Small pocket pairs like 2-2 through 6-6 can be awkward to play in a cash game. Many players like to go set-mining with them, getting in cheaply and hoping to flop a set and then stack someone with top pair or an overpair. However, you will oh so rarely flop that elusive set and in most cases there will be two or more overcards on the flop, meaning you’ll sometimes end up stacking off to a better set.
In a lot of games, playing small pocket pairs with the sole intention of set-mining is a losing prospect. It can be profitable, but only when one or more of the following factors is in place: a) you are playing with deep stacks; b) your opponent is super tight and overvalues big pairs post-flop; c) your opponent is a complete fish who either loves to make enormous multi-street bluffs, or is incapable of folding any piece of the flop regardless of action; or d) the action is multi-way.
The problem with set-mining in six-max cash games is that you won’t get paid off often enough when you actually make a set. You might think, ‘Wow, 10-to-1 implied odds, let’s take a flop with 5-5!’ However, to get paid off you need your villain to have a monster hand, not get scared by your action and/or the board and be willing to stick his whole stack in. But above all of those factors you still actually have to hit in the first place.
Position is key
Playing small pocket pairs is tricky, but there are many situations where folding is by far the best play. If you are going to play them the trick is to ensure you will have position post-flop. This means that on the numerous occasions you don’t flop a set, it doesn’t matter because you will get enough opportunities to stab at the pot, bluff, float or represent scare cards. You are not playing your small pocket pair for the sole value of your holding, you are playing it for a combination of your implied odds and (more so) your position.
If your opponent is a complete mug, then by all means go ahead and play your hand for set value, but gone are the days when you could flop a set and be guaranteed to stack someone with top pair. In multi-way pots small pocket pairs play better, because there is a greater likelihood of someone else flopping a strong hand, but again, position is vital. In position you can decide how big a pot you play and find good situations to bluff, whereas if you have to act first you are at a severe disadvantage, especially heads-up. Out of position, playing small pairs is simply not profitable.