I always have trouble playing low pocket pairs (55’s and lower) 9 handed. In these situations, the small pairs can realize their maximum equity by going all-in preflop. Poker Rules; Poker Hands; Poker Games; Poker Terms; Online Poker with Friends;Pocket eights are to be played to do one of two things: trip-up on the flop so that you have a very good set, or steal the pot by managing the hand as if it is, or could be, stronger than it really is. You can use it as a bluff when there are not many other natural bluffs in your range (straight draws, naked ace of spades on a three spade board, etc. 7%. With a small pocket pair you’re generally not going to have an overpair to the board. Pocket jacks, the nightmare of almost everyone who dared to play some poker. How to play pocket kings. Mostly call to see a cheap flop as the chances of hitting a Set (Three of a Kind) is 10. The notation 22+ means you should be playing 22 and all other higher-ranking pocket. 4%. This video offers tips on how to play poker pairs of different strengths. Whether it’s in a single raised pot (SRP) or 3bet+ pot, and for lesser experienced. In Omaha Hold ’em, a pocket pair would mean you have two same cards in your hand. Vs Hijack – Call A9-offsuit (folding all lower offsuit Aces). The Basics: How to Play Pocket Pairs in Poker. Without going into the math, it’s simply strong enough to 3-bet as part of a linear range. Effective stack size. Always remember to be aware of your position, the opponent’s. The other focuses on unpaired starting hands and figuring out how many combos of hands like one pair, two pair, trips, flush draws, etc. Particularly in Texas Hold’em poker, the position at every hand is key in making a strategic decision. Similar to suited connectors, there are better ways than others to go about playing pocket pairs in poker. . Playing and Bluffing with Smaller Pocket Pairs. There are thirteen different pocket pairs (one for each rank) and six different ways of making each. Middle position gives players a little more breathing room to play low pocket pairs. Pocket aces will almost always beat any other pocket pair. Having any pair puts you ahead of all. Ace-king is almost 50% to win against pairs Q-Q and below and 30% to win against pocket Kings. Sets are often hidden and you can easily stack someone who has top pair or an overpair. Playing Pocket Jacks - Fishhooks or Jokers. The chance of being dealt a specific pocket. We will have to fold to a turn bet on any non-4 turn. 45% of the time. For that reason it's OK to limp pocket pairs from any position. How To Play Big Pocket Pairs. At a six-handed table, however, the odds another player has a higher pocket pair are reduced to 16. , $240. HOW TO PLAY POCKET PAIRS Pocket pairs is the most difficult hole cards for you to learn how to play. 4-bet is someone else 3-bets. Aside from pocket pairs, all possible hole card combinations have suited and offsuit versions. 22-66 Fold 77-99 Raise to standard for table, figure out how deep you are to see if you can profitably set-mine if 3-bet, fold to 4-bet. They should be raised from. Take turns until someone reaches 10,000 points. That’s why calling 3-bets with small pocket pairs is usually a losing play. With a pocket pair JJ to play better against one or two opponents. There is a lot to learn about how to play. Even though they are pretty weak hands, playing them wrong will cost you expected value continuously. Your opponent has a pair of Aces with a King kicker (A-A-K-J-8). The reason for this is pretty obvious—discounting the times you flop a set, the value of middling pocket pairs postflop tend to be, well, middling. By: Search Advanced search… Advanced search…How to Play Small Pocket Pairs Correctly. Want to master Microsoft Excel and take your work-from-home job prospects to the next level? Jump-start your career with our Premium A-to. 22-66 Fold 77-99 Raise to standard for table, figure out how deep you are to see if you can profitably set-mine if 3-bet, fold to 4-bet. Same as below, the stack sizes are the most critical thing to consider with a baby pair like 55. If your opponent is holding something like a pair of 4s, eight-seven or six-five, they could squeeze. How to Play Low Pocket Pairs in Middle Position. 4. 