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Playing Pairs in the Hole

Incorrectly playing poker pairs in the hole is a major error that causes many players to lose their money.

You must keep in mind that if you do not make trips when an overcard flops – particularly if the overcard is an ace you are in trouble.

This is especially true in a multiway pot. For example, suppose you have against four opponents, a king flops, and someone bets into you.

If you showed strength before the flop, you are almost always beaten. In addition, you have a little chance of improvement.

The best play online poker in this spot is usually to throw your hand away. If no one bets and it is checked to you, go ahead and bet.

With luck, everyone will fold, or perhaps someone will call with a hand like middle pair.

An exception to this fold is if the bettor is the type of player who will almost always go for a check-raise if he flops a hand as strong as top pair.

Now you can’t fold, and it may be best to instead raise because he is often on a poker draw and you need to eliminate the field.

If your pair is JJ, TT, or smaller, it is extremely important to bet into most flops, since there are many overcards that can beat you.

However, if an overcard is present on the flop and you are check-raised, you usually should give it up.

Occasionally, you might look at the turn card. (This would be one of those loose calls we talked about earlier in the text.) But unless you make a set, you generally should fold on fourth street if your opponent bets.

If an overcard is not present (thus giving you an overpair ) and you are raised, you have the option to either reraise or just call (and perhaps raise on a later street ).

However, after you bet, if there are one or more callers between you and the raiser, then it is very make the pot a two-person confrontation.

In heads-up situations, you do not automatically discard your hand when an overcard flops. Suppose you have the flop comes and your opponent bets.

If he is equally likely to bet a ten as a king, then you should of course continue to play.

In fact, you might even want to raise, especially if you think there is some chance that your opponent may be betting a draw.

However, keep in mind that this is a dangerous play, and to make it, you must know your opponent well.

In addition, you sometimes can semi-bluff with a pair in the hole. Notice that you are not exactly semi-bluffing, since your hand has only a small chance of improvement.

You are betting into overcards in the hope of folding out medium pairs.

For example, suppose the flop comes your bet might cause an opponent with 99, TT, JJ, or QQ to fold- especially if he plays “weak tight.” ( Even if you don’t succeed in getting anyone to fold, it is critical to bet your hand so that players holding overcards to your pair don’t get a free card.)

Again, if someone else bets or you are check-raised, you usually should fold unless the pot is heads-up and you are against an aggressive player who may be trying to run you off your pair.

Remember that automatically going to the end is a big losing play when you hold pocket pairs in these situations.

However, many of your poor-playing opponents automatically will make these calls, and their bad plays will prove profitable for you.