playing middle pairs

lilford10

hi all, just like to get a few sugestions on how to play middle pairs, i.e 5's 6's 7's etc. i tend to just call or call a small raise early in a tournament, do u think this is a good way ? i never realy no how to play them half way through or latish in a turnament, any thoughts ?

dowzer

In Response to playing middle pairs:

hi all, just like to get a few sugestions on how to play middle pairs, i.e 5's 6's 7's etc. i tend to just call or call a small raise early in a tournament, do u think this is a good way ? i never realy no how to play them half way through or latish in a turnament, any thoughts ?
Posted by lilford10

Depends on the other players on the table and, more importantly, your position!

churchy_91

i agree with dowzer...position is key. i limp early on in tournaments with medium pairs, but depending on the blinds in the latter stages, i shove, depending on position and what you know on your opponents...hope this helps

churchy

lilford10

yeah i normally limp early in a tounament to try and hit a set, bit like playing conecters rearly. when i get to the later stage's (not very often) i tend to find myself folding to a raise or an allin with middle pairs, i  very realy have a large stack, normally sumwere in the middle so i allways have a tough choice. allso im not an aggresive player, pretty tightish realy so i suppose it suits my play

dowzer

In Response to Re: playing middle pairs:

yeah i normally limp early in a tounament to try and hit a set, bit like playing conecters rearly. when i get to the later stage's (not very often) i tend to find myself folding to a raise or an allin with middle pairs, i  very realy have a large stack, normally sumwere in the middle so i allways have a tough choice. allso im not an aggresive player, pretty tightish realy so i suppose it suits my play
Posted by lilford10

This is also what I sometimes end up doing at the end of a tourney and then I get blinded out and spend hours kicking myself for not having moved with my mid pair - Im teaching myself to move with these hands before its gets to the point where I end up all in with total junk. Try not calling with the mid pair at this stage of the tourney - push with it meaning you have no decision and put the decision on someone else.

BigBluster

In Response to playing middle pairs:

hi all, just like to get a few sugestions on how to play middle pairs, i.e 5's 6's 7's etc. i tend to just call or call a small raise early in a tournament, do u think this is a good way ? i never realy no how to play them half way through or latish in a turnament, any thoughts ?
Posted by lilford10

There is no definitive answer. It all depends on stack size, position, how aggressive the table is, how big the blinds are etc etc.

Early on - limp and hope to flop a set. Call a raise in multiway pots, otherwise fold. On flop: no set, no bet.
Key tip: if you hit your set, lead out into the pre-flop raiser. Most people check-raise in this situation and generally they're wrong to do that.

At the final table when no-one has entered the pot before you:
On the button with the big stack and large blinds, these are worth an all-in to steal the blinds, but not if any of the blinds can seriously hurt you. If that's the case make a standard 3 or 4 BB raise but fold to a re-raise.
Under the gun and medium stack, they are a fold (can't risk the whole tournament on these hands)
Middle position and small stack, they are an all-in (pairs come 1 in 17 hands. You will almost certainly be in a race against a big stack but with the odds 13/10 in your favour).

Key thing though - you just can not limp with these hands if the blinds are high. You're either raising or you're gone. If you see a flop the same applies, you're either raising or you're gone.

lilford10

thanks for the tips guys