3. Pocket Kings is the second best poker hand you can be dealt in Texas Hold’em poker, behind only pocket Aces. This is because you can expect to win much more when you do hit your set on the flop. With this in mind, the small pocket pairs will give you a good feel of how the game is going to progress without you rushing into mistakes that will cost you the pot. Checking with Jack-Nine on a board like 974 would be a pretty bad mistake. If you play against one random hand, the probability to win is 77% to 85% of the time. 2. A particularly dangerous board with the possibility of straights, flushes or full houses. When Q-Q goes up against A-K before the flop, there is a 57 percent chance the Queens hold up. In other words it's a little bit like set-mining apart from the fact that we have a chunk of fold-equity preflop too. A player who enters a pot with one of these hands must recognize the potential of winning big or going broke, and be prepared to make critical decisions on later streets. In this vlog, I discuss how to play big pocket pairs and when to consider 3 betting and flatting preflop. Even if they’re suited, the chance of flopping a flush is only 0. It reduced to 30-35% if all players stay till the end of. For example, if you’re holding a pair of jacks and there’s a jack on the board, then you have three-of-a-kind, but more specifically, you have a set. By Matthew Cluff. All top, middle, and bottom pairs; Most pocket pairs without a backdoor flush draw; All pocket pairs with a backdoor flush draw; All flush draws; Some double backdoor hands (like 7 ♦ 6 ♦). When raising with A-K, you are primarily doing it for the third reason, whereas when raising with a hand such as AA, you are doing it for the second. There's a reason for folding low hands. For this reason, many players will refuse to play pocket pairs below fives. Danger pairs play a lot like middle pairs, but will occasionally hold their own against an opponent who has hit part of his hand (like someone playing A-8 suited who hits the 8. Set: 10. 9 out of 48 = 18% - third card. But if the a player squeezed to a very small size, say 2. One last thing to consider: you shouldn't only play small pocket pairs to set mine. If your table is very passive or the rake is. They come round roughly 1 in 220 times and should be one of the most profitable hands for you. Each one is remarkably simple but effective. 888poker investigates how often you should be playing them and whether to raise, call or fold. The reason for this is mostly math. Hello, i've been playing a lot of cash games online lately, mostly 0,05/0,10, and dont really know how to play big pocket pairs after flop when there is an overcard. ago. Slang for pocket fours because the number 4 looks similar to a sail. To isolate the hand against one or a few opponent/s. In Omaha Hold ’em, a pocket pair would mean you have two same cards in your. When facing a raise you have to think about your opponent. The deeper or larger your stack is, the more profitable it becomes to play small pairs due to the high implied odds on hitting a set. The best hands to play in poker preflop will always be big pocket pairs (such as Ace-Ace, King-King and Queen-Queen), followed by big suited connectors such as Ace-King, as well as medium pairs. So in this article I am going to break it all down for you step by step. What does everyone think an acceptable play is in the following positions: Small blind Button Under the gun Look forward to some discussion on this!Pocket Queens vs Ace-King Odds. This turns a small profit situation to a negative expectation situation. Naturally, the lower down the pocket pair, the less value it has. 20 poker hands odds and poker statistics you should know to improve your game. To compensate for the lack of information when opening first, you should stick to a tight range of strong hands, including high-pocket pairs, suited aces, and suited broadway hands, to maximize your chances of winning the pot. It must be stressed that aces are definitely not a hand to be slowplayed. Pocket 7s down are pretty much set mining hands, unless the blinds are very high relative to stack sizes. A: There are 6 combos of each pocket pair, meaning across 13 different card values, there are 78 combos of pocket pairs. This applies to almost all hands you play, but especially to pocket pairs due to the fact that they don’t offer much flexibility on the flop, turn or river versus other hands. In almost all circumstances getting all-in pre. * *The solver elects to raise with some of these hands as a semi-bluff raises at some frequency, as I will describe below. They are two cards of the same rank; for example, A♥ A♦ and K♦ K♣. Pocket pairs always have the potential to flop sets and, generally speaking, if you can flop a set you can bust someone. In these situations, the small pairs can realize their maximum equity by going all-in preflop. Middle position gives players a little more breathing room to play low pocket pairs. Live Events 1. Many players try to play middle and smaller pairs from