A “pocket pair” is a pair that a player possesses in his beginning hand in a Hold’em game. Firstly you need to be aware that you’ll only hit a set on the flop 12. 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. It sucks when your pocket pair misses the flop, especially when you’re looking at three overcards. Just remember this type of play works maybe half the time at best. The problem is that you’re risking a lot of money upfront, only to concede it a large majority of time postflop. 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. You want to build the pot, but you shouldn’t bet too big and step outside of your range. Small pocket pairs (66 through 22) are more speculative hands, so they are best played as set mines when the stack sizes are very deep. How to Play Pocket Pairs | A Winner’s Guide "Plays" Strategies by Team RedSharkPoker 3 years ago 0 1048 Who doesn’t love pocket pairs in poker! Seeing two cards of the same value brings a big smile to your. Middle position gives players a little more breathing room to play low pocket pairs. To sum up, here are 4 under-appreciated, but potentially highly profitable starting poker hands all good players know to play. So, be wary of straights and. I'm a bit of a newbie to poker and started playing online, this situation seems to be one that has screwed me over more than a few times. Pocket Pairs are strong hands but stacking off with the baby pairs can be risky as there are many. Players don’t play poker in a vacuum; each player’s hand must measure up against his opponent’s, especially if a player goes all-in before the flop. How to Play Pocket Aces . The player to the left of the big blind is called 'under the gun', as they’re the first. Usage: Pocket Pair, Pocket Aces, Pocket Fives, Pocket Cards, Pocket Pairs Previous Poker Term: Pocket Next Poker Term: Position: Online Poker for a Living Online Poker Cash GamesWhen two pairs of the same strength play against each other, the winner is determined by the next-highest card (aka the kicker). 1. How to Play Suited Poker Hands. In these situations, the small pairs can realize their maximum equity by going all-in preflop. Believe it or not, pocket eights is one of the top 6% of starting hands when it comes to winning possibilities. So on the flop a pair of jacks must be played aggressively to weed out players. Pocket Twos have the best efficiency of all the pocket pairs because almost every hand has two overcards against it. Alternatively: 1000 points. These tips are for when you’re playing as the preflop aggressor. 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. Pocket pairs in Omaha are a good hand, but not nearly as valuable as in Texas Hold'em. The odds of you being dealt a pair of pocket aces (the best starting hand in poker) is 0. 2. So, the chance of being dealt a pocket pair is 78/1326 = 5. 60% chances are that you will see atleast one over pair on the. The deeper our opponent's stack the. Counting Combos: Pocket Pairs Let's try one. It sure looks like a premium hand, but it’s essentially a mid-sized pocket pair. Most of the value in small pocket pairs comes from when they flop a set, which will only happen 11. You should focus on value-betting with very strong hands, as well as some vulnerable made hands if you have many of them (as it was in our second example). The rest of the pairs, 2s through 9s, cannot really be counted as premium hands, apart from in heads-up scenarios. For an improved article-browsing experience, go to our primary blog page here and use the check boxes at. Let’s take a look at one such scenario: Example: The Button raises and the Big Blind. Won plenty of stacks coolering others with straights/flushes. EV= 0. Set mining means calling preflop with a small pocket pair with the intention of hitting a set postflop and taking down a big pot. You only have like a one in ten chance of hitting a set, which means on average you should try and make 10x your return of your preflop bet to make the strategy of set mining profitable. You sit waiting patiently for that big pair, and then BOOM: pocket Jacks! Now what? This page is going to be a collection of fun and interesting spots with big pairs, from pocket Tens to Aces, chock full of tips and strategy to win more with these rare pairs. If the pre-flop raise comes from late position (cutoff or button), the player may be attempting to steal the blinds. Ace-king is almost 50% to win against pairs Q-Q and below and 30% to win against pocket Kings. Hands like suited connectors and all pocket pairs rise in value. It should be full of suited connectors and mid to low-value pocket pairs. They are two cards of the same rank; for example, A♥ A♦ and K♦ K♣. 