)
adavis_ balance 0, lost 755 [ Jh Jc ] [ three of a kind, jacks -- Ad,Kd,Jh,Jc,Jd ]
ehk103 balance 0, lost 740 [ 6s 6h ] [ a pair of sixes -- Ad,Kd,Jd,6s,6h ]
dczrboy balance 0, lost 725 [ As 6c ] [ a pair of aces -- As,Ad,Kd,Jd,6c ]
zipman balance 760, didn't bet (folded)
MayKneeAck balance 775, lost 10 (folded)
robe43 balance 3160, bet 900, collected 3160, net +2260 [ Qs Qd ] [ a flush, ace high -- Ad,Kd,Qd,Jd,3d ]

Not that I'm an expert by any means but you played all but 2 of them the way I would have. Anything less than pairs of 10 I always limp in or call up to 4 or 5 times the big blind. If I don't flop the set then I usually fold to anything but the minimum bet unless the flop is total rags and I have the high pair. Also if I think I can see the turn card really cheap than I will especially if I only limped in.

The hand where you hit your set of twos and you had someone bet 50 and call 50 ahead of you......this is where I would've tried to draw more money out of them by just calling. Depending my position I would either check if I acted first hoping one of the 2 would lead out and bet and then I would either raise it or go all in then. I will usually only do this if the flop comes rainbow though after I've hit my set. If there is a flush draw on the board then I would raise it big or go all in right after the flop.

In regards to your hand with the QQ, I would have played that one differently too. I would have probably just called the amounts bet (they were sizable raises already) for fear that I was up against AA, KK (dominated) or AK (coin flip). That way I get to see the flop and see if any scary Aces or Kings come off. If everything still looks good then I would go all in. However If someone goes all in after the flop ahead of me then I would be thinking long and hard about whether he had an AA or a KK. If I knew him to be a very agressive player than I would probably call. But otherwise there is a good chance I would fold rather than risking the rest of my chips. Now it did work out for you this hand because you got lucky and hit the flush. However you normally would've been beat because one of the guys hit a pair of Aces.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

The hand where you hit your set of twos and you had someone bet 50 and call 50 ahead of you......this is where I would've tried to draw more money out of them by just calling. Depending my position I would either check if I acted first hoping one of the 2 would lead out and bet and then I would either raise it or go all in then. I will usually only do this if the flop comes rainbow though after I've hit my set. If there is a flush draw on the board then I would raise it big or go all in right after the flop.

Not sure I like flat calling either. However, pushing was probably overkill.

I don't really like flat calling there either, two suited cards. Having the player behind you re-raising, and the early bettor calling that raise, I would have pumped it up another 50-100 maybe, the raiser behind you would probably call, and the early bettor would probably fold at that point.

Now the player behind you has that much more invested in the pot, he's more likely now to call more bets.