Playing Small Pocket Pairs in MTT’s
Playing small pairs in any MTT can be a difficult task to maneuver. There are so many things one must take into consideration before deciding if and how you are going to play your small pair. Your stack size, the stack sizes of your opponents, the aggression level of your table your position and the stage of the MTT are just a few of the things one should consider prior to playing a small pocket pair in a multi-table tournament.
A small pair constitutes all pairs 2’s-6’s. If you are in the early stages of an MTT and you pick up one of these enticing hands, first look at your position. Since it is early in the MTT, we can assume that your stack and the stacks of your opponents (at least, most of them) will be rather deep. If you pick up a pair in early position on Full Tilt Poker, a limp certainly is not out of the question. If you limp in and are reraised by an opponent, which will be likely given your position, you are still getting proper odds to set-mine. However, if you opened for a raise and are reraised by an opponent, it then starts to get expensive to call.
Remember your goal is to see a flop for cheap and not to build the pot with a hand that is going to be extremely difficult to play post flop unless you hit your set. However, if you pick up one of these hands in middle to late position and it is folded around to you, opening for a raise is definitely optimal since it is much more likely you will just take down the blinds. If you ever pick up a small pair and there is a raiser in front of you, make sure you are getting at least 12-1 on a call so you are properly paid off if you hit.
Playing small pairs in the middle and late stages of a FullTiltPoker.com MTT actually becomes easier. Limping is now out of the question since stacks are going to be significantly shorter and set mining is no longer profitable. You therefore are either opening for a steal-raise or folding, depending on your position. With the antes in play, your goal now is simply to take down the pot pre flop. Obviously, the later your position the better your chances of taking the pot with a raise, and be willing to open from early position if your stack is a healthy 20 bb’s and above.