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. 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. Therefore, while playing pocket pairs you can win large pots if you play smartly and strategically or lose. In general, a pocket pair refers to a hand in which you have two matching cards, more commonly known as a pair. 7 percent. . There is a min-raise from MP2, a small 3bet from the button, and hero decides to call. For example, Q-Q vs A-K, and the final board is K-J-7-5-2; A straight. Flop a set (three-a-kind) 2. 3% to 11. 9. Playing Aggressively on Each Street. Things to Consider Before You Play Your Pair. Each pair has a total of six combinations. When Q-Q goes up against A-K before the flop, there is a 57 percent chance the Queens hold up. For example, for Pocket Aces, we would divide 6 combinations by 1,326 total combinations to see that we’ll receive this hand every 1 in 221 hands. 3. Betting while having the equity lead (which you will almost always have as the preflop raiser) will ensure that you are building the pot while being the favored one. If we hit our set we play for value. There are 13 pairs in Hold’em (22 – AA) and for each there are 6 ways to be dealt. 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. How to play pocket pairs. Pocket pairs from 22 right up to AA can be played profitably with the right strategy, even if hands like AA and KK are a lot more exciting to play. Players will want to isolate and. As with any hand, you can win if everyone else folds. With low pocket pairs, you may often hit a set such as a three-of-a-kind on the flop. Try not to get too attached to the hand. This means there are: 16 possible hand combinations of every unpaired hand. In general, set mining hands are low pocket pairs with which you want to see some cheap flops and hope to hit the jackpot. possible. You want to lean toward betting whether you hit the Queen or the Ten top pair. About 36% of the time pocket jacks will hold up as an over pair, while 41% of the time there will be overcards that beat jacks with top pair. Against a 3-Bet. That’s the goal of this lesson. If you want to learn how to play specific starting hands like a pro, read one of the articles below. Ks-Kc-Qd-Jh-5h. But if the a player squeezed to a very small size, say 2. 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. In Omaha Hold ’em, a pocket pair would mean you have two same cards in your hand. Low Pocket Pairs. Middle position gives players a little more breathing room to play low pocket pairs. When small pocket pairs make a set, they should typically be fast-played in a deep-stacked situation. 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. The Importance of Knowing Premium Poker Hands. Do not get too enthusiastic with small pairs. I talk about how to play pocket deuces out of position before. You can either open the pot 4xBBs or you can limp. Making a Fold. Let’s not forget that pocket Kings are a great starting hand in hold’em and will win you a lot of chips over the long term. The number 1 discussed poker hands in forums, groups, podcasts and all other possible types of communities. On this board, your normal bet size should be on the bigger side and vary from around 2/3 of the pot to 75%. 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. 9% chance of being dealt a pocket pair. You square up your hole cards. Pocket pairs. In this vlog, I discuss how to play mid pocket pairs and why it's very important to understand their SD value post flop. How to play ace king evaluation. Get Bonus £400. So don’t play aces this way all the time. In a full-ring game of nine players, it’s rarely a good idea. In Limit Holdem low pocket pairs can be played in virtually any position without a 3bet. Small pocket pairs might look nice as a starting hand, but you should be dumping most of them in early position. Pockets Kings are the second-best starting hand in poker. If you called a raise preflop, look to put in a raise against a bet. Slang for pocket fours because the number 4 looks similar to a sail. Here are the table positions for your reference: Unopened Pots. As mentioned, it all depends on the situation when playing Texas Hold 'em. Pocket Sevens are a very strong starting hand, falling within the top 6-7% of all starting hands. These include two jacks, two queens, two kings and two aces. 4 hand combinations of each suited hand. You should also be playing your pocket aces very aggressively after the flop as well. Knowing the above information, we can then do some basic math to determine the likelihood of getting certain combinations of hole cards. 