In December of 2016, the Thinking Poker community raised over $8000 for the Bay Area Urban Debate League, and I’m so grateful to everyone who contributed! This hour of free poker strategy, with very special guest Matt Berkey, is part of my thanks to everyone who contributed. If you didn’t donate during the campaign, please enjoy the video and then donate whatever you feel it was worth to you. Thanks!
The first half of my conversation with Matt is available here.
Hey Andrew,
Long time lurker, first time poster. I’m curious to know why you didn’t 3bet your small pocket pairs while in position in this video, especially when 150+ BB deep. Is this because you were multi-tabling and in auto-pilot or is there some type of reverse-implied odds justification that I’m overlooking here? Examples: Pocket 3’s [39:45], Pocket 5’s [50:40].
Thanks,
Josh
Hi Josh, thanks for the comment. Although small pairs are flexible enough hands that you can find reasons to call or raise (and sometimes even fold) them when deep and in position, I don’t see three-betting as anything like a “standard”/default/clearly-superior line. One of the main reasons I don’t love three-betting them is that they are poor hands for bluffing, and when they do flop sets, the implied odds aren’t particularly good because your 3-betting range is usually already thick with strong hands. So like, it’s not as though you win stacks all that often on J73 when you have pocket 3s. I guess I’m wondering why you think this is something needs to be explained in the first place?
It’s not as much that I need for it to be explained, but rather soliciting your view of the world. Your explanation makes a lot of sense, particularly because they don’t make good hands for bluffing.
With that said, my perspective prior to watching this video was that 3betting small pocket pairs from out of position is a squeeze play and thus I would yield to specific circumstances in doing that, if at all. Unless I see a high steal % with a high F3%, it’s probably not worth it to take to the streets with a small pocket pair from out of position, bloating the pot and sawing SPRs in half.
But being in position you will get folds a decent amount of the time (assuming a reasonable F3%) which could potentially be outright profitable and I think your hand will be certainly be disguised. I realize you’re not always getting stacks as well when you flop a set. I suppose I’m just ramping up the variance in these spots and also having to lay down when I get blown off by 4bets. I guess I need to make a conscious effort to experiment and review this scenario.
I really appreciate you explaining your Thinking, as you always do.