Small pairs

[Local_Echo]

66-22. How would you play these in EP and MP? I've limped sometimes, folded sometimes, but I get a little confused on how to play these. Should I raise with them more often than not? Or limp, getting more value on them should I hit my set?

[EzDuzIt]

you play 10nl right? at that level just limp. at higher limps raise them though usually, depends on the table.

[Local_Echo]

Yeah, $10 NL. I hate, hate, hate open limping anything, but with these I just hit a mental roadblock of sorts.

[The_Bankroll]

is this full ring or 6-max? 6 max, I wholeheartedly believe in raising any pair from any position. It helps you extract more value when you hit a set, plus, you can take the pot down with a c-bet a good % of the time. the only time I like limping these is I'll do it occasionaly in position or in the SB when lots of people have already limped. and I still raise 77-AA in those spots.

[Local_Echo]

This is full ring. Sorry I didn't clarify.

[Miffed22001]

limp.

[snowboard_31]

For me, at 20NL, it depends on the table speed mostly but in middle position ill open limp, but i wont call an early position raise. In early position if I have an aggressive image or alot of flops are being limped into without raised or only raised once ill limp, but if almost all pots are being raised pre-flop 80% of the time I will fold. Im not sure if this is too profitable in the long run, the other 20% I will limp or raise to mix my play so i wont be put on never flopping small sets.

[Miffed22001]

always take a flop with these hands. Even at small stakes games...

wtf! ALWAYS at small stakes games!!!!

[Local_Echo]

Cool. I always take flops with these hands but just didn't know what was generally correct for micro stakes. Thanks for the input guys!

[Chopper]

set value, set value, set value. limp if first to act. call standard raises with 2 others in the hand, possibly HU.

i know this is not mathematically correct, but this is 10 NL, and no one seems to throw away TP. the set is a monster hand down here.

my small pp's used to be losers for me...because i overplayed them. limping and calling raises, then floating non-threatening boards has made them among my strongest hand groups. both moves (limping and calling raises), i would never try at 50+ NL.

[The Izebox]

At nl 10 just limp. You arent going to take down the pot preflop, and you arent going to take down the pot on the flop with a c-bet. I would just limp/call and fold the flop if i miss. When you move up to the nl100 tables (maybe nl 50) you want to start raising every position (except blinds) and c-betting the flop.

[flyingPenguin]

The aim of raising small pairs is to gain more value from your sets, while supporting the extra cost of raising by the times you take it preflop or on the flop with a c-bet. If you can't take it down by the flop without a hand, then you're sitting on a goldmine anyway, so just limp it and raise only your premiums.

It all depends on how loose preflop and how weak postflop your opponents are. If you find when you raise AK from UTG that you often just pick up the blinds, or that you often take it with a c-bet on the flop, then it's time to start raising 22 UTG. If when raising AK UTG you always get callers and your flop c-bet is always called, limp 22.

The same idea when you're on the button, except you have more information about who is going to be in the hand, so you can use them to steal blinds or to attack the one weak limper.