NL2 small pocket pairs... how do you play them

Small pocket pairs on NL2 are easy to play, bet IP if checked to you, give up if not improved. Barrel all streets only with monsters. NL2 is very ABC play.

Originally posted by Rihard4a
Small pocket pairs on NL2 are easy to play, bet IP if checked to you, give up if not improved. Barrel all streets only with monsters. NL2 is very ABC play.

Thank you very much,any other member ?

The key thing about playing NL2 is to play only for value and never ever try to bluff, because it is so -EV in the long run there. When you have monster raise, give up your TPTK hands when you get re-raised. Don't try to convince yourself that somebody is bluffing when you get raised on any street. Play disciplined.

on NL2 without stats/read/HUD on opponents
play according to call20 rule. just absolutely abc

preflop:
openraise them from BU,CO,MP, fold EP
call IP/OOP if someone raised - doesnt matter (OOP always according to call20 rule, IP you can go down to ~call15)
only fold them if someone already opened and there are a lot of maniacs/shortstack who shove light behind you

if u hit as an agressor - just b/b/b unless the board runs out real bad

if u dont hit - bet IP always if checked to you (you are the agressor or the agressor checked flop)
if ur called just give up unimproved

if preflop aggressor bets, just fold every time, even with 44 on some TT6 board, its just not worth calling

if u hit as a non-agressor and he bets to you - just raise and get it in unless he is triple-barreling a lot

dont slowplay them! almost never on nl2....
there are only few exceptions when u can - mostly having position on super dry flops when open raisor is playing 100% fit/fold stlyle and checkes to you

ez game

Originally posted by zumpar
on NL2 without stats/read/HUD on opponents
play according to call20 rule. just absolutely abc

preflop:
openraise them from BU,CO,MP, fold EP
call IP/OOP if someone raised - doesnt matter (OOP always according to call20 rule, IP you can go down to ~call15)
only fold them if someone already opened and there are a lot of maniacs/shortstack who shove light behind you

if u hit as an agressor - just b/b/b unless the board runs out real bad

if u dont hit - bet IP always if checked to you (you are the agressor or the agressor checked flop)
if ur called just give up unimproved

if preflop aggressor bets, just fold every time, even with 44 on some TT6 board, its just not worth calling

if u hit as a non-agressor and he bets to you - just raise and get it in unless he is triple-barreling a lot

dont slowplay them! almost never on nl2....
there are only few exceptions when u can - mostly having position on super dry flops when open raisor is playing 100% fit/fold stlyle and checkes to you

ez game

This was very very helpful,thank you very much

You could try open-limping, as then you can call if someone raises, which you can't really do if you've already open-raised and someone three-bets as then you have low implied odds for set-mining. You can still usually get stacks in at NL2 (from memory) if you hit in a limped pot and your opponent has top pair or better; also your limp might attract several other limpers, which increases the chance of someone having a good yet inferior hand.

Originally posted by Flashman1849
You could try open-limping, as then you can call if someone raises, which you can't really do if you've already open-raised and someone three-bets as then you have low implied odds for set-mining. You can still usually get stacks in at NL2 (from memory) if you hit in a limped pot and your opponent has top pair or better; also your limp might attract several other limpers, which increases the chance of someone having a good yet inferior hand.

Yea but i really really hate limping i never limp. If i play hand i raise or re raise (sometimes) if not i fold. When i open raise (as an aggressor) i am showing to other players that i might have something big (and sometimes o don't) so the opponent might think hm... i missed the flop and he is pushing me i fold.

Btw the most useful thing that i learned here is when i C-Bet with pot size i get almost 90% fold (if it is only one opponent) but when i C-Bet with half pot i get only 30% fold,so if i want to be called in some hands i use this strategy with half pot betting and if i want to get fold i bet pot size. The most earnings comes from here (except AA and KK)

btw i don't know if i improved my game play or it is just the UniBet has a lot of fishes but i killed my self making money there in this 2 days i hope i improved my game play

If by re-raise you mean 3bet then don't. PP are one of the worst hands to 3bet with. Don't limp them either, just open raise if your first in, if someone else opens before you then just cold call.

Post don't start calling down with underpairs, its a sure way to lose money. Even if a flop comes like T72r or 223and you have 66 there you really can't even call a c-bet.
Yourdoom explains this spot well. Basically in order for you to win the hand by c/c down the following needs to happen.

