How To Play Small Pocket Pairs Pre-flop
Sitting in a late position and carrying pocket aces into the flop is a great opportunity to not only steal blinds, but also to draw others into the pot. Big pairs make the pre-flop action easy to toy with. However, playing small pairs pre-flop isn’t nearly as simple, even if you have position on everyone else.
Today, we’ll explain how to ride your small pocket pairs into the flop and how to know when it’s better to fold. Your chip stack, position, and raise strategy all play key roles in leading the table and having a chance to flop your set. For the sake of simplicity, we’re going to consider deuces through sixes “small.”
Small Pairs With A Small Chip Stack
Let’s suppose you’re in an early position coming off $2-$4 blinds. You have a small chip stack compared to everyone else, so you don’t have a lot of room to chase flops. You’re dealt pocket fives.
In this scenario, there’s no reason to fold (yet) and calling is a bad idea. If you call, you’ll lose control and have to play catch-up to the action coming back around to you. A good tactic is to throw out a standard raise (i.e. $12). By doing so, you’re sending a message that you holding pocket cards worth a few chips.
If everyone folds off your raise, you’ll walk with the blinds. That’s not bad. An even better situation is when a few players call. That gives you a chance to make a set off the flop. If someone reraises, you’re better off folding. Leaking a few chips is better than busting on a wing and a prayer.
If you’re in a late position with small pairs, you have an advantage. But, that doesn’t mean you’re invincible, even if the action is folding to you. The blinds could be holding stronger pocket cards. If you overbet the flop, you could be asking for trouble.
Small Pairs With A Large Chip Stack
More chips equals more flexibility. You can often use your stack to slowly siphon chips from the smaller stacks by bullying them pre-flop. However, your early position play with small pairs should be the same as if your stack was small. A standard raise off the big blind will push a few players out and give you a chance to see the flop.
If you’re playing in the middle position, watch the action coming toward you, especially when it’s coming from smaller stacks. A large raise from a small stack is a red flag. If you chase it, you’ll get sucked into the flop. If the small stack raiser flops his or her set, you’ll be staring down the barrel of an all-in scenario. That could get expensive given your small pair.
Being in late position with a large chip stack gives you a huge natural advantage. If other players are limping in, push out with a raise at 4 or 5 times the BB. That sets the tone going into the flop. Regardless of what the flop brings, you can fire your second bullet using your position strength and stack as leverage. If you’re lucky, you’ll flop a nice set.
If the action is raising and reraising coming toward you pre-flop, it’s probably better to fold your small pair. Let the others fight it out.
That’s a good primer for playing small pocket pairs pre-flop. The key to profiting from them is to realize how your chip stack, position, and raise strategy can influence the action. Often, that’s all it takes to steal the blinds or scoop the pot.
To put the strategy we’ve described into practice, visit Bodog Poker. They’re one of our top-rated poker rooms and boast steady, brisk traffic across their tables. If you haven’t already done so, be sure to read our extensive Bodog Poker review as well as a round-up of Bodog bonus promotions.
Also, we’d like to invite you to join our KickAssPoker League in time for the coming season.
How To Steal Blinds In Texas Holdem
Stealing blinds is one of the core fundamentals of playing texas holdem. In loose games with a full table, the blinds won’t matter much. It’s far easier to make money by playing tight and waiting for a strong hand before going after the pot into the flop. But, if you’re in a shorthanded game and your opponents are playing tight, knowing how to steal blinds is valuable. It’s a great way to go after chips uncontested and add to your stack while waiting for your monster hand.
The challenge is that it requires finesse to do it right. Let’s get started.
Know Thy Opponent
Your success in stealing blinds has a lot to do with the type of players you’re up against. For example, calling stations are usually a bad bet. They just want to stay in the game and are always willing to risk a few chips to call your bluff. Even if you’re in a late position, steal attempts often end badly.
By the way, we recently covered texas holdem position strategy. Be sure to go back and read that post if you missed it.
On the other hand, an opponent who’s playing weak-tight is a fantastic candidate. They’ve probably read a few poker books and know something about texas holdem starting hands. They’ll be less inclined to risk their chips on anything but a high pair. That means you can slip through and take the blinds easily.
Bottom line: know your opponents and how they’re playing.
Cultivate Your Image
If other players see you as a loose cannon, it’s going to be a lot tougher for you to steal blinds. The same is true if they consider you to be a perpetual bluffer. It’s like the boy who cried wolf; at some point, your opponents are going to start calling your steal attempts. Your raises will begin to lose credibility.
