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small pairs in the blinds vs ep/mp open and callers

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Default small pairs in the blinds vs ep/mp open and callers

    here is a pretty standard spot that I want to check in on.
    Say an ok-ish reg opens his tight range from ep/mp, and then one or more players call from mp/lp and we're sitting in the blinds with a small pair 22-88.

    What's our play?
    Fold seems default unless there is a drooler among the callers, am I missing something? Should we even be calling if one of the callers is dead moey?
    a few examples:

    $0.10/$0.25 No Limit Holdem
    8 Players
    Hand Conversion Powered by weaktight.com

    Stacks:
    UTG ($13.11) 52bb
    UTG+1 ($26.30) 105bb
    MP1 ($24.65) 99bb
    MP2 ($26) 104bb
    CO ($34.79) 139bb
    BTN ($25.12) 100bb
    daven (SB) ($44.37) 177bb
    BB ($24.50) 98bb

    Pre-Flop: ($0.35, 8 players) daven is SB
    2 folds, MP1 raises to $0.75, 1 fold, CO calls $0.75, 1 fold, $0.65 to daven ($44.27)?



    $0.10/$0.25 No Limit Holdem
    8 Players
    Hand Conversion Powered by weaktight.com

    Stacks:
    UTG ($25.89) 104bb
    UTG+1 ($31.67) 127bb
    MP1 ($8.90) 36bb
    MP2 ($28.18) 113bb
    CO ($28.93) 116bb
    BTN ($13.87) 55bb
    daven (SB) ($31.29) 125bb
    BB ($27.73) 111bb

    Pre-Flop: ($0.35, 8 players) daven is SB
    UTG raises to $1, 4 folds, BTN calls $1, $0.9 to daven ($31.19)?


    $0.10/$0.25 No Limit Holdem
    9 Players
    Hand Conversion Powered by weaktight.com

    Stacks:
    UTG ($66.99) 268bb
    UTG+1 ($29.59) 118bb
    MP1 ($28.96) 116bb
    MP2 ($24.23) 97bb
    MP3 ($26.76) 107bb
    CO ($48.27) 193bb
    BTN ($25.60) 102bb
    SB ($25.91) 104bb
    daven (BB) ($25.90) 104bb

    Pre-Flop: ($0.35, 9 players) daven is BB
    3 folds, MP2 raises to $0.75, MP3 calls $0.75, 1 fold, BTN calls $0.75, 1 fold, $0.5 to daven ($25.65)?
  2. #2
    It's funny cause my default is to always call in these spots, unless there is an aggro squeezer behind.

    That being said, from other posts I've read I feel like the avg reg folds low pairs to opens more than I do.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay-Z
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    I gave the other grip, I lost a flip for five stacks
  3. #3
    Renton's Avatar
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    Jan 2006
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    a little town called none of your goddamn business
    22: if the mp or cutoff is a fish, I like a call. If they are both regs I find a fold. Note that I think the EV here is quite different than if you were the BB. BB will show up with a squeezing hand like 5% of the time or more, so you're just losing 2.5 bb 5% of the time without seeing the flop. I think i still fold 22 if you were in the BB here vs MP reg and CO reg, but BB/SB could mean the difference between folding 22 and folding 44 or something. Believe it or not theres actually a significantly large difference in value with each pair as you ascend. Check your equity with 22 vs with 55 in various spots.


    First 66: I call. I'm not thrilled that its a 4bb open but as I said, 66 is quite a different hand from 22.


    Second 66: Easy call. You're in the BB. I forgot to mention that your pot odds calling in the BB are quite significantly more favorable. I don't really subscribe to the concept that you should be really loose multiway because your pot odds are better with each player that enters the pots, but that is true of nutty hands like 66. It's less true of most hands. I think a hand like 54s could be a fold here.

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