#1 you need to have the best hand right now since you have no outs to improve
#2 You still need the best hand by the time you get to the river. He will at at least 2 overs and 30% of the time he will suck out by the river.
#3 He must not decide to start barreling turn and river since your hand can't stand anymore heat

Basically your just not winning the hand very often this way and by calling the c-bet your just burning money even if you figure you have the best hand atm your pretty much forced to fold since your just going to play a guessing game and your hand is just so face up.

Basically you can either bluff raise the flop as a one shot bluff or just fold unless you flop at least a gutter with your pair. Your mainly value is obviously going to come from flopping sets.

Somebody mentioned to fold pp in EP, don't do that, that is dumb and you a lot of money by doing that. Always open raise.

Originally posted by Rihard4a
Somebody mentioned to fold pp in EP, don't do that, that is dumb and you a lot of money by doing that. Always open raise.

i guess this is true for SH but not so true in fullring given how many players are behind. NikolaB85 are you playing fullring?

Hey,

I've moved this thread to a more appropriate forum.

-SF

Originally posted by SchnitzelF
Hey,

I've moved this thread to a more appropriate forum.

-SF

Do you have a new profile? ♦

Why dont you just take a look at Preflop game chart

I think it is so good to start with those chartc since you really get the feeling about preflop play, what hand s are worth to OR what hands are good to cold call and so on.

When i started with poker i make everything just like is in this article except i started with SSS and went slowly up. After that i started to play NL10FR and completely followed those instructions.

Just print the chart and follow it. For NL2 it is enough i guess if you have just a little post flop knowledge. But even post flop knowledge is well described at low level articles.

Originally posted by DrDunne

Originally posted by Rihard4a
Somebody mentioned to fold pp in EP, don't do that, that is dumb and you a lot of money by doing that. Always open raise.

i guess this is true for SH but not so true in fullring given how many players are behind. NikolaB85 are you playing fullring?

Always 4 tabling 2-3 SH and 1or2 fullring. last night i had very very good earnings on PP made 3 BI profit,but i am sure that was just a variance. Every second PP was set on the flop and by that it is easy to play the hand

Btw thanks to everybody and i have to say that i like this post the most,thank you

If by re-raise you mean 3bet then don't. PP are one of the worst hands to 3bet with. Don't limp them either, just open raise if your first in, if someone else opens before you then just cold call.

Post don't start calling down with underpairs, its a sure way to lose money. Even if a flop comes like T72r or 223and you have 66 there you really can't even call a c-bet.
Yourdoom explains this spot well. Basically in order for you to win the hand by c/c down the following needs to happen.

#1 you need to have the best hand right now since you have no outs to improve
#2 You still need the best hand by the time you get to the river. He will at at least 2 overs and 30% of the time he will suck out by the river.
#3 He must not decide to start barreling turn and river since your hand can't stand anymore heat

Basically your just not winning the hand very often this way and by calling the c-bet your just burning money even if you figure you have the best hand atm your pretty much forced to fold since your just going to play a guessing game and your hand is just so face up.

Basically you can either bluff raise the flop as a one shot bluff or just fold unless you flop at least a gutter with your pair. Your mainly value is obviously going to come from flopping sets.

Originally posted by Rihard4a
Somebody mentioned to fold pp in EP, don't do that, that is dumb and you a lot of money by doing that. Always open raise.

I disagree with this statement - I fold small pp's (22-55) in ep, and I'd suggest the same to most beginners.

They are really hard to play post flop, especially oop. And your more likely to get into tough spots and spew. nl2 isn't like it was a few years ago people are nittier and less willing to stack off so its hard to get value from them.

And the psychology of having to x/f a lot of flops. Less experienced players might get frustrated and try to 'force' plays which is -ev.

If your disciplined, understand where your getting value from and have the right players at your table than its ok. But this is still <5% of the time even at nl2.

edit: ^ yeah MatejM47's posts are the nuts

I think even though it's only nl2 there are still spots that you can bluff cbet. If I open with 33 from MP in a NL2 6 max game and get one caller and the flop comes 5910 and villain has like 80% fold to C-Bet over 1k hands I'm leading out basically 100% of the time.

Agree that most of your money is made when you flop a set, and that for the most part it's ABC at that level. Obviously at the higher limits you can sometimes 3 bet IP with these types of hands for deception, but that's not relevant here lol