Pocket Pairs revisted.

[euphoricism]

I dont really like how I play pocket pairs lately. Something always seems wrong. I have lots and lots of hands like these, so I tried to find ones that encompassed each individual topic.


Hand 1: I know im fucked on the river, but I gotta pray he holds J9 and pay it off, right? Is there a point to raising this river anyway?

Hand 2: I dont have much to say about this one. I think its standard?

Hand 3: Just fold the flop?

Hand 4: bet/fold turn?


******* Hand 1 ********

Party Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $3/$6
6 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is CO with A A
2 folds, Hero raises, 2 folds, BB calls.

Flop: J 3 8 (4.33SB, 2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets, BB raises, Hero calls.

Turn: 9 (4.17BB, 2 players)
BB bets, Hero calls.

River: 8 (6.17BB, 2 players)
BB bets, Hero raises, BB 3-bets, Hero calls.

Results:
Final pot: 12.17BB
BB shows 9c 9s
Hero shows Ac As


******* Hand 2 ********

Party Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $3/$6
6 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is SB with J J
2 folds, CO raises, Button folds, Hero 3-bets, BB calls, CO calls.

Flop: 9 5 Q (8SB, 3 players)
Hero bets, BB calls, CO calls.

Turn: 3 (5.5BB, 3 players)
Hero bets, BB raises, CO folds, Hero folds.
Uncalled bets: 1BB returned to BB.

Results:
Final pot: 7.5BB
BB shows 3h 3s


******* Hand 3 ********

Party Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $3/$6
6 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is Button with 4 4
3 folds, Hero raises, SB calls, BB calls.

Flop: Q 7 8 (6SB, 3 players)
SB bets, BB calls, Hero calls.

Turn: J (4.5BB, 3 players)
SB bets, BB raises, Hero folds, SB calls.

River: 7 (8.5BB, 2 players)
SB checks, BB bets, SB calls.

Results:
Final pot: 10.5BB
BB shows 7c Kh
SB shows Tc 9c


******* Hand 4 ********

Party Poker
Limit Holdem Ring game
Limit: $3/$6
6 players
Converter

Pre-flop: (6 players) Hero is SB with T T
UTG calls, UTG+1 folds, CO raises, Button folds, Hero 3-bets, BB calls, UTG folds, CO calls.

Flop: 5 J 2 (9SB, 3 players)
Hero bets, BB calls, CO calls.

Turn: K (6BB, 3 players)
Hero checks, BB bets, CO calls, Hero calls.

River: 8 (9BB, 3 players)
Hero checks, BB bets, CO folds, Hero calls.

Results:
Final pot: 11BB
BB shows 7h Kh
Hero doesn't show Tc Th

[elipsesjeff]

Hands 1 and 2 are bad beat posts and really nothing can be gamed, although I dont fold the turn in hand 2.

Hand 3 you can just fold the flop, and hand 4 I just bet/fold the turn and then check/call the river.

[thenonsequitur]

Hand 1: I know im fucked on the river, but I gotta pray he holds J9 and pay it off, right? Is there a point to raising this river anyway?

I'm not sure why you think your hand is no good on the river until after you are 3-bet. You didn't give villian much reason to believe that top pair or even weaker is no good. Jx will play this the same way and pay off a river raise. Hand 1 looks pretty standard to me.

Hand 2: I dont have much to say about this one. I think its standard?

Standard. Against certain players I call down, but usually I fold.

Hand 3: Just fold the flop?

Yes.

Hand 4: bet/fold turn?

This one I think is the toughest of the hands you posted. I could go either way, and I think my decision would be based a lot on the specifics of CO and my table image. I usually like the bet/fold line, but I think here it's too close to call without more information.