I'm a LImit Full Ring player, and I can handle small pairs 2-5 fairly well. Usually I can just limp from most positions, and given a SSH game, get the right odds to play them. But when the table falls to 5-7 players, my dilema arises.

The value in playing small pairs PF is from their implied set value, but when you do not have enough players to gurantee that implied value, You also have too big of a table for them to gain much HU value on their own. Especially from MP in an unopened pot. They are two weak to raise, yet to vulnerable to limp, yet to good to fold. You SH SSH specialists, what do you do with them?

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personally i will play small pocket pairs. then it depends on what happens on the flop. you're only really going to make money if you hit a set. the odds of this are 7/1. these hands are usually pretty hard to tell, so i find you make more money from these hands than the times that you fold on the flop when you don't hit.

and don't forget 22 beats ak 53% of the time. so if their are only 2-3 players then it's definitely a good hand.

In a shorthanded limit game the baby pairs are pretty junky up front. In a standard game I generally just fold them as you probably aren't going to get correct odds and baby pairs usually don't stand up against 3 player when they are unimproved.

Also limping in with these types of hands gets costly shorthanded with guys who are quick to isolate you.

Once in a while when conditions are right, I'll raise baby pairs to hopefully get heads up and take the lead on the flop.

But in generally, I never limp from the early positions (once in a while with AA, KK with isolating type players behind). I either fold or raise.

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