The toughest thing in poker is  to have when you are short stacked is discipline. If you have been card dead and find yourself on the brink of elimination, you know you have to make a move, the question is when. A lot of players will look for any pocket pair and shove, but you have to be a bit more selective than that. Avoiding certain hands and certain situations is the key to giving yourself the best shot of making it through your all in hand.

When you are on full table with a lot of big stacks around you, you must avoid pushing with a small pocket pair. First off, there is a very good chance that someone else will have your 66 covered with a higher pocket pair in later position. The other thing you are probably going to be looking at is multiple callers. The more people call, the more odds the next person is getting to throw in their chips. Everyone likes to be in on a big pot, so you are just asking for trouble here.

The only time you should really consider shoving with a baby pocket pair is when you are in the cutoff or button position. You only have to get through 2 or three players at that point and it is worth the risk. If you have to try and beat anymore than that, you are giving yourself a very slim chance of survival.

The other reason that you do not want to push with this type of hand is because the possibilities of losing is endless. You are going in with baby cards and you are in danger as just about anyone calling you is not only going to have two live cards, but you are also in risk when the board pairs as you can get counterfeited. If we had a buck every time a small stack got booted out of a tournament because of this we would be rich.

Another hand that is deadly to go in with is A-rag. Again, you are in fear of the big stacks here and anyone with chips and an A is going to make this call. You are also going to get called with just about any pocket pair as well. If you go into the flop with only one live card, the rail is more than likely your next destination. No, you are much better off shoving with a hand like QJ than you are A2. You probably have two live cards there and are also opening yourself up to a straight draw.

The one thing that you have to remember when you are short stacked and shoving for your life is that even if you are behind going in, you want to have live drawing cards that can get you back ahead in the hand. A rag and small pocket pairs are just not worth the trouble. Take a second to think about what you can hit before you shove those chips in there.

You are sitting in the middle of the deal and you look down at AJ and you think you have a monster. You need to think again before you throw those chips into the middle of the poker table. You are sitting on a hand that has you set up for nothing but heartache. When you are sitting on AJ in middle position, let it go.

One of the biggest mistakes a lot of beginner players make is flat calling an early raise with AJ. The only time you really should do this in this spot is if you are suited. If you don’t hit your flush or are on a flush draw, you are in pretty bad shape even if the A hits. Now you are in a position where you may raise or call the hand down and still end up with a loser.

You are really going to have to know your table mates and be very careful if you are in after a raise. You have to look at the position because it dictates what kind of hands people are going to raise with. You have to know the player to decide if they are capable of playing any two cards or they are playing ABC poker. If they are a steady player and fire at the flop and turn, you are looking at a loser.

You are in an even worse scenario when the high card on the board is a J. You are pretty much obligated to play out the hand and once again, you could be starting down the barrel of a shotgun. Again, you are facing an early raise and other than the AK that may have made the raise, but you very well may be looking at AA, KK or QQ.

When you are in this spot and either raise or bet after a check, the move from the other player is going to be come back over the top of you. Now you are faced with a decision for your chips and you have to decide if you are going to put your faith in nothing more than JJ.

One thing a lot of players fail to register at this very moment is that they were coming in against a raise and then you were check raised. Before making a knee jerk bet, consider what just happened. You made a bet that basically told the other player that you had hit our jack. They have to figure you for AJ or KJs in your hand from the position that you made the original call from. They know what you have, it is a matter of you realizing what they have.

If they make a strong move over top of you, you can be all but assured that their original raise was with an over pair and they are playing against your emotions that you will automatically push back on their bet. It is the perfect trap and the only way that you can avoid it is by NOT playing AJ in the first place.

Folding hand after hand on a full table can get to a lot of players. The sheer boredom of waiting for cards to come can be a bit much for people and this is where the sloppy play starts to make its way into you game. If you want to see more action and be able to loosen up your play without paying so much of a penalty, you should try 6 man tables.

Shorthanded play is something that not many people are very good at. The reason for this is that when you are playing in a live casino, you are generally at a full table the entire time. Online poker offers you another option that cannot find in a brick and mortar casino and that is the shorthanded table.

When you are playing shorthanded, you have to be able to open up your play if you are going to be successful. AA, KK and AK are no longer needed to fire in a raise under the gun. With only 5 other players in the game and 2 of them on blinds, you now only have 3 other players to get buy before you can steal those blinds. In shorthanded play, AJs, A10s and middle pocket pairs become much more powerful in early position. These are hands that you are supposed to fold on a full table, now you are going to raise with them.

Having less people on a table also means that fewer people stand a chance to hit the flop. You will often see people make some incredible calls on short tables. The infamous, “how can you call with that kicker?” is a pretty popular rant from someone who is banging away at the pot with his KK and then he sees a A2 get flipped over and loses it.

