Tournaments: Medium Pairs in EP

Hitman Actual

By medium pairs I'm talking about 99, TT, and JJ. Table is relatively tough, with several solid/aggressive players still to act. Other players are average, but there are no donkeys at this table. Blinds are 50/100, and everyone has 2K-2.5K. You have one of the three hands listed above in UTG or UTG + 1. Do you:

a) Make a standard raise.

b) Limp and fold to a raise from one of the solid players.

c) Limp and push to a raise from one of the solid players.

Curious to know how people play these hands, as I think they're tricky to play in EP, especially if the table is in any way good.

ArmaniJeanss

My thoughts.
Probably limping with the 9s about 70%, folding to a raise. Raising to ~350 about 30% of time. Response to a re-raise is dependant on lots of things.

10s I'd play similar except the percentages are close to 50/50 on limp/raise.

Raising about 80% of time with the JJ, and pushing a re-raise 100% of time (unless my notes about the oppo scream otherwise).

padraig_f

I'll nearly always make a standard raise. If you're only raising with QQ or better from that position, you'll be raising very little from there and be quite predictable. Although it's not a comfortable spot for you, the one thing you do have going for you is that your opponents must be concerned about you having a really big hand. So it's not easy for them to play back at you without a strong hand, and they will tend to play their hands fairly honestly. This also goes for the play after the flop to a certain extent and you have a good chance of taking it down there too.

The other more simple reason is that if you have 99 at a 10-handed table, it figures to be the best hand around 80% of the time. So you should assume it to be the best hand, and bet it, until you get reason to believe otherwise.

lazlo

77-> JJ are hands that need to be used very wisely in early position. Its essential that you mix up your play with these hands all the time. In a cash game I never fold any of these. If the table is loose and passive a small raise is advisable-you'll probably get 3/4 callers and have a large pot created with lots of implied value if you hit your set-alternatively if the flop is a favourable low mess of rags you can lead out and pick up the pot - remember you're much more liable to pick up the pot in early position here, if you were in late position and there was a player 'on the come' he is very liable to lead out with is draw thus making himself a more pot committed and almost a cert to call your raise(remember that any overcard or any card that connects with the draw on the flop coming on the turn will give you a massive headache in terms of your move on fourth st)
-- Alternatively these hand can be used to slow down a maniac - you can lead out with a big raise from early position and he'll probably be your only caller(this tactic is best used shorthanded--much more dangerous in a full game). Regardless of the flop, check-raise him. Unless he has a PP your a 70% favourite to be ahead at this point and you'll stop this guy pricing your suited connectors out of pots in the future!