early position. Pre-Flop Probabilities: Hand vs. Unopened Pots. How To Play Pocket Pairs Knowing what to do when you’re dealt pocket pairs can help you make the most of this hand, even if it’s not always in your favor. These hands are strong enough that they want to value-bet for a small size. When you are dealt two cards of the same rank, you are dealt a pocket pair, for example – A♥A♦ and K♦K♣. A “set” refers to three-of-a-kind using pocket pairs and “trips” refers to a three-of-a-kind using one hole card and 2 community cards. Full House (Set to your pocket pair, plus a board pair): 0. To make small pocket pairs your winning hand, you need to remember that their strength is mostly revealed on the flop when you hit a set of 3-of-a-kind. . 2. A2-AT Fold AJo: fold AJs: Raise - but it's the absolute bottom of my range here, and I fold to many 3-bets. You raise, the big blind calls you and the flop comes with 6 of clubs, 5 of clubs and 4 of hearts. Raising from early position pre-flop gives your opponents the impression you have a premium hand. They have the ability to take down big pots after making a set or by being the unsuspected overpair. Suppose you are playing $1/$3 no-limit hold'em and before the flop, you raise to $12 in early position with a pair of jacks. Hey all I’m fairly new to Texas Hold’em and would love your advice on the following. Paired flops come in many different forms and the optimal strategy for each can vary wildly. If you miss the flop though, then you small pocket pair should be folded. In Texas Hold ’em, a pocket pair means you were dealt a pair right away and, in many cases, can really get stronger with the flop, turn, and river. The chance that you're opponent may fold increasing the profit from playing this hand considerably. This gives you fold equity and generally wins you the pot on a. 4. How to Play Pocket Jacks Preflop. I know there is no perfect, guaranteed, positive, all encompassing answer on how to play small to medium pocket pairs, and I have tried various strategies from Jamming pre to limping and other. Still, most players get a twinge of excitement when they see a pair of pocket jacks knowing they're holding a top 5 hand. Certainly, hands like 2-2 to 5-5 should be folded to any LP raise. If you can get in all the money before the flop, kudos to you, as you’ll likely be ahead of your opponent’s range. For example, 7-7 vs J-10, with the final board coming Q-9-8-7-2 (even making a set of sevens on the turn didn't save the pocket pair) A flush. The Rest: 2s - 9s. If you hold a pocket pair and get the third matching card from the board, that’s called a set. If you can get in all the money before the flop, kudos to you, as you’ll likely be ahead of your opponent’s range. 9% (once every 17 hands). Given the presence of the ante, the players are incentivized to play loose ranges preflop to attack the dead money in the pot. Usually, it's not a good idea to call all-in re-raises, especially in situations when you play cash games, because there's a considerable risk that other players who go all-in will do so with big pocket pairs (often bigger than pocket Queens). In a full-ring game of nine players, it’s rarely a good idea. . It is essential to evaluate the playing field and see if the raise would be beneficial by thinning out the field. I talk about how to play pocket deuces out of position before. This means that you should try to hit 3 of a kind with your small pocket pairs on the flop. The following is a list of nicknames for pairs of two playing cards, usually hole cards, used in poker derivatives such as Texas hold ’em and Omaha hold. When you’re in the Big Blind facing a raise, you should never fold King-Jack suited. Imagine a board such as after you’ve called a 3-bet with from the Button against the Small Blind. JJ is such a trouble hand that most beginners actually even hate having it dealt to them. When blockers are in play, we can use two simple rules to count up specific combos. So on the flop a pair of jacks must be played aggressively to weed out players. Pocket pairs are a rather polarizing hand in that you either hit the board pretty hard or you miss completely. Chapter 1: Understanding the Strength of Small Pairs . Same as below, the stack sizes are the most critical thing to consider with a baby pair like 55. Conditions for Playing Small Pairs. Double-Paired Boards As the Preflop Raiser from the Button. They are actually very easy to play as 3bets. The ability to go all-in profitably with small pocket pairs when short-stacked makes them straightforward and easy to play. Any raise and you can be sure there is an over pocket pair or something