If you are on a full table, calling down a raiser with middle pair is probably not an option. When you are playing short, you may actually want to make a move on the pot at this time unless the flop shows an A or a K. If you are sitting on 78s to flop of 10-7-3, you may very well be good if you are heads up. Can you even think of making this play on a full table?

Shorthanded play takes a lot of practice, but when you become proficient at it, you can add tons of cash to your bankroll. It will help you play better during those late night hours at the casino when people start heading out and it will also help you do better in tournaments when the field gets narrowed down and tables are constantly playing short. Loosen up your game and don’t be afraid to mix it up and watch the cash start to pile up.

One of the most frustrating things that you can ever be involved in when you are playing poker is to be sitting at a table with a bunch of very tight players. If you normally play this way yourself, you will find that big pots are few and far between and minutes seem like hours as you grind out the day. When you come across this type of table, you have to look at it as a money making opportunity instead of an annoyance and get the play to loosen up.

To do this, you are going to have to change up your game. If you have read anything about poker, you know that you cannot play the same way all the time. In this case, you are going to have to start to force action to get this table going again.

Early on, you will probably find that you are able to pick up a lot of blinds. This will be especially true if you have a tight image yourself. The other players are going to think that you have just caught a run of cards stay out of your way. The only way you are going to get action is if someone actually gets a big hand.

After you have stolen a few pots, it is time to stir up the table a little bit. You need to look at that money as a stake and now you are going to use it to get the action rolling. While you are stealing all of these hands, you can now show one. This is going to get under the skin of some of the players and they will start to wonder how often you have been doing this.

While that one time may not get the table rolling, it will at least put the though in their heads. You of course will do the same thing the very next time that you steal another hand. Play rags and show them. Now you are going to have the bait set and it is time to spring the trap. This is where that small donation comes in.

You are pretty much assured that the next raise that you make is going to put at least one person over the edge. Make it small enough to not risk too much of the profits that you have made. You don’t want all that hard work to go to waste.

The effect of this is going to have more people jumping into hand with cards that they would not normally play. Now while everyone else has suddenly loosened up their game, you go back to playing tight and wait on the hook.

When that big hand comes around, you are going to get paid off. The last impression that everyone has of you is that you are bluffing like a madman. Now you have a hand and you play it the same way that you played those bluffs. You fire and hope someone comes right back over the top of you to get you off of your hand and then you drop the hammer. Do that a couple of times and you can go right back to stealing blinds and limpers as everyone tightens up again.

Suited connectors are a hand that comes under much scrutiny in the poker world, but it often from those that do not understand the value of how to play the hand. These are cards that can be played from virtually any position at anytime and can bring a huge bounty. You will often hear the player that loses to them scream that they could not believe the winner went in with those two cards. Blah, blah, blah! If you know how to use them, they are serious weapons.

The first reason suited connectors are so valuable is that they have a ton of flexibility. Right off the bat, you can make a flush or a straight with them. Furthermore, if you do make a straight by using both of them, it is often the nuts and a windfall of cash will come your way.

To be honest, the only time you are going to fold these cards is when there is a monster raise right in front of you. You will have no idea who is going to call behind you and therefore the odds may not be there to make the call. However, if there was a big raise and you are in late position and there are two or more callers already, get those chips in and here is why.

When someone raises out in early position, there are usually 2 scenarios. The first is that they have a pocket pair and are trying to whittle down the field or they have big cards like AK or AQ and want to eliminate the chasers. When there are multiple callers, they are more than likely also holding similar cards. The more people that call, the better your chances of hitting are as the bulk of the big cards should be in your opponent’s hands. You are sitting there with two live cards and endless possibilities, especially if you are holding onto a hand like 67, 78 or 89.

These cards are also great to have when you have a bunch of limpers in the pot ahead of you. You can make an aggressive raise and hope to either steal the pot right there or hit it on a continuation bet after the flop. You are pretty much committed to betting again unless the board comes out that you have no shot of improving on. You are also going to know where you stand if anyone calls you.

Now the beauty of these cards is that after the flop, you can get away from them relatively easy if you don’t hit, especially if you only called going in. You get out painlessly and wait for the next hand. However, when you hit, that over pair or AK/AQ will often have a hard time letting their hand go. AA and KK get tunnel vision and don’t even realize there is a low straight on board. After all, you could not have possibly called their 4x raise with 67! The next thing you know, you are scooping the pot and they are letting out a barrage that warrants and exorcism.

Do yourself a favor and start playing those suited connectors. Keep track of the results and you will find that you make more money with them than just about every other hand you are dealt.