1. Tip #3: Pocket pairs with a gutshot or open-ender should be check-raised very frequently. Let’s say you called a 3-bet preflop and the board comes A-J-5 rainbow. Pocket Jacks are tricky because they won’t flop an overpair as often as other premium pocket pairs. When facing a raise you have to think about your opponent. The other important notation you’ll often see is “+”, which can mean different things depending on what hand it’s attached to. The look on a new players face when he first sees a solid boat get beat by another boat… it's priceless. Don’t get married to your hand. Unopened Pots. Your strategy is defined by two main factors: the strength of your pocket. The flop is J♠ 7 ♥ 6 ♦ and the Big Blind checks. Particularly when in position, betting on the flop and then bombing on the turn if you pick up a draw really puts your opponent in a miserable spot. 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. I always have trouble playing low pocket pairs (55’s and lower) 9 handed. When an Ace hits the Flop. 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. As long as theres 3+ ppl in the pot its great to set mine with. To search for a specific topic, use our search page here. 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. 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. 33 and 22 are small pocket pairs. Unfortunately, the odds of being dealt pocket Aces is 220-to-1 so it doesn’t occur nearly as often as we would wish. Tip #1 – Lean heavily towards c-betting with your top pairs Top pairs are strong hands on the flop. On 8♠ 8♣ 6♦, the optimal strategy is to c-bet around 50% of the time versus the Big Blind. 20 poker hands odds and poker statistics you should know to improve your game. Good understanding of what are the odds when playing small pocket pairs in various scen. , $240. How to Play Pocket Aces . 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. Categorizing Pocket Pairs and How to Play Them. Against five players with hands from the example, you’ll win 48% of the time. Both players have Two Pairs: Kings and Jacks – but Player 1 makes a superior 5-card “high” hands because of the Ace, while Player 2 cannot improve the Queen kicker that is on the community board. Pocket Pairs. Q–Q is usually worth a raise or three-bet (this. Small pocket pairs: Small pocket pairs are the hardest hands to play and bet on. And combination of hearts and straight cards and possible over pairs. Conditions for Playing Small Pairs. Understanding. When you have a chance to bet, you can increase the size of the pot to your desire. While it seems like you get dealt pairs a lot, the actual odds of receiving any pocket pair is just 5. Big pots are meant for big hands, and by betting and raising with sets, the pot can be inflated before an opponent realizes just how far behind they are. Low pocket pairs are fairly straightforward to play, their certainly a hand you want to play in position and not multi-way if possible. If you want to learn how to play specific starting hands like a pro, read one of the articles below. 1. Small pocket pairs might look nice as a starting hand, but you should be dumping most of them in early position. 7 percent. When faced with a 3-bet, you should always call with pocket eights. Certainly, hands like 2-2 to 5-5 should be folded to any LP raise. 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. Ace-king is almost 50% to win against pairs Q-Q and below and 30% to win against pocket Kings. These outcomes include: Having enough opponents to supply the correct pot odds. You’re going to come up against a lot of different scenarios when playing. The best starting hand in Texas Hold’em poker is a pair of aces, colloquially known as pocket rockets. In almost all circumstances getting all-in pre. If you miss the flop though, then you small pocket pair should be folded. Instead, your strategy should be to scare the opponents into folding, even if it requires a bit of bluffing. In live 1-2, getting tricky with them and trying to steal (after missing) is usually a mistake. Even though they are pretty weak hands, playing them wrong will cost you expected value continuously. 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. 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. The whole concept of PLO preflop hand selection and hand strength is a bit more complicated than in holdem. Against a Cutoff raise, 3-bet from the Button. TYPES OF POCKET PAIRS. that betting dilutes the value of your hand and being otherwise. There are only 3 higher pocket pairs so you can expect to have the best hand before the flop most of the time you’re dealt them. e. Small pocket pairs, particularly at the lower limits in real money games, are often overlooked by newer poker players, even though they can be some of your biggest long-term winners. 