like an A-10 or A-J staring at you. Middle position: 22-44: Fold 55-99: Raise to standard for table, figure out how deep you are to see. Tips for playing pocket aces. Small Pocket Pairs are a Drawing Hand. How you should play small pairs is mostly dependent on your stack size and the effective stack size in the hand; that is, the smaller stack that can be put at risk. don’t play low pocket pairs when short-stacked Unless you’re going to be shoving all-in, the value of low pocket pairs drastically decreases as your stack gets smaller. While it seems like you get dealt pairs a lot, the actual odds of receiving any pocket pair is just 5. On this board, your normal bet size should be on the bigger side and vary from around 2/3 of the pot to 75%. You can c-bet at a very high frequency and force a lot of two overcard hands to fold their equity. Hakon wanted me to look at a hand and he prefaces it by saying he was playing at a 25NL Zoom table. The more you play and begin to recognize the strengths of different types of hands, the. First of all, if he or she has a small pockt pair, they are tended to limp in the pot and try to catch, and likely to fold to moderate. in a HU situation AK is better than low pocket pairs and also easily to play after flop, actually against more than one villain. e. The turn T ♥ checks through and the river is the 4♣. (this isn't…Right now, your 5-card hand is a pair of Aces with a Jack kicker (A-A-J-8-6). If you have an opponent give you any trouble and you don’t have a set, you can assume you’re losing to everything except a bluff. The player to the left of the big blind is called 'under the gun', as they’re the first. 45% of chances of receiving pocket pairs in Texas Hold’em while. Poker News. It depends on the type of the game, your position and stack. Pockets Kings are the second-best starting hand in poker. You don't need to double up or stack someone EVERY TIME you hit a set, limping in for 2 bucks and winning a 60-100 dollar pot with a set is a great result. Consider how each hand fairs on the turn and river: With 4♠ 4♣, we have just 2 outs and no backdoor draws when we are behind. You don't need to double up or stack someone EVERY TIME you hit a set, limping in for 2 bucks and winning a 60-100 dollar pot with a set is a great result. A pocket pair refers to having two cards of the same rank in your hand, such as two aces or two kings. In Texas Hold ’em, a pocket pair means you were dealt a pair right away and, in many cases, can really get stronger with the flop, turn, and river. The key to this is knowing how people play pocket pairs. Such plays should be avoided because winning real money — not temporary chips — is your goal as a tournament player. It’s very intuitive that Pocket Queens are a strong hand preflop since it’s a strong pair before the flop. Pocket pairs in Omaha are a good hand, but not nearly as valuable as in Texas Hold'em. Certainly, hands like 2-2 to 5-5 should be folded to any LP raise. Let’s split this section into two groups: 1. Playing underpairs optimally can help you make more money in the long run. Obviously I used PowerPoint to help. When an Ace hits the Flop. Fast play your sets most of the time by betting/raising. The Big Blind check-calls a 66% pot c-bet on K♣ 9♣ 2 ♥. When the action folds to you and you have Ace-Ten offsuit, you should almost always raise. When you have a strong hand in poker, you should almost always lean towards fast-playing to build the pot ASAP. Key Points: Fold in early position to a raise; call big blind and late position. When to Raise. Pocket eights are a very strong starting hand, falling within the top 6% of all starting hands. In Limit Holdem low pocket pairs can be played in virtually any position without a 3bet. possible. The problem with this is you’re out of position for the entire hand. According to PokerSnowie, you can only call such a raise with JJ or better. 9-10 is tricky cause of the dumb dumb end of broadways . #13. You can c-bet at a very high frequency and force a lot of two overcard hands to fold their equity. In PLO, the 1/8 times you hit your set, you can still lose enough times that it doesn't justify playing it. 3 tips for playing this small pair when you are the preflop caller. But it can be a tricky hand to play post flop because it's vulnerable to over cards such as aces and kings. Since I know many of you have asked me about playing mid pocket pairs in cash game, especially from out of position, I decided to make this quick Hand of the. Texas hold ’em pocket card nicknames. 