What to do with pocket pairs

i really wonder what is the "right" play with pocket pairs. If i have a small to medium pocket pair i want to see the flop to see if i can catch a set. If i have a big pocket pair (tens and up) i really dont want to see the flop because if a bigger card comes out im basically beat if the other player or players bet correctly.

read a book or search it up on the forum. If u don't want to see a flop with 1010+ then i just found a big leak in ur game for u

thanks for the advice...im not saying that i avoid flops but it seems that nine times out of ten my opponents hit a bigger pair on the flop so i dont seem to get full value out of my pocket pairs

do u go to showdown every time with them when there are over cards or what?

Don't over play them in early position for sure... Just fold them UTG and UTG +1...

When in late position I raise 4xBB + 1BB for every call to let the players with marginal hands fold when the flop comes that's when I decide how to play my pair.

If I have a small or baby pair I try to limp in or see a flop/turn/river as cheap as possible

thanks for the advice...i have been playing a certain way since i posted this at it seems to be working ill keep you posted!

I limp like to clean it and set my hope to meet. In later position I also raise it well, especially when the blinds have higher.

whats the chances of three players sitting side by side getting jacks, queens, and kings...just so you know my queens won!!!

with pocket I always raise to let me see the flop and then u know if u can still playing.

gl

with small pairs i like to try to limp in while in early position but when on the cut off or dealer button i will raise 3 to 4 times the big blinds to push out marginal to weak hands if im in early position i try to just call the blind and medium pairs i might call a small raise 2 to 3 times the BB depending on how the others have been playing and how my chip stack is looking if your holding like pocket 3s and in early position u call the BB then you get a raise and reraise my advice is to let them go back in the muck they didnt raise or reraise for nothing unless there bingo players who think there Tom Dwan who can play 72 and win all the time never be scared to fold them soon as a over card hits the board and people are raising and reraising its a very good chance your pair are no good unless you hit a set. far as pocket tens i will play them like i play pocket jacks AQ or AJ i will raise 4 to 6 times the big blind to push out i try not to limp in with them if there is already a raise for that amount then i will call it and if the board comes WITH a AKQ and i have 10s i will check it if the board is AKQ i will call small raises and hope to hit the stright but dont chase it for to much by folding to over cards you will know you have got a chance to get a better hand later and make up for the small loss you have just made.IF i have the option to fold and show sometimes i will show i folded them to gain a little respect and let other players know if i come out of the pocket to play a hand it will be a good hand Some people may think i play that badly but thats a safe play if this helps to figure out how to play them hands here are the odds of a smaller pair to a larger pair from the flop to the turn the odds are 22 to 1 the odds from the flop to the river are 11 to 1 and for a middle pair Vs a higer pair from flop to turn its 8 to 1 and from flop to river its 4 to 1 caculate your pot odds to your hand odds i do that with every hand and it helps a tremendous amount sometimes the math will tell me to make the call and turns out to be a good call to.If your not sure on how to do it most poker sites have a online poker school that will teach you Its very simple basic math Good Luck and hope this helps

No he shoves against my kings and hit the flop thats all that happened! DAng YOu Mick

sensitivity

how can i increase my sensitivity to know the right time to bet , raise or fold, no matter the value of my hand

crrocha1946 said:

how can i increase my sensitivity to know the right time to bet , raise or fold, no matter the value of my hand

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read a book

WSOP13 said:

read a book

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with all due respect to the learning you'll get from reading. I think the best and only true way to develop that feel for "reads" is through table practice. Poker is so situational that no book can cover every pattern you will encounter.

As for pocket pairs. I've been working on increasing my aggression factor with them pre and post flop with good results from all positions. You have to of course be careful when you get multiple callers after the flop but many times a good c-bet, will win the hand.

In reguards to reading a book, that's a great place to get your foot in the door, or to try and advance your game by taking small bits of it as an experienced player.

But for a player that is already knoweldgable about the game but isn't quite sure how to improve his game I think experience is far better than a book.

I think Mr. Ivey put it best about books, something like "I suggest not reading books, they lead players into playing how other players play, I feel learning your own style of play is a far more productive means."

I have to agree on the strategy varys greatly dependent on several factors. Personally, in most cases I don't like to go all-in with less than QQ. But if I have a short stack or huge stack I might go all-in with lower pairs.

dantheman91 said:

Don't over play them in early position for sure... Just fold them UTG and UTG +1...

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i like to limp from utg and utg+1 with small pocket pairs. if u catch your set and there are many players in hand, u have a great chance to win a big pot

Get in cheap, limp if someone limps
If someone limps and you limp and someone raises fold
You want to get in cheap with pocket pairs and see a flop
If someone raises but your the BB or small blind and a lot of people call the raise you can gamble and call as well.
I'd suggset raising with 10's+ maybe 9's
I would limp with 22-99 though

davem86 said:

No he shoves against my kings and hit the flop thats all that happened! DAng YOu Mick

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THATS FULL TILT FOR YA!!! by the way ive been smashin heads up...up to a dime holla!!!

Pocket pairs? It depends....it all depends. On position, the types of players that are at your table, tournament vs. cash game, etc.

As most have said, 10/10+ is a good raising hand in any position, again, depending on the action. 22-99, I play cautiously. Think about it....you only have two outs to hit a set, which is really the only way these hands are strong. Calculate your odds vs. how much it's going to cost you to call. Then, be aware of over cards, straights, full houses (pair on the board, giving you two-pair, but the other guy a boat), and flush draws. To me, in most situations, the risk outweighs the profits, unless you have a great read on your opponent.

By the way, my aces were cracked today by someone who called an all-in raise with 3/3....no, he didn't make a set, he made a 4-card flush (4 diamonds on the board, and he had the 3 of diamonds). Wonderful, just wonderful.

See you at the tables

I personally like to limp in with all small pocket pairs to try and flop a set. With big pocket pairs depending on my postion will usually raise.

How to play pocket pairs? Like most things in poker, it depends on stack size, position etc.
Having said that, I usually like to see a flop with a small pair, regardless of position, if I can get in cheap. Sometimes, I will try just to take down the pot preflop, depending on other factors.

Just don't get too excited with big pocket pairs until kings or aces. The rest try to play it in the most cases just call or bet, It depends obviously on stack, position, if you are in a tourney, etc.

xtrigemino said:

Just don't get too excited with big pocket pairs until kings or aces. The rest try to play it in the most cases just call or bet, It depends obviously on stack, position, if you are in a tourney, etc.

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ur right there is no exact science it def depends on the situation