How to Play Small Pocket Pairs
February 24, 2010
How to play middle pocket pairs
It is significantly harder to play a middle pocket pair like eights or nines. In this case base all of your decisions on what’s currently happening on the table. If you are in an early position hope to get in cheap and attempt to set your pocket pair. Or put in a small feeler raise, just to see what kinds of hands come in. This information will help you in the long run, especially if there’s a showdown. In a later position, really think about raising especially if you are near the button. Your opposition will think that you are trying to pick up blinds and call your bet. If the flop comes large ( Ace, queen, four) you can consider throwing away your hand because it is likely that your opponent called with a weak ace. If you got in relatively cheap, it won’t be hard to throw away. If the flop comes ragged (three, five, ten) your eights or nines are in good shape. With only one over card on the board second pair has a good chancet. If your pocket pair is top pair, you can choose to play it how you like depending on the other players in the hand.
Setting your pocket pairs
With a set there are only two things you must fear the straight and the flush. Checking your set will make other players at your table believe that you have missed the flop. However be cautious when executing this play, you may run into trouble and have to throw away what would’ve been a winning hand on the flop. When and if they raise you choose to call, or raise. Just calling is a sometimes called a amateur play, but it does not give your opponent any information on what you may have. Check calling may also be a dangerous play, especially when playing amateur players, unless it is apparent that he or she may be on a drawing hand. If that is the case make a large raise, making them pay a large amount to see the next card. If you have the nuts on the river make a value bet or raise. Getting value out of your bet is important. To big of a bet may scare the other player away so it is important to bet a value that will be called. He will be pot committed by this point so for example a P50 bet on a P250 pot will most likely get a call and good value out of your set.
How to play low pocket pairs
Try to get in cheap. If you miss the flop fold. If you hit, you can choose to check it, and slow play or depending on your positon and the other players in the hand, you can try other tactics as well. ry not to get too cheeky and get yourself caught in “fancy play syndrome”. You might lose the pot and your table image all in one hand. In a short handed or tournament situation trying to get into a race, or coin flip is sometimes a good option. The trouble with that is if your opponent has a higher pocket pair you are an 80% underdog and have two “outs” before the flop.
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