8824% or 1 : 16. Low Pocket Pairs. This includes both single-raised pots and 3-bet pots. To search for a specific topic, use our search page here. Trips and two pair are bread-and-butter value-betting hands. Paired boards are great for the player who is in position. The other important notation you’ll often see is “+”, which can mean different things depending on what hand it’s attached to. In fact, you should fold them straight out from UTG, UTG+1, and UTG+2. In live 1-2, getting tricky with them and trying to steal (after missing) is usually a mistake. e. Many amateurs fall into this bad habit because they are the #1 starting hand. This video offers tips on how to play poker pairs of different strengths. In this case, Three Aces will be the strongest set, followed by three Kings, and so on all the way down to three Twos. Pocket Jacks will make an overpair on the flop only 43% of the time. Always remember that. And so in this article I am going to show you step by step how to play your pocket queens more profitably. Firstly you need to be aware that you’ll only hit a set on the flop 12. How to Play Strong Pocket Pairs Strong pocket pairs are premium hands in no-limit Texas hold’em, meaning they are the. Good understanding of what are the odds when playing small pocket pairs in various scen. Certainly, hands like 2-2 to 5-5 should be folded to any LP raise. 1 out of 13 times, your second card will provide you with the most powerful preflop starting hand in Hold’em! Peeling the second card, you see the emergence of a diagonal outline. Other variations are Big Queen and Big Chick. In Limit Holdem low pocket pairs can be played in virtually any position without a 3bet. It might not seem obvious at first glance, but boards like 9♠ 5♣ 3♠ and T ♥ 8♣ 2♠ can setup some. Remember, the majority of hands heads-up are won by a high card or a single pair. Single Pair Hands: This encompasses overpairs to pocket pairs below the third pair, constituting the other 88% of flop outcomes. It is pre-flop 4:1 favorite over any other hands. Set mining is only one of many possible approaches to take when playing small-to-medium pairs. If I hit the flop hard, then it depends on the action of the table, but I usually end up with a big pot. Well, early in tournaments, at most tables, I’d just raise. For this reason, many players will refuse to play pocket pairs below fives. These tips are for when you’re playing as the preflop aggressor. ” Yes, you have a high pair in the form of two Aces, but you aren’t faring so well because of your low kicker. Paired Hands (Pocket Pairs) Paired Hands are also called pocket pairs. After the flop you need to put your opponent on a range and analyze the strength of your hand before deciding how to proceed. The medium pocket pairs are 10-10,9-9, 8-8, 7-7 and 6-6. Tip #2: Use the rule of 6 and 3 to estimate your odds. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player looking to refine your skills, understanding the basics of playing pocket pairs is essential. The remaining 88%, you will be left holding a weak pair, often with two to three overcards on the board, and limited outs to improve. I play em pretty much like any other pair. going to have some sort of showdown value. Against a single player with a random hand, you win 85% of the time, which equates to an $85 profit. If you’re at a 9-handed table, the best baseline strategy is to fold Pocket Fives from the 3 earliest positions (UTG, UTG+1 and UTG+2). Photo by Hassan Khalid. A “set” refers to three-of-a-kind using pocket pairs and “trips” refers to a three-of-a-kind using one hole card and 2 community cards. The odds of winning with pocket aces depends on the number of opponents. Pocket Twos have the best efficiency of all the pocket pairs because almost every hand has two overcards against it. You can raise in late position, but make your raises big. Do not slowplay. Tip #2: Always fast-play your trips or two pairs . When you’re in the Big Blind facing a raise, you should: Vs Lojack or earlier – Fold every time. The comparative looseness or tight playing styles from opponents who re-raise will give you a lot of. How to Play Pocket Aces . Low pocket pairs are fairly straightforward to play, their certainly a hand you want to play in position and not multi-way if possible. Trips and two pair are bread-and-butter value-betting hands. If you’re dealt a pair of queens when you play poker online games, you’ll have the last of the top three best starting hands. Don’t Slow-Play Preflop, But Don’t Overdo It. Sets or Better: Pocket Jacks hit sets or better approximately 12% of the time. In the good old' days of poker when edges were slightly bigger and players weren't punished for their mistakes as severely as they are today, the recipe for success with 22-66 was pretty simple - always raise first, always cold call, try to flop a set and get a big payday. Understanding. 