Hi, I would like you guys opinions on pocket pairs oop:Vilain on botton raise 3bb: you got AA-KK-QQ-JJ yeah we definately willing to gamble and 3bet and call a shove if. (bah... AA-KK-QQ isnt gambling I have to admit haha, but JJ seems to be gambling for me (if u get call by AQ-AK-KQ)But with TT,99,88??? What to do? Flat and hope for a set? 3bet and fold to a shove?With small pocket pair I definately flat and set mining...I understand that any pocket pair is fav agaisnt 2 over... but its so small: 55%. Does it worth it? The rake isnt going to eat the money?
I think that your answer lies in how aggressive your opponent is preflop. I would focus on that and how deep you are. These are things that can help you make the right play versus worrying about being in a coinflip. Focus on the right decision, not the outcome!
Brent
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Also worring about rake is a terrible idea. By not making moves that are slightly +EV you are just giving chips to your opponent.
You never ever, 3bet a PP and fold to a shove - that's just throwing away money by turning a good hand into a bluff.Instead, you need to make a plan for the hand before you flat / 3bet with it. Never put yourself into the situation where your opponent does something you didn't think about before and then you go "ooops, what should I do now ?" You need to be in control of the match, not your opponent.So before you 3bet, think about your plan for the hand if he flats / 4bets / shoves and also how to proceed post-flop if he flats and you miss.As Brent already said, whether you should 3bet or flat depends on how aggressive your opponent is and how deep you are.