a problem i have been having....

[AllenRay4 0]

Hey guys, this is my first post but i've been browsing the site for a month or so. The knowledge I have picked up from you all is amazing and has really made a difference. It's such a nice lil community, its amazing! Anyways, onto my problem. I play in a lot of lower buy in tournies but around the first break or so (hour in) there always seems to have this situation happen...i'll raise 3 or 4x the BB on the button or a seat before with a middle pocket pair, such as 77 or 88. One of the blinds will usually re-raise me (it doesn't matter if I have been stealing or havent been stealing, i always get it in my head that "they must think i am stealing")....anyways I raise all-in to show I mean business and almost always it gets called with AK, AQ or a higher pair. It should be noted that usually my stack is about average as I am pretty tight until the blinds really get raised. I just don't know how to play these middle pairs. If i just call the raise I feel like I will miss the flop and I usually do. Any JQKA out there immediately scares me and I can almost feel my scaredness being let out to them. Maybe I shouldn't always think they think I am stealing or maybe I should not invest into middle pairs. Any help is appreciated, I can take the criticism, the harsher the better (so i listen) :!: Aaron

[VirginiaGent 0]

I would do more limping and try to hit the set cheap. A higher board with the paint and Aces will tend to hit more people than rags.

[sixclubcult 0]

After the first break of a smaller tournament (espeically one with rebuys) is usually the time a lot of shorter stacks will feel desperate and start moving in with any two high cards.Before you raise be aware of who is left to act after you and their chip situation. If you raise a blind to 400 or so and he's got slightly over 1000 or less, he is probably going to make the all-in play against you 9 out of 10 times. Normally you're late position raise will make them suspect a steal raise. Just know with medium pairs in this spot you are most likely entering a coin flip. So just calculate your odds and factor in your image of your opponent. You could also try just doubling the size of the blind with nine wired or lower. This way you won't become as committed to the hand and put yourself into uncomfortable decisions.Just be alert of this time during the tourney as the drop off rate of players is usually huge.

[AllenRay4 0]

thanks for the advice so far guys, will take into play. sixclub, usually i do limp or 2x BB with wired pairs 88 and lower but in that situation i have to raise it more, i want to get value for my pair right? i mean the blinds could anything like Q4 or K6 and hit the flop when they really shouldnt be in the hands. not only that but you almost have to steal blinds over time if you dont want to be going all in all the time and it just seems to be a good hand to do it with, i just cant get away from it i guess

[braminc 0]

the most important thing ive found in playing these low-medium pairs, you really have to know a bit about your opponents play. youd rather take the blinds and not play the hand since you'll only flop a set 1 in 10 times. a big raise (3-4 times the big blind) is handy in late position with no limpers going against the blinds of a couple medium size stacks who are relatively tight players. if your opponents are looser or small stacked or large stacked, then id be less likely to raise and more likely to limp or fold.