Any point in raising with JJ, 10-10 at micro limit tables?

So I recently started playing on the 0.01/0.02 tables on Poker Stars to build up my skills and bankroll. I went up a couple bucks early on but now I seem to be stuck, just barely staying even. While playing, I've come up with a few questions.

Is it worth it to raise with a pair of jacks or 10's with >3 limpers? It seems everytime I try raising 3-6BB with these cards, at least 2-3 people will call. More often that not, an over card will hit on the flop at which point I'm kind of stuck. If someone bets into me, I'm pretty sure I'm beat so I have to fold. I can also bet first if I'm in an early position but if I get a caller, that's trouble as well. A majority of the time, I'd end up having to fold these hands after raising them pre-flop. What's the best way to play these hands?

PK

play JJ and TT like low pockets, limp and hope for a set. queens or better, go ahead and raise. if a standard say 5xbb raise is still getting too many callers, raise more, 10x is fine if its necessary to only get 1-2 callers.

If theres 3-4 loose limpers and you have JJ it might be best to raise huge (10x-15x BB). If they call, then every time the flop is rags or they check to you, you can go all-in. Im not sure if this strategy would work or not,. It might be better just to limp with em. Sets will pay off greatly in micro limits.

Sets pay off great everywhere else, too

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Staple Gun

If theres 3-4 loose limpers and you have JJ it might be best to raise huge (10x-15x BB). If they call, then every time the flop is rags or they check to you, you can go all-in. Im not sure if this strategy would work or not,. It might be better just to limp with em. Sets will pay off greatly in micro limits.

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The problem with this strategy is that if you're holding a pair of Jacks or 10's especially, more often than not, an over card will hit on the flop. Risking $4.50 to win what's likely a <$1 pot seems not worth the risk in the case of going all-in when checked to (since someone can be slow-playing a set or two-pair.) Limping with them seems to make more sense.

I guess another strategy would be to raise with them pre-flop and keep betting strongly on the flop & turn to represent Aces. The players at this level seem to not mind calling a large raise pre-flop but will fold to a strong bet on the flop most of the time.

if 3-6xBB ain't enough to dump those limpers, then it is obvious what you have to do... bet more.

with TT/JJ, your hand is probably best pre-flop, but it is extremely vulnerable to the next 3 cards. so my philosophy is, end it now if you can.

EXAMPLE:

Party Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $25 (10 handed) converter

UTG+1 ($4.17)
UTG+2 ($14.75)
MP1 ($3.65)
MP2 ($29.55)
MP3 ($61.26)
CO ($27.97)
Button ($25.85)
SB ($31.08)
Hero ($80.6)
UTG ($14.05)

Preflop: Hero is BB with T:diamond:, T:spade:. MP3 posts a blind of $0.35. SB posts a blind of $0.1.
UTG calls $0.25, 2 folds, MP1 calls $0.25, 1 fold, MP3 (poster) checks, 2 folds, SB (poster) completes, Hero raises to $2.75, UTG folds, MP1 folds, MP3 folds, SB folds.

Final Pot: $4.10

I like the strategy. I guess the problem with 0.01/0.02 tables is that you can raise a bunch (up to $0.20) and some bozo will still call you. There's also the chance that someone has a pair higher than yours in which case you're in trouble. Once you have a caller and that overcard hits, it gets pretty tricky.

agree, if you get called, you are in deep doo-doo. that's when the "tight" part of tight-aggressive kicks in. :-)

Raising with JJ or TT is goint to get you into too much trouble at that level. Call and hit your set or see no over cards and just overbet like crazy. Remember A2 (to most players) is a callable hand at that level.

I almost want to agree with the raising huge philosophy. I will however decline to on account of the limit. If there are 5 limpers out there when your in late position, then it's worth it to raise huge and pick up dead money. You can usually feel safe no one's limping with a higher pocket pair. These hands are certainly strong preflop hands.

You have to limp in early however with no reads on strength. If you raise in early position at this level, you never know what's calling you. A call of a huge raise does NOT necessarily represent strength at this level, but it could be KK. That's where you get into trouble. The hands that will raise behind your limp are not the same hands that will call a raise from you in EP.

What I'm saying is you have to limp in EP to seek out the true strength behind you. If you raise huge here, your basically erasing your read on a loose table like this. Some jackass will call you with A2o, and you'll think to yourself "Would he have raised if I hadn't?" The answer is probably no, but now you have no idea what your being called with, and your out of position.

I recommend not raising huge unless you can buy the button, and/or pick up a bunch of dead money. Otherwise limp and hammer on weakness postflop.