2nl PP, wierd river spot...

[Monsieur_chat]

Sorry, no stats but villain is a dirty calling station, I'd been dying to get into a heads up pot with him...

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.02 BB (8 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

UTG+1 ($2.14)
MP1 ($1.81)
MP2 ($0.97)
Villain (CO) ($3.25)
Button ($6.02)
SB ($2.02)
Hero (BB) ($1.89)
UTG ($2.26)

Preflop: Hero is BB with ,
UTG calls $0.02, UTG+1 calls $0.02, 2 folds, Villain calls $0.02, Button calls $0.02, 1 fold, Hero checks

Flop: ($0.11) , , (5 players)
Hero bets $0.10, 2 folds, Villain calls $0.10, 1 fold

Turn: ($0.31) (2 players)
Hero bets $0.18, Villain calls $0.18

River: ($0.67) (2 players)
Hero bets $0.30, Villain raises to $0.75

Hero???

I think I made an ok play in the end but I'd be interested to know what you guys would do. Many thanks in advance.

Cheers.

[minSim]

Raise preflop always.
As played bet turn larger.
As played I'm calling river because we get decent odds and villain is likely bad so could be doing this with like A7. Of course he has some weird 3xs often.

[Monsieur_chat]

Hmmm... I'm never comfortable raising medium pocket pairs because of the risk of one or more overcards. I've always played with the aim of hitting a set or dropping them without much resistance. Obviously though that tactic leaves me exposed in situations such as this, so I totally take your point...

In actual fact, I think the way I play medium pocket pairs (say 55 - 99) is something of a leak in my game, I think I'm calling with them too much and thus dropping them too easily, so if anybody can suggest some good resources for this I'd be very grateful.

Cheers.

[LuckySlevin]

At the ultra micro stakes unless it's been folded to you in very late position. Raising any pp below 99 is -ev in my opinion.

Your villians don't care what you may be holding when they look at a flop if they have any piece of it and you cbet they are likely to call you, if they are holding a suited king, any ace, or any broadway pair they're also likely to call your preflop raise so it's just not worth raising any pp <99 IMO, and 99 is borderline tbh.

Tight is right at these stakes. I don't think you need to consider you reluctance to raise any PP 99 or below a leak. There's always exceptions (folded to you on the button or in the blinds e.g.) but on the whole I'd say carry on as you are with the PP's at these stakes.

[Monty3038]

MC,

In late position, even with limpers ahead, raise medium pocket pairs like 99. You are getting it in with a hand that is likely ahead of Ax and other crap that people are limping, and you want to build a pot. Overpairs are scary but often you will find not as scary as you think. If villian is a true calling station he isn't getting away from the hand, and won't believe you have a pair. He is playing his Ax for value...

As played, hmm... flop bet is ok, him calling either means he caught a piece or as you say is a calling maniac. You are ahed of the flop, likely he paired his Ax on the flop, I say keep gunning... you also have an extra out with the gutshot, so you have 6 outs at this point agains his likely oesd, giving him 8 outs and you are likely ahead.

Turn didn't help anyone unless he has 45, so fire again, you do, about 1/2 pot and he calls, so he is still limping along, then the raise on the river. You are only scared by a 3 at this point... and he isn't that likely to have, I think you have to call. But I've been accused of calling when I shouldn't and I have a bit of a 'show me' attitude... without a read that he does this with air, I suppose I should be 50/50 call/fold on this one. I haven't checked with pokerstove or any reasonable tool at this point either...

[Monsieur_chat]

Thanks for the reply Monty, some useful advice there which made good sense.

I think my big difficulty with PPs comes with playing them in early position. So often I just limp my 66, get it raised and feel I have to throw it away. But then again I don't feel comfortable raising a hand like that UTG. Should I be? All thoughts, as always, most welcome.

Oh, and you won't believe what this guy was calling me down with....

[killerkebab]

Fold pocket pairs <66 UTG. Never, ever limp first. If you want to play a hand and no one has done anything yet, raise it preflop.

I'd be raising 99 pre here. We have a good hand which we can raise for value. On top of this you want to get heads up with this guy, what better way than to raise preflop?

Your play was fine here, I think I probably call him and see what he's been calling me down with since you have a read that he's a calling station, but that may be a leak on my part - maybe when these guys start showing agression it is time to give up :P

[Monty3038]

Thanks for the reply Monty, some useful advice there which made good sense.

I think my big difficulty with PPs comes with playing them in early position. So often I just limp my 66, get it raised and feel I have to throw it away. But then again I don't feel comfortable raising a hand like that UTG. Should I be? All thoughts, as always, most welcome.

Oh, and you won't believe what this guy was calling me down with....

Well, I'm not gospel here and I'm still a bit of a donk, but I will raise 99+ UTG and then if the table is likely to let me see a flop with 22+ I will limp them from UTG to MP. ONly if I think I can see a flop for nearly nothing... on those hands I'm looking to see a set... otherwise I can't stand any aggression.

99 though is not unplayable from UTG but suffers greatly from overpairs... reads are a superb help, often I'll Cbet even against scare cards on the flop but I won't take it very far, too many hands beat 99. Sets are always hugely nice though.

[Monsieur_chat]

Absolutely agree, and limping them in the manner you describe is my policy too. I just worry that it's a leak for me as the last few sessions I've been throwing them away preflop from early position an awful lot. Still I suppose you make up for it when you hit your set.

[Monty3038]

I remember reading that you only have to hit your set and get paid 8 x a blind to make it worth limping... I haven't done the math, but that sounds right, and when you hit your set, if you play it right, you are getting it all in.

[Monsieur_chat]

Excellent. I shall continue as I am then. Thanks for the advice bud.

I call because I beat 76
the only hand that makes sense here is 45 or a slowplayed set

but yeah, sure, raise 99 from BB

[Monsieur_chat]

Thanks for the good advice guys. I know you're not supposed to post results but now we've had a few responses I thought you might all like to know what he was holding.

Wait for it....

34 off.

lol.