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. How to play pocket pairs. Counting Combos: Pocket Pairs Let's try one. Lock your seat now! The Advanced Solver Ranges for cash games — one of six sets of preflop charts in the Upswing Lab. 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. It’s very intuitive that Pocket Queens are a strong hand preflop since it’s a strong pair before the flop. Against a Middle Position raise, 3-bet if you are on the Button. The effective size of your stack is one of the biggest considerations when deciding how to play your pocket pair. Another time when it makes sense to bluff with low pocket pairs is when you can’t find enough natural bluffs on the river. Sets are often hidden and you can easily stack someone who has top pair or an overpair. Checking with Jack-Nine on a board like 974 would be a pretty bad mistake. Remember, the majority of hands heads-up are won by a high card or a single pair. Here are some tips on how to play middle pocket pairs effectively:Here is the advanced pocket pair strategy you can use to start winning much more. Pocket eights are a very strong starting hand, falling within the top 6% of all starting hands. 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. You have to play heads-up in the mind-set that any pair is good until proven otherwise. Related Reading: How to Play Small Pocket Pairs in 6-Max Hold'em; SnG ABCs: Small Pocket Pairs; Top-Pair Hands. With Q ♦ J ♦, we have 6 outs to make a pair that might be good, and can pick up equity with any ace, ten, nine, or diamond. Small Pairs. See the flop and then act! Another way to approach pocket tens might be to consider your position first. 1. In this video we are going to talk about how to play with low pocket pairs on the pre-flop. “Pocket queens” will almost always help a player in cash games or online poker tournaments so long as no aces or kings appear as community cards. There are 1326 total combinations of all hands that can be dealt pre-flop, from Aces to 3-2 offsuit. If you look at the odds of flopping a set, you will be looking at a probability of about 8 to 1. In live 1-2, getting tricky with them and trying to steal (after missing) is usually a mistake. When you’re UTG+1 through Small Blind. Pocket pairs are a rather polarizing hand in that you either hit the board pretty hard or you miss completely. The best way to play pocket aces is to raise and re-raise with them before the flop. The odds of flopping a set with a pocket pair are 7 to 1, which means that we will hit a set 1 in every 8 flops. If you hold a pocket pair and get the third matching card from the board, that’s called a set. If your opponent is holding something like a pair of 4s, eight-seven or six-five, they could squeeze. 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. 88%, or odds of 1 : 16. Mistake #4: Playing Too Passively Postflop. Some of the biggest pots are created due to a pocket pair's 'hidden' attribute in a. The turn T ♥ checks through and the river is the 4♣. Another time when it makes sense to bluff with low pocket pairs is when you can’t find enough natural bluffs on the river. The basic idea is simple. 45% of the time. 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. ” Yes, you have a high pair in the form of two Aces, but you aren’t faring so well because of your low kicker. 78%. We will have to fold to a turn bet on any non-4 turn. These hands are. A middle pocket pair isn’t the type of hand to get involved in a large pot. Best Online Poker Sites. They should be raised from. Baby pairs can be powerful hands for cracking big hands. According to PokerSnowie, you can only call such a raise with JJ or better. 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. In Texas Hold'em, a pocket pair refers to a situation where a player's two hole cards are of the same rank. Whether it’s in a single raised pot (SRP) or 3bet+ pot, and for lesser experienced. 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. 