We have gone over how to play this very tricky hand in the two most dangerous positions, early and middle, and now it is time to go over how to play them from the catbird seat. Regardless of their size, small pocket pairs in late position can be very effective if you vary your play and take advantage of weak players at the table.

Late Position

When you are in the cutoff or button position and you look down at two matching cards, you have a huge advantage. Unlike early position, you don’t stand to throw money in the put on a lot of occasions and have someone else come right over you. If they do, it is probably because they were slow playing a big pocket pair and were waiting for someone else to make a raise. In most cases, it will be a sizeable raise and tossing your hand to the muck is a no brainer.

However, that is usually the exception to the poker rule and if player are only showing moderate strength in front of you or limping in, you can steal a ton of pots by playing this hand properly. Once again, let’s assume that we are looking down at 99, except this time we are sitting on the button.

First scenario has everyone folding to you. You have only the blinds to beat and if you are playing aggressively all day, this move may get you a hit back from the BB. If not, unless he is sitting on a hand, he will more than likely fold. Made it a big enough raise that he has to really think about protecting his blind. Usually a 4 or 5x blind will get it. However, if you have been stealing, expect him to fight back and possibly come back over the top. In most cases, you can come right back at him and take down the hand. This is where your knowledge of the players comes in and will dictate to raise or fold. Just calling is not an option here.

The next scenario is when you have several limpers and the betting gets back to you. I am a strong believer in that if you are playing any cards other than small suited connectors, this situation warrants a decent raise. This way, the blinds are not getting odds to call and if it gets back around to the limpers, they are going to have to think twice about throwing more money in with their KJo. A big raise here is a cause for concern and calling will be dictated by odds. You are not really worried about callers, be more worried about how that board comes out.

If you get a board that is stacked with over cards and you have multiple callers, you are dead in the water. Your best bet is to hope it gets checked to you and then possibly hit the turn. Throwing a bet to three over cards is asking for trouble and a loss. Now if the board only shows one over and you have limited callers, meaning two or less, you can put out a continuation bet of at least half the pot to see where you stand. You may be able to take it down right there. If you get a caller and there is no draw, be very careful on the turn as you may have someone who hit with a weak kicker. This is a dangerous spot to be in. All under cards is a no brainer pot sized or better wager.

Best case scenario is that the board hits and the set hits the board. You are going to be in great shape to make a huge hit here, especially if you have multiple callers. With an aggressive raise, the table will probably check around to you. Even if they don’t, your philosophy on betting is going to be the same. Your bet should be about ¾ of the pot. It is slightly more than a normal continuation bet and just enough that if you manage to get one caller, you may just get others to follow.

The dream situation is that there is one over card and someone has managed to hit it. You see a board of 29J and after you make your bet, your doomed opponent that is looking down at his AJ thinks he is about to crush you and comes right back over the top. Depending upon your stack, you have a couple of options here. If he has a lot of money and you are similarly armed, you may just want to smooth call and let him fire on the turn. This will allow him to think he is the best and then when he makes a bet on the turn, you can push. Odds may dictate that he has to call and you get to felt him and take down a huge hand.

If either you or your opponent is looking at a stack that is right around the pot, the flop bet is the time to get the money in the pot. Say the pot is about $500 and you have $350 left and your opponent is sitting close to that. He fires a $225 bet at the pot, there is no need to waste anymore time here. Push your stack in and he has not choice to call. With there being $1050 in the middle at this point, his last $125 gives him better than 8:1 and he would have to be a moron to let the hand go.

Small pairs in late position are absolute dreams. They have a nice chance to create a big pot, scoop a lot of blinds and allow you to get out cheap when the hand goes bad. You may take a hit every now and again with them, but if you play this way, you will come out way ahead of the game at the end of the year.

In part one of the series, we talked about the unenviable position of looking down at small pocket pair in early position. You want to play the hand, but there are a lot of ugly scenarios that an inexperienced player will end up doing nothing more than donating their stack. In poker middle position is not as good as late position, but it gives you a few more options to safely save your stack or steal a pot.

Middle Position

Unlike early position, you may find that you can steal a fair amount of pots and some limper money in middle position. The further along you are the better, but there is plenty of money to be made from weak early position players.

You get your cards and you are looking down at 99. This is not a bad situation, nor is it a good one. You face a lot of possible action in front of you and have to be wary of possible traps that are getting set. Remember, a standard move under the gun with AA or KK is to limp in and wait for the raise. When someone does this, they come right back over the top and try to get you to commit your stack. This is something you want to watch out for as you get aggressive with your 99. Stop and realize what is happening before you fall for the usual impulse of shoving and giving them exactly what they want.