Now, let’s suppose you’ve been able to build an image as a tight aggressive player. When you raise, your opponents will think you’re holding a good starting hand. They’re less likely to call your bluff. That credibility clears the path for you to steal the blinds.
Cash Game Versus Tournament Blind Stealing
Stealing blinds is usually less important in cash games than tournments; it’s especially true if you’re playing no-limit holdem. In no-limit ring games, the blinds are usually small and seldom worth the effort. It’s easier to play tight and go after the pot with strong hands. Of course, if you’re in a late position and everyone is folding to you, the blinds may be sitting ducks. If that’s the case, it’s silly to say no to free chips.
Tournaments are different. The blinds rise as the tournament advances. Stealing them in the early stage may not be important, but going after them later can add significantly to your chip stack.
Here’s what you should take away from today’s post: you won’t get rich from stealing blinds in texas holdem. But, depending upon the type of game you’re playing and the type of players you’re up against, you can preserve – and even build – your chip stack.
And that can make the difference between going bust and surviving.
If you’d like to sharpen your blind stealing skills, visit PokerStars and use bonus code “stars50“. They have a lot of table traffic with plenty of fish at the lower stakes. Plus, when you’re ready to put your skills to the test, you’ll find top-notch players at the higher stakes. And if you haven’t watched our free Poker Stars Strategy Video, make sure you do that, too.
Bodog Qualifiers to the 2009 WSOP
Each year there seem to be a small handful of sites that offer some unique ways to qualify for the World Series of Poker. Sure all the big sites have qualifiers and many of them are great value but many players find it easier to qualify on the smaller sites.
This year, Bodog.com seems poised to be on of the best opportunities for many of the recreational poker players to qualify. In 2008, KickAssPoker.com league member WSOPJoe won his seat in the World Series of poker at Bodog, so lets keep the tradition alive.
Here are the different Bodog WSOP Qualifiers.
Benefits of Qualifying through Bodog
- Smaller Qualifying Fields
- Small to Large Qualifier paths
- Sit-N-Go’s to Last Chance Events
- 100% Bonus up to $500 with Bodog Bonus
*WSOP and World Series of Poker and related trademarks are property of Harrahs and related brands, and they get their panties in a wad if you don’t clarify that on every page where you mention them, so this is to do that so they don’t bitch and moan about it more.
3 Steps To Mastering Your Freeroll Poker Tournament Strategy
There are two advantages to playing in freeroll tournaments. First, there’s no entry fee. Second, it’s a great opportunity to cut your teeth and develop your poker chops without springing any cash. Having said that, you still need to know what you’re doing. After all, your time is worth something and there’s prize money up for grabs.
Back in March, we covered a basic strategy for SNG tournaments. Our advice was to play tight into the Bubble so you don’t bust out before getting into a money position. With freerolls, it’s a little different.
Here’s an easy 3-step plan for making the most from freeroll tournaments. You’ll learn how to start with $0 and build your bankroll on the backs of the fish. Let’s get started.
Step 1: Loosen Up In The Beginning
Again, with SNGs and other tournaments, you should play tight going into the Bubble. But, with freerolls, you don’t have any of your own money on the line. Your most valuable asset is your time. The problem is that a big freeroll can suck hours from your day and not deliver much of a payout. So, loosen up a little and claim your chips early.
For example, in a multi-table tournament, you might play tight early and hit the flop only when you’re holding a high pair, Ace/King suited, or something similar. In the early stage of a freeroll, go in with weaker hands to work off the flop. It’s a little riskier, but again, you’re not putting your own money on the line. You want to make a quick strike to build your stack or move on to another freeroll.
By the way, there’s no shortage of them. For example, if you visit Full Tilt Poker, you’ll notice they organize over 500 freeroll tournaments every month.
You can see a visual presentation of how to use the Full Tilt Poker referral code here.
We know this early-stage strategy is contrary to what a lot of folks recommend. In fact, we often play tight ourselves. But, keep in mind that freerolls are a different beast and a contrarian approach can work beautifully.
Step 2: Choose Your Target Stacks
90 minutes into the freeroll, half the players have busted out and the blinds are much higher. Welcome to the middle stage. Look at your chip stack. If you loosened up your play during the first 90 minutes, you should either have a better than average stack or have busted out yourself.