340. , Jacks or Queens) but still have significant potential to win if played correctly. How to Play Medium Pocket Pairs Next up, we’re going to take a closer look at how to play medium pocket pairs. In PLO, the 1/8 times you hit your set, you can still lose enough times that it doesn't justify playing it. When the Button Raises on the Flop1. ). A: There are 6 combos of each pocket pair, meaning across 13 different card values, there are 78 combos of pocket pairs. An example: We have either JJ or QQ and are in late or mid position. Pocket pairs can be some of the most profitable hands in poker. Aces with weak kickers are back in play, as are medium pocket pairs. You’ll flop a set around 1 in 8 times, but. So in this article I am going to break it all down for you step by step. In the case of having low pocket pairs, the position becomes even more important and, as usual, several factors need to be considered. Always remember to be aware of your position, the opponent’s. Remember that pocket Aces are not indestructible. With a pocket pair JJ to play better against one or two opponents. In this video, we cover simple strategy recommendations on how to play premium, medium, and small pocket pairs. Middle pairs do win more than their fare share of pots, but that doesn’t mean they are strong hands in big pots. A2-AT Fold AJo: fold AJs: Raise - but it's the absolute bottom of my range here, and I fold to many 3-bets. After the flop you need to put your opponent on a range and analyze the strength of your hand before deciding how to proceed. This does not apply in Omaha and a lot of Hold'Em players do not understand this. Read about playing pocket pairs in No Limit Hold'em. Playing underpairs optimally can help you make more money in the long run. Example: A K , K Q . You raise, the big blind calls you and the flop comes with 6 of clubs, 5 of clubs and 4 of hearts. How To Play Big Pocket Pairs. Always Raise or Re-Raise Preflop With Your Pocket Queens. Pocket 7s down are pretty much set mining hands, unless the blinds are very high relative to stack sizes. 86. 1. King should be played aggressively and fast. Raising from early position pre-flop gives your opponents the impression you have a premium hand. 3-bet if another player has raised. That "set flopping potential" is what makes them play good in pots with four or more. They are two cards of the same rank; for example, A♥ A♦ and K♦ K♣. Another difference is that on a lot of A-high flops, there will be a big gap in the pocket pairs above the middle pair that will be in Small Blind’s favor (77-KK). --- Latest Poker News at ---Middle position you can open, but I wouldn't limp or call any bet. If you called a raise preflop, look to put in a raise against a bet. 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. Aside from pocket pairs, all possible hole card combinations have suited and offsuit versions. Online Poker » Poker Strategy » Texas Hold Em » Playing Pocket Queens. How to Play Strong Pocket Pairs 1. Imagine a board such as after you’ve called a 3-bet with from the Button against the Small Blind. 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. But if you do choose to play a pocket pair passively before the flop by calling a raise, be sure to. Here are some tips for using this hand to your advantage when playing at your favorite online. In contrast, you can expect to receive any pocket pair once every 35 minutes on average. Connectors •Cards that are separated in. 4. You should play these pair cautiously from late positions. 3 tips for playing this small pair when you are the preflop caller. I’m a donkfish but i play them like my small pocket pairs, you are mainly looking for deep stacked big pair hands trying to crack ‘em . So, you’ll want to: Be the first to raise. What is a Pocket Pair in Poker: A Concise Guide for. The reason for this is mostly math. The last thing you want to do when you hit your set is to slow down and start checking and calling. The most common and practical way to play middle pocket pairs. Forum. The pace of the poker game is often dictated by the first hand you play. So, after playing millions and millions of hands at the micros and. Another element to the math is understanding how often our small pair will flop a big hand. 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. There are 6 different ways to form a. Limping should be avoided, no matter how tempting it might be to “set the trap ” or “ set mine ” with it. In other words, we're talking primarily about small. Pocket Tens. Tip #3 – If you have top pair plus a flush draw, always double-barrel on the turn. . Effective stack size. Same as below, the stack sizes are the most critical thing to consider with a baby pair like 55. Pocket pairs always have the potential to flop sets and, generally speaking, if you can flop a set you can bust someone. The medium pocket pairs are 10-10,9-9, 8-8, 7-7 and 6-6. Paired Hands (Pocket Pairs) Paired Hands are also called pocket pairs. As soon as there are more than three opponents in the pot, middle pocket pairs are less likely to hold up without improvement. You have two big ways to win the pot post-flop with better odds at a bigger stack: Hit the Set, or check-raise dry boards. Pocket aces are without a doubt the best starting hand one can be dealt in the game of hold’em. When you have pocket aces in your hand, it’s