3 Tips for Pocket Sixes in 3-Bet Pots as the Preflop Caller Tip #1: If you have a middling pair and a backdoor flush draw, call even if the bet is large. Three pairs = 500 points. Middle pairs do win more than their fare share of pots, but that doesn’t mean they are strong hands in big pots. What are Small Pocket Pairs, And How to Play Them? Small pocket pairs range from 2-2 to 6-6, anything higher is regarded as medium or premium pairs. Firstly you need to be aware that you’ll only hit a set on the flop 12. From early position its completely fine to just fold or you can semi-bluff raise a small percentage of the time, I know low pairs make up a limping range for some guys but I personally don’t include them. A top pair on the flop is a very strong hand that can get a lot of value with a c-bet. Tip #1: Always bet and barrel for value with top pair (unless the board runs out in a very dicey way) If you have Ace-Queen and the flop comes Ace-high or Queen-high, you have a monster hand worth multiple streets of value. There are 4 or 5 overcards, depending on your top pair, that will crumble the expected value of your hand. By Matthew Cluff. In this video, we cover simple strategy recommendations on how to play premium, medium, and small pocket pairs. If you’re playing at a 9-handed table, you should fold it from the two earliest positions (UTG and UTG+1 in the graphic below). Tips for playing pocket aces. Set mining means calling preflop with a small pocket pair with the intention of hitting a set postflop and taking down a big pot. 1) Play small pocket pairs against deep stacked opponents. Obviously, you need to be wary in a full ring, deep stacked game, but jacks should win you money in the long run. These include two jacks, two queens, two kings and two aces. How you should play small pairs is mostly dependent on your stack size and the effective stack size in the hand; that is, the smaller stack that can be put at risk. Playing small pocket pairs can be a challenge as they can give you a false sense of a strong hand, while in reality, their value is relatively weak if not. How to Play Pocket Twos in Common Preflop Situations. Middle position: 22-44: Fold 55-99: Raise to standard for table, figure out how deep you are to see. Tip #1: If you have an underpair to the flop, check back most of the time. When faced with a 3-bet, you should always call with pocket eights. Related Reading: How to Play Small Pocket Pairs in 6-Max Hold'em; SnG ABCs: Small Pocket Pairs; Top-Pair Hands. effective stack: the smallest of the stacks involved in a hand. You can raise in late position, but make your raises big. To search for a specific topic, use our search page here. They are both drawing hands that should be played aggressively before the flop. This does not apply in Omaha and a lot of Hold'Em players do not understand this. Want to learn how to play pocket pairs in cash games? Read this guide: How to Play Low Pocket Pairs in Cash Games « View All Poker Terms. Counting Combos: Pocket Pairs Let's try one. Pocket pairs play decently well out of position compared to other hand types. JJ is such a trouble hand that most beginners actually even hate having it dealt to them. Poker Basics. When facing a raise you have to think about your opponent. Pocket Jacks tend to play best in either multi-player pots, when four or more players see the flop, or heads up against one other player. Pocket Pairs. In this video you will learn how to play small pocket pairs in poker. The order of poker hand rankings (from the highest/best to the lowest/worst) is: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four-of-a-Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three-of-a-Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, High Card. Pocket pairs are a rather polarizing hand in that you either hit the board pretty hard or you miss completely. Against an Early Position raise, fold Queen-Ten suited. 