At this point, tighten down the hatches and go after the smaller stacks struggling to hang on. Avoid taking on the bigger stacks. The good players will be raising more than calling; taking them on with weaker hands will get expensive. But, definitely put pressure on the smaller guys. They’ll be going after the blinds and will fold with the slightest pressure.
If the small stacks bet big from an early position, there’s a good chance they’re holding something solid. So, let them have it.
Step 3: Floor It
Toward the end of the freeroll, your window of opportunity starts closing quickly. Now’s the time to be aggressive. The smaller stacks will be tightening their play and hoping for a miracle flop. They’re not the ones you need to worry about. Keep the pressure up to make them fight for the blinds or die trying. Your true targets are the bigger stacks because chip strength is a huge factor during the late stage.
Tighten up your play because aside from completing a Hail Mary, going in with draw hands will decimate your stack. Remember, the players who are still at the table aren’t stupid. They won’t be easy to trap. If you’re holding a big hand past the flop and get into a heads up contest with a bigger stack, raise. Don’t call. Raise.
There you have it, a 3-step plan for making freerolls pay off. The key thing to remember is that you didn’t put any of your own money at stake. You can afford to play aggressive.
To get your feet wet in freerolls, visit FullTilt and try the strategy we’ve described above. Then, visit the Kick Ass Poker forums and let us know how you did.
Poker Bankroll Management: Living To Fight Another Day
Every professional poker player learns how to manage their bankroll. If they don’t, they’ll go broke. A lot of poker neophytes think bankroll management involves looking at their stack of chips and thinking to themselves, “that should be enough.”
It’s not. But, it’s a great way to go bust.
Today, we’re going to explain the basics of poker bankroll management. We’ll describe how to manage your stack in cash games (both limit and no limit) and SNG tournaments. As you’ll see, drawing a line in the sand and sticking to it no matter where it leads is a critical piece of the process. For a full treatment on the subject, read our article on bankroll management.
Before we get started, take a peek at this picture to see what’s possible…
Cash Game Bankroll Management
The size of your bankroll should determine the stakes you’re playing. Obviously, if you have $50 in your account, you don’t want to jump onto a $5/$10 table. You’re not playing online roulette. That said, you need to establish your metrics and stick to them.
A good rule of thumb for limit cash games is to have at least 300 times the big blind. For example, if your bankroll is $100, you can comfortably get into a $.10/$.20 game. On the other hand, a $.25/$.50 table would stretch your chip stack too thin. For those stakes, you should have a minimum of $150 (or, 300 x $.50).
No-limit games require a larger bankroll because blood can flow quickly. It’s not uncommon to see players lose their entire stack in one hand (and look confused after it happens). So, your bankroll needs to be bigger in order to handle the crashes. For NL games, plan to have at least 20 times the maximum buy-in. Assuming the buy-in is equal to 100 big blinds, playing a $.05/$.10 game would require $200.
Those stakes may sound small, but remember, no-limit games can get messy fast.
SNG Tournament Bankroll Management
A lot of beginning poker players jump into sit-and-go tournaments thinking they’re less volatile than cash games. They’re not. SNGs actually have more variance than NL games. That means your bankroll should be even larger.
Experienced players often suggest having a minimum of 25 times the max buy-in. Personally, we’d suggest bumping it to 40, especially if you’re just starting out. For example, if you’re getting into a $5 + $0.50 SNG, you should have $200. That will give you a good buffer to withstand a couple of blowouts on your way past the bubble.
Moving Down Or Going Broke
So far, we’ve focused on how to choose your stakes based on the size of your bankroll. But, what if your stack suffers a brutal beating? You need to be open to moving down to lower stakes until you can rebuild. We know it doesn’t feel right, but if you stay at your current stake level, you’ll go broke in a hurry.
For limit games, move down once your bankroll hits 200 times the big blind. For no-limit games, 15 times the max buy-in should be your signal.
One last note about choosing your stakes: your playing style matters. If you’re a tight player who rarely goes into the flop, you can probably get away with a smaller bankroll. After all, a tighter play means smaller swings and less variance. Of course, if you’re a gunslinger raising every bet, you’ll want a bigger buffer. You should probably review our poker tips, too.
That’s bankroll management in a nutshell. To get some experience, visit Poker Stars and claim your 100% match up to $50. It’s one of the easiest bonuses to clear. Plus, starting with $100 ($50 deposit plus your $50 bonus) is a great way to learn how to manage your bankroll on the cheap.
You can read a full explanation regarding how to redeem your PokerStars bonus code (stars50) and clear your bonus.
