Is it worth playing low pairs in limit??

you may have read my thread about not playing aces with poor kickers

this, unfortunately crept back into my game as i won a few hands when getting them in the blinds or when there were a few less players at the table. I did win a few good hands but the few that i lost i lost a lot more.

anyways,id like to hear your thoughts on playing low pairs in limit. By low pairs id say nines and under.

Now if you have a low pair and you dont hit your set, the majority of the time your gonna have to fold cos if theres raising because you wont have the best hand if theres aces and kings on the flop (well probably not).

Now the odds of making a set on the flop are 1 in 8.5.

Heres the way i play it at the $0.50/$1 tables

* I will call $0.50. I will not call a raised pot.
* If i have middle pair after the flop i will call a small bet trying to catch a card that helps (obviously if theres no draws there). If no help at the turn and theres raises i fold immediately.
* If i have bottom pair and theres a raise i will fold at the flop

Now when i make my set the pot i win at this level is usually between $4 and $7 depending on the raises and the no of players. Which is ok - remember we need to get more than 8.5 times our bet to make it worthwhile to call.

However, the problem i have is with raises. After a while at the table you can tell who raises with trash but regardless there will always be raises every other hand by people who flopped a good hand.

In early position ive found the best thing to do with very low pairs (Sixes and under) is fold as there is nearly always a bet and you just dont get the right odds to call a $1 raise (well you do after putting $0.50 in but you know what i mean)

In middle or late position ive still found on occasion that the button or blinds will raise which again makes your initial bet wrong

what do you think about this - remember we're talking about limit hold em.

Is it worth dropping very low pairs and only calling middle pairs in middle to late position?

I tend to play them depending on position. If I'm in EP I will fold most of the time.

MP I will play 4's and up if I know it's a passive game

In LP I will play with no raise.

hmmm, well a lot of factors, like dr said position. How many people are playing, how many have folded so far. With anything 7s and below i fold. They just arent worth it, the best you can do is a set 1/8.5 of the time like you said. straights and flushes take to long for you to know you have and are dangerous when you do get them. quads wont come, i'm sorry. In low limits people are reckless and it will be a pain limping in all the time to see all overcards on the flop. Go to high limits with 8s and 9s when only two or three are in and raise with them to narrow to two. Then play 50-50 with them.

Low limits is just to hard to play with mid pocket pairs.

i definately agree with your comments lads - i take the hard route in finding out (though it sticks in my mind easier through experience)

I still love limping in with them in tourneys as you can do some real damage with them if you make your set