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How to handle that pair

I love going to back to the absolute basics of poker. Sometimes you get so caught up in betting strategies, ranges, positioning, flux and reading your opponents that you almost forget how to actually play the simplest of hands. So here’s a refresher course for those in a similar boat or a stepping-stone lesson for the new players out there.

In Texas Hold ‘Em, what do you do with a pre-flop pair – let’s say 7′s or higher? Do you generally try to get people to go all-in? Do you slow play it? Does your position matter? I’m sure we’ve all been in that boat where we get a low to mid-pair and bet it up like we think we should, only to see our efforts trumped by someone who stays in with nothing only to catch a higher pair on the flop. It sucks, but it’s always going to happen.

So taking that into account, the answer to that first question is no, not usually. Every hand offers a unique set of circumstances to consider. In tournament games, if you have a smallish pair, depending on how far into the tournament you are, you can try to limp in to see the flop – meaning get there by putting in as little as possible into the pot. If you catch trips, then increase the wagers accordingly.

You also need to pay attention to your stack and those of others. If someone else were in your shoes, but is short-stacked, their raise might be an act of desperation, as might yours. So if you’re on the receiving end of that bet, be wary, but also take advantage if you are sitting on a pair, as you can try to put your opponent on that range using what you know about his situation already.

If you’re sitting on a high pair, Queens or better, I’d come in with a sizable bet, but not an all-in bet (unless you’re extremely short-stacked yourself). You’re in great position here, and the bet allows you to weed out those trying to cheaply catch on the flop, not to mention find out who your real opponents are. If you’re pressed with a re-raise, consider the possibility that it’s a bluff. Having the ability to read people comes in handy most in these situations. But at this point, you’ll want to come back with a re-raise. Just calling, in this situation, is playing right into your opponents hands, whether they are bluffing or sitting on a worse hand, which is extremely likely when you factor in the statistics of each hand possibility.