set mining tips? 6max

vs UTG fold 55-22. set mine a bit wider from BB. don't call 3bets hoping to flop a set unless they are super tight and preferably make it small. for the most part you're probably going to be calling raises from any position but be aware of who's left to act - if you're likely to get squeezed then it's probably not so good anymore.

Imho the answer is... Depends!

You can't simply decide wheter your playing in set mining or not basing on opponents positions at the table.

Think. What does it means to play in set mining? Your flatting your PPs trying to get a set on the flop and then you try to stack you opponent. So good.

But when it is profitable to do that? Of course when the stacks are deep enough, let's say the std 100bb is ok. Certainly you're not playing in set mining against a shortstacked fish!

Another factor to consider is the table composition BEYOND you! CO raises, you hold pocket deuces on the BTN. You have 2 fishes on the blinds? You call! They're very likely to enter the pot increasing your implied odds.

In my opinion, playing in "set mining" in the pure sense of the word, is totally wrong. At the lower limits might be ok, by you loose tons of value whenever you play in hit/fold mode. Consider flatting the raises and then playback you opponent when you don't hit. Use your infos and float, raise on the flop, exploit your oppo

Usually I always flat PPs IP, I sometimes 3bet them against LP regs when I'm OOP on the blinds, since it's tricky to play 22-66 OOP, while it's much better holding other kind of hands.

playing small pocket pairs oop is easy. when you don't hit, you fold

how much less tricky does it get when your 3bet is called?
small pocket pairs are just a pretty awful bluffing hand in general, no blockers, you can't 5betship against a 4bet by the majority of people and life sucks whenever you see a flop and don't hit a set against an opponent who folds <50% vs cbets.

Originally posted by Tomaloc
playing small pocket pairs oop is easy. when you don't hit, you fold

how much less tricky does it get when your 3bet is called?
small pocket pairs are just a pretty awful bluffing hand in general, no blockers, you can't 5betship against a 4bet by the majority of people and life sucks whenever you see a flop and don't hit a set against an opponent who folds <50% vs cbets.

this

ok lets say a loose passive player limps before me, im on the button with 55 this guy rarely folds to a cbet, I see people say isolate this players with this but shouldn't I just limp behind because, I don't really want to bluff this hand against that kind of player

Nice discussion guys!

Originally posted by CustardKid
ok lets say a loose passive player limps before me, im on the button with 55 this guy rarely folds to a cbet, I see people say isolate this players with this but shouldn't I just limp behind because, I don't really want to bluff this hand against that kind of player

I only bluff 3bet in this spot if the loose passive player folds >75% to 3bets, if not just flat and hope to hit your set.

Originally posted by CustardKid
ok lets say a loose passive player limps before me, im on the button with 55 this guy rarely folds to a cbet, I see people say isolate this players with this but shouldn't I just limp behind because, I don't really want to bluff this hand against that kind of player

The problem is overlimping is that you have little or no credibility if you bet post-flop on something like A:h7:c2:s

If you raise over the limper, you MAY get someone behind you to fold pre, and you MAY be able to take the pot on that flop.

Depending on the tendencies of the players behind you, it may even be advisable to fold small PP. If, for example you are in CO w/ 100BB, and UTG (6Max) limps, and you overlimp, and BTN w/ only 60 BB raises 4BB you don't have the implied odds to call -- especially if UTG folds.

Best of luck,
--VS