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Short Stacked Pocket Pairs
This is one thing i hate playing short stacked, even KK or AA i hate o play because once i bet i feel commited.
An example from a live game tonight below
Blinds (at this point) - 400/200 and due to go up in the next 3 mins
My stack - 1450
my hand comes - QsQd
So far two callers on the way around the board, i raise all in (raise of 1050 after matching minimum bet) and get two callers.
Caller 1 - 3h3d
Caller 2 - As7s
Flop comes - 4h6hTh
So far sooo good
Turn - Kd
River - Ah
Heading into the river first and coming out last hurts in a 3 player table, however could anyone maybe give me some advice for the future on playing pocket pairs. I have lost all my confidence in them as i find they hardly ever hold up.
An example from a live game tonight below
Blinds (at this point) - 400/200 and due to go up in the next 3 mins
My stack - 1450
my hand comes - QsQd
So far two callers on the way around the board, i raise all in (raise of 1050 after matching minimum bet) and get two callers.
Caller 1 - 3h3d
Caller 2 - As7s
Flop comes - 4h6hTh
So far sooo good
Turn - Kd
River - Ah
Heading into the river first and coming out last hurts in a 3 player table, however could anyone maybe give me some advice for the future on playing pocket pairs. I have lost all my confidence in them as i find they hardly ever hold up.
Comments
Sadly, you don't have enough chips to make either opponent fold marginal hands.
You don't say how you arrived at a stack that small. If it was as a result of losing a decent sized pot previously there is nothing much you can do. If it is as a result of getting blinded away then this is a good example why it is often better to get your chips in earlier when you still have a stack big enough to make your opponents fold.
Obviously in this case you were unlucky but even with that big a hand you are only about 55% favourite 3-handed.
From first to last, from Hollywood to Cricklewood.
It's not the pocket pair that's the problem, it's your short stack. I've noticed that many of the problems you pose have the same common theme - you are short-stacked. I suspect you're one of those players who likes to creep into the money then finds they're facing an uphill battle afterwards because of their stack.
May I ask how you got to just three big blinds? Did you have more but were waiting for a big hand to play, hence the QQ?
The starting stack was 3000 and i had got up to 3500 after 4 hands with a flush after that id seen my aces undone, taking me down to 2500 and then it was just a slow fall missing every flop and the ones i did hit someone hit a flush or a straight
One move. PUSH, PUSH, PUSH PUSH, PUSH.
Even if it means calling an all in or bet. No room for slow playing them. Get the chips in early, you know they are going in anyway, at least you may get someone to fold.
Don't worry about trying to get more value, if they all fold. Good, blinds are nice enough.
Did I not say,
Push, Push, Push and Push again.
Detention next time if you don't.
Sounds like you're relying too much on hitting flops mate. Just gotta pull the trigger before you get down to 3 big blinds. Anyway - unlucky with the QQ.
Some useful advice - when you're going to get more than one caller, small pocket pairs are useless. In a heads-up match, you'd prefer 55 to KT but in a 3 way against KT and 87, your 55 is about 26% or less than the 33% a random hand would give you!
9T, A8, KJ, QT...they all play better three-way than 55.
Dont be afraid to put your chips in. The longer you leave it the worse it is, more people will call and you will win less... General rule seems to be around 10 blinds
On the bubble, there is little room to play, blinds in relation to stack sizes, usually dictates all in or fold. Just find an unopened pot and the right spot and push all in. It will either get through and you have picked up nice blinds or it will get called but even then chances are you will have live cards. 90% of the time, it will get through. Just to stay with the pack, you need to do this once every 7 or 8 hands.
If you are seen to be too tight on the bubble, you will get bullied and blinded out.
Having said that, I have just bubbled with kq, called by the bb with ak, no regrets. I was on the sb and would happily do it again, blinds were 300/600 and I needed to move. I just got unlucky as the bb had a calling hand. It happens, but I would take the pot down more times than not.
However, If you put your mouse over the dealers head, right click and.....................
I do however hate it when people put hands up either handwritten or copying the full summary from the chat box. I just don't have the attention span to go all the way through it.