1. As with any hand, you can win if everyone else folds. One major leak I see people make is calling big raises with baby pairs against short stacked players. For example, if you’re holding a pair of jacks and there’s a jack on the board, then you have three-of-a-kind, but more specifically, you have a set. A wired pair is similar to a pocket pair, except in five card stud it refers to a door card that pairs the hole card. If it's cash game, you may want to play any pocket pair to hit the set on the flop. I like to raise the low PP's (22-55) in EP some 60-70% of the time and play them just as I would any big pair. This video offers tips on how to play poker pairs of different strengths. Do not slowplay. A small pair is going to flop a set or better about 12% of the time, which means it will also miss the flop the other 88% of the time. Unfortunately, there’s no easy explanation on how to play Pocket Jacks preflop. It’s one of the best feelings in the game of Texas. The other important notation you’ll often see is “+”, which can mean different things depending on what hand it’s attached to. . Learn to play these spots correctly, and stop making big e. If this sounds like a challenging situation, just imagine being in this spot from out of position. This means there are: 16 possible hand combinations of every unpaired hand. Odds of Hitting the Flop When Holding a Pocket Pair: Two Pair: 16. Poker is a game of skill and strategy, where players aim to make the best hand possible and win the pot. Certainly, hands like 2-2 to 5-5 should be folded to any LP raise. So what this means is that every 9 times you see the flop with a pocket pair you should flop a set at least once. How to Play Pocket Aces . While you do already have a made hand, I recommend keeping the pot relatively small preflop. The Rest: 2s - 9s. If I hit the flop hard, then it depends on the action of the table, but I usually end up with a big pot. You could justify slow play if the flop is composed of low-value connecting cards. 5. 4. Cons: Lack of implied odds for set mining. And if you play against recreational. It is also possible that pocket aces face heads up with another pocket aces. Being up against multiple players is a relatively. . In this case, Three Aces will be the strongest set, followed by three Kings, and so on all the way down to three Twos. So, after playing millions and millions of hands at the micros and. 1. It’s subjective and depends on a lot of different factors including table position, chip stacks, the blinds, and, of course, how you assess your opponents. Playing small pairs incorrectly is one of the biggest mistakes that less experienced players make. Mostly call to see a cheap flop as the chances of hitting a Set (Three of a Kind) is 10. Oct 16, 2014. Pocket pairs can be some of the most profitable hands in poker. Poker Articles. Hope to hit a set, consider board texture, bet accordingly. How to Play Small Pocket Pairs. Let’s take a look at one such scenario: Example: The Button raises and the Big Blind. You want to build the pot, but you shouldn’t bet too big and step outside of your range. There is a min-raise from MP2, a small 3bet from the button, and hero decides to call. Pocket Pairs •Play big pocket pairs aggressively: raise •Play small pocket pairs carefully –When the pot is big (lots of players) Big cards •Play big cards aggressively: raise •Aces >> kings •Suited >> unsuited. Small pocket pairs might look nice as a starting hand, but you should be dumping most of them in early position. It’s simply a great hand to have since you have a 12% chance of hitting a set on the flop, and you will have a good chance of stacking your opponent if they have an overpair. The best, in this case, is when you flop your low pocket pair set. Learn how to play pocket pairs in an online Texas Hold'em tournament. Raising and Betting. Pocket pairs are excellent starting hands in Hold’em due to their ability to flop a set (three of a kind). That's a tight way to play small pps, but you're only flopping a set 11% of the time and that's really the only way to get paid off at least when you're starting out. In summary, the key to playing with a pair of queens is to use the combination of your hand strength before the flop, good position at the table and judgment of the meaning of your opponent's bets and raises. If you called a raise preflop, look to put in a raise against a bet. If you are checking and calling, you are missing out on a prime opportunity to force. Set mining is only one of many possible approaches to take when playing small-to-medium pairs. You can raise in late position, but make your raises big. Small pocket pairs might look nice as a starting hand, but you should be dumping most of them in early position. This first rule is something you should immediately apply to your game. 6 possible combinations of each pocket pair. Maximizing Profit with Pocket Pairs: A Comprehensive Guide. #11. Once you get a set, playing passively is the last thing you want to do. If you play pocket Jacks in a tournament, you can expect players to call all-in in later rounds, even. In a $1/2 game, playing pocket deuces from the button makes more sense if you and the other limpers have $300 rather.