First scenario has a couple of players limping in and the betting getting to you. This is a great position to be in as you can make an aggressive play and try and take the pot down right away. Make a 6 or 7x blind raise and see what happens. If someone comes over the top, you are probably dead and may want to let the hand go right there. If they are only doubling your bet, you can call them and see what happens on the flop. Realize you are begging for a 2 outer here and pretty much kissing that money goodbye.

Now if you get callers, watch the board. You are going to be committed to a continuation bet as long as you don’t see 2 or 3 face cards out there. If they bet out, they have probably hit and you may have to let the hand go. If they call you and there is no draw, you are probably dead and will hope they check the turn to you and you can check down and hope to improve on the river. If there is a draw on the table, you are going to have to proceed aggressively and risk losing some serious cash. People on flush draws will donate a ton of cash on that chase so make them pay and hope that they don’t suck out on you.

Your second scenario is a small raise in front of you. This is a perfect time to call and disguise your hand and see what hits the board. If you get a low board, you can come right over top of them after their continuation bet. If it is a high board and they bet out, you can let it go and keep your losses to a minimum.

The final scenario is when the betting folds around to you and you are first man in. Now it is time to represent and make a play at the blinds. You can throw out a 5 or 6x the blinds bet and represent a much larger hand than you actually have. You are not necessarily looking for callers here as the board can lead to trouble. Once again though, you are all but committed to a continuation bet unless a seriously dangerous board hits you.

Always keep in mind that money you are investing in small pocket pairs is money that you need to be prepared to let go of at any moment. Standing your ground in a bad position is what will cause you to go broke. You are looking to scoop blinds and hit sets with small pocket pairs. If you play them properly from middle position, they can be great money makers. Just don’t get married to them and refuse to dump. There are no bad folds, just bad calls!

Small pocket pairs poker, and by this we mean pairs of 99 or less, have often been the cause of many bankrolls going across the table. Players will often overvalue their hand and end up losing a ton of money as they simply cannot let go of two matching cards in the hole. We are going to rectify this situation for you and show you how to play these cards to maximize profits and minimize your losses.

IN EARLY POSITION

This is probably one of the most difficult positions to play a small pocket pair. However, if done properly, you can make a lot of money by getting in on the action in this position with a small pocket pair. The move in early position is to simply limp in and see what happens. You do this for two reasons. You may have a chance to camouflage your hand with the right board and only a few players and you can also crush a huge hand if you happen to hit your set.

Assume you are under the gun and looking down at 77. You limp in and the player behind you makes a raise to 4x the blind. You are going to need odds to call here, which means that you want as many callers in on this hand as you can possibly get. There are two very good things happening when you get callers here. The first is that you are getting the 5:1 or better odds that you need to throw your money in. The second is that the more players that are in, the more likely the larger cards have already been dealt out. If you do not get 3 or more callers or if someone else comes over the top again here, you have to let the hand go, simple as that.

Now ideally, you get the callers in there and you have a shot at a monster pot. You are now is a no-brainer situation as to whether or not you proceed with the hand. If you have never heard the phrase “No Set No Bet,” you need to live and breathe but it if you have a small pair in early position. The only time you will bet out in this scenario if you are looking at a board that is all undercards to your 77.

For instance, you see a board of 2-4-6. In this case, you can make a bet that is at least the size of the pot and it will hopefully take down pot. You will immediately know where you stand of someone comes back over top of you. They may have been sitting on a larger pp or they may just be making a play. This is where your instincts and memory recall as to their earlier play will have to take over. It will also depend on how much money you have sitting in front of you. At this point, you may just be pot committed and the odds for your remaining cash will be so great that calling in the only thing that you can do.

Now if you get lucky and happen to hit your set, you are in a very strong position to make a lot of money. You can be pretty sure that with that many players, the raiser is going to make a continuation bet. This is a great opportunity to set up a check raise and make some serious cash. The one exception to setting up this play is when the board has a possible flush or straight out on the board. If that is the case, you are going to need to calculate the odds and take those hands out of play with a huge bet on the flop. You do not want anyone drawing to your set.

Now if you have a board that is not too dangerous, you are ready to make a check raise. Check your bet to the initial raiser and let him lead out. If you are lucky, one of the other players will have gotten something worth chasing. Depending upon how much money you have left in front of you, you may make a sizeable raise or push all in. You will hopefully be able to get isolation at this point and take down a huge pot. A time when you would bet out with nothing on board is when you have hit your set is if your remaining stack is less than half the pot. In this case, you can push right off the bat.

It is never recommended that you play the same way all the time. You are going to have to change up how you play this hand from time to time or you will risk the other players picking up exactly what you have. As a variation, you may make a small value bet on the flop hoping that the initial raiser will come back over top of you. Use the same betting strategy that you use when you have a medium hand and attempt to show some weakness. If they fall for the trap, you will have them guessing on every hand and can use your flop a set strategy to steal some pots down the road.