important that you try to build the pot quickly. Feedback is always encouraged!Of course, the more sophisticated player understands that pocket fives can often be a complex and challenging hand to play. . By: Search Advanced search… Advanced search…How to Play Small Pocket Pairs Correctly. Hand. Tip #1: When in position, always bet for value This includes both single-raised pots and 3-bet pots. If your opponent has two pair or something along those lines, it’s going to be hard for him to fold. For example, If there are two people limping in from early position and you find yourself sitting in hijack with 33, limping along is simply the best way to play the hand if you have a fairly deep stack, which we’ll take as a given for the purposes of this guide. CardsChat Freerolls. When you hit a monster hand on a flop like or , start piling money in that pot! If you raised preflop, c-bet on the flop. In this vlog, I discuss how to play big pocket pairs and when to consider 3 betting and flatting preflop. 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. Sets or Better: Pocket Jacks hit sets or better approximately 12% of the time. It must be stressed that aces are definitely not a hand to be slowplayed. Being dealt pocket QQs is kind of a mixed blessing. So you’ll be flopping a set fairly infrequently but when you do you’ve got a very good chance of winning the hand. Vs Hijack – Call A9-offsuit (folding all lower offsuit Aces). Small pocket pairs go way up in implied value when the stacks are deep at the table. You want to make sure that you get the most from the hand, so don't be afraid the build the pot by betting and raising. For the most part, calling with small pocket pairs means you’re hoping to land a third card on the flop, turn, or river to make trips. 3. 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. Get in cheap and hit big to scoop the pot. Small pocket pairs can be very profitable in poker because they can flop a set. Such plays should be avoided because winning real money — not temporary chips — is your goal as a tournament player. They have the ability to take down big pots after making a set or by being the unsuspected overpair. Small pocket pairs might look nice as a starting hand, but you should be dumping most of them in early position. 2. When you’re in the Big Blind facing a raise, you should: Vs Lojack or earlier – Fold every time. Unless you hit a set or better, pocket Jacks can be extremely vulnerable to both overcards and bigger pocket pairs. 0. Say you’re under the gun with the ace of hearts and ace of diamonds. This time, given that there is a very large ante, they should be playing significantly wider ranges than a standard cash game. When blockers are in play, we can use two simple rules to count up specific combos. You should always fold them right away. Tip #1: Play more suited hands and pocket pairs (and play them more aggressively) This is basically the opposite of tip #1. You can raise in late position, but make your raises big. 7%. If you play the hand hard and fast you will lose a big pot against anything other than an overplayed top pair. While a deceptive second pair, it is still a second pair four times out of ten and a weak pair once out of every ten times, resulting in a 50-50 chance of susceptibility to being outdrawn. Pocket jacks is a strong hand in Texas Hold’em. IMO pocket pairs is a must play in fishy 1/2 stakes. Set mining refers to the practice of playing a non-premium pocket pair passively preflop in the hopes of flopping three of a kind (a "set"). (this isn't…Right now, your 5-card hand is a pair of Aces with a Jack kicker (A-A-J-8-6). A pocket pair refers to having two cards of the same rank in your hand, such as two aces or two kings. A top pair on the flop is a very strong hand that can get a lot of value with a c-bet. Pocket pairs and suited connectors are very similar in a six-max game. If there are 2 or more players in the pot preflop and you get to close the action (to the left of the last raise) with a pocket pair, this is typically a very profitable spot and you should make the call. We’ll look. It is important to be able to properly play the flop when you do not connect. In this article, we will explore unique methods for successfully playing small pocket pairs in live tournaments. I mean you can play how ever you want, check raise, bluff. Give everyone 1 additional turn to try and beat the high score. However in No Limit Holdem there are a number of things that should limit how you play them. Take your pocket pair, and take a good long look at it from an objective perspective. For this reason, many players will refuse to play pocket pairs below fives. Play Pocket Tens.