Pocket Pairs...raise pre-flop?

mot98 · Nov 09,2005, 08:05 PM

Hi All,

Fairly new to the forum, but so far I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all the posts. Lots of great information here.

I have been playing poker online for about a year now, mainly SnG's on PP and PS's.

I have been trying to figure out the best plays for Pocket Pairs.....as I find myself loosing with them quite often. Here is an example of my most recent failure with Pockets...

PokerStars Game #3017053692: Tournament #14705273, Hold'em No Limit -
Level V (75/150) - 2005/11/09 - 20:59:17 (ET)
Table '14705273 52' Seat #2 is the button
Seat 1: pooh74 (3315 in chips)
Seat 2: mot98 (2785 in chips)
Seat 3: Cluso (3515 in chips)
Seat 4: NAGRP (1490 in chips)
Seat 5: felon (3440 in chips)
Seat 6: Danzer (2890 in chips)
Seat 7: TommyTunes71 (3240 in chips)
Seat 8: splifer01 (5730 in chips)
Seat 9: McAveragey (6095 in chips)
Cluso: posts small blind 75
NAGRP: posts big blind 150
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to mot98 [Kh Ks]
felon: folds
Danzer: raises 300 to 450
TommyTunes71: folds
splifer01: folds
McAveragey: folds
pooh74: folds
mot98: calls 450
Cluso: folds
NAGRP: folds
*** FLOP *** [Qd 8h 5s]
Danzer: bets 1200
mot98: raises 1135 to 2335 and is all-in
Danzer: calls 1135
*** TURN *** [Qd 8h 5s] [8d]
*** RIVER *** [Qd 8h 5s 8d] [9c]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Danzer: shows [9d 9s] (a full house, Nines full of Eights)
mot98: shows [Kh Ks] (two pair, Kings and Eights)
Danzer collected 5795 from pot

Did I play this hand wrong??....

zero · Nov 09,2005, 08:08 PM

What's the problem? You got all your chips in the middle when you were a huge favourite.

mot98 · Nov 09,2005, 08:11 PM

Hi zero,

Not a problem...more so just a frustration as this seems to happen all the time. Personally I thought I played the hand right, but I thought I would throw it out there to see everyones opinion.

Hork42 · Nov 09,2005, 08:21 PM

I'd like to re-raise preflop here. If you have an opponent who will push all in on a flop with an underpair, he is likely to call you preflop too.

Otherwise, the play on the flop is fine.

Suckouts happen all the time, no matter how well you play the hand.

WaterLooser · Nov 10,2005, 07:51 AM

Played in a tournament yesterday. UTG doubles the blind. I push in MP for about 1/2 of the UTG's stack. Guy behind me smooth calls, UTG pushes, LP pushes. Three-way all-in pre-flop. I had TT. Anyone want to guess what the MP and LP had (g2 - you are not allowed to answer!).

g2 · Nov 10,2005, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hork42

I'd like to re-raise preflop here.

I completely agree.Â* I would have likely made a large re-raise, expecting Danzer to push.Â* The only reason not to re-raise is if you are expecting (and want) the blinds to call.Â* You need to be willing to fold to anÂ* A x xÂ* flop in this case.

Quote:

Originally Posted by WaterLooser

Played in a tournament yesterday. UTG doubles the blind. I push in MP for about 1/2 of the UTG's stack. Guy behind me smooth calls, UTG pushes, LP pushes. Three-way all-in pre-flop. I had TT. Anyone want to guess what the MP and LP had (g2 - you are not allowed to answer!).

I have no idea what you're talking about

Who won that tourney by the way?Â* Â*

/g2

Big E · Nov 10,2005, 08:46 AM

I agree with Hork, re-raise this hand pre-flop....regardless of that you got all your chips in with the best hand, you got sucked out on, it happens. As BBC would so eloquently say, big deal, it happens, move on.

moose · Nov 10,2005, 09:29 AM

Look at the hand from the villian's perspective. How badly did he play his pocket getting virtually all of his chips in on a 2 out draw?

Hork42 · Nov 10,2005, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moose04

Look at the hand from the villian's perspective.Â* How badly did he play his pocket getting virtually all of his chips in on a 2 out draw?

To be fair to the villain, it's hard to put his opponent on an overpair now, with the anti-villain only calling his preflop raise. To him, only a Queen beats him. I still don't like the call of the flop raise, but depending on what his level of thought is, he could be putting his opponent on a move, or a stop-and-go play and could think he's ahead when he gets his money in.

It's not great, but It's not as bad as you think.

mot98 · Nov 10,2005, 12:13 PM

Okay...thanks for all the input guys...Next time I will definetely be more aggressive with that hand and probably move all-in pre-flop.

Hopefully next time, the poker gods will look more favourably on me...lol

zero · Nov 10,2005, 03:25 PM

Well remember you can't go all-in everytime you get AA or KK.

GTA Poker · Nov 10,2005, 05:50 PM

Just to clarify, KK isn't a pocket pair, it's a mofking monster...that said, ida folded preflop.