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FAQ's
Playing Small and Medium Pairs
1. How do small pairs compare to big pairs?
They are much worse.
2. Example?
A deuce brings it in, and you are next with 7♣ J♦ 7♠ . Automatically playing this holding is a big mistake.
3. To determine whether a small or medium pair is playable when you are not in a steal position
A. How high your kicker.
B. Whether your cards are all live. (If one of your pair cards is out you should rarely play. If one of your kickers is out, it still might be worth it , but not if two of them are gone.)
C. What the other upcards are.
D. What the game is like.
E. Whether your pair is in the hole. (It is usually better if the pair is in the hole, but the reverse may be true if you have an ace or a king kicker.)
4. What are the two most important factors?
The size of your kicker and whether your cards are all live.
5. How high does your kicker need to be?
Higher than any card on board (but if it isn’t an ace or a king it’s not that strong).
6. Example?
A deuce brings it in. you have 3♥ A♥ 3♠ and all your cards are live. The hand is worth playing for the bring-in.
7. What if it is a full bet?
The hand is still worth playing.
8. Should you make it a full bet?
This is debatable.
9. Should you ever reraise higher upcards?
Yes.
10. When is this correct?
If you can get it heads-up, your cards are live, one of their upcards is gone, or there is some chance they don’t have what they are representing.
11. How long should you stay with a small or medium pair?
This depends on what you think you have to beat, how much money is in the pot, and how the poker hand will be played from that point on.
12. Example?
You have a medium pair, such as two nines. If there are no cards or only one card behind you higher than your nines, go ahead and raise, no matter what your upcard is.
13. What is another time that you should raise?
When you have a concealed small or medium pair and the highest upcard, and you are the first one in.
14. What are the advantages of having the highest upcard with your small pair in the hole?
It allows you to represent a different hand than what you actually have. Plus it makes it easier to make the best two pair.
15. What if you get raised and reraised?
You should usually fold against this double bet.
16. What is the exception?
You have a live overcard kicker (to go along with your live pair) higher than either of the upcards of the two active players.
17. What if it is raised ahead of you and you have a concealed pair lower than the upcard of the raiser?
You should usually fold if there are any players behind you with unduplicated upcards higher than the raiser’s upcard.
18. What is a reason why you should fold?
You can be raised again.
19. What is another reason?
Since the raiser was looking at higher upcards and still raised, he probably has a real hand.
20. Example?
Suppose the raiser has a queen up and there is a king behind him. It is very likely that you are looking at a pair of queens, as opposed to a steal hand.
21. What will many players also have in this spot?
A high three-flush.
22. If you have a pair and one of your pair cards is out, should you fold if it appears that someone has a higher pair?
Yes.
23. What is an exception?
If your kicker is higher than the highest card on board.
24. But even this situation is not so great unless you are holding what kicker?
An ace or a king.
25. When is the only time that a small pair, with one of the pair cards out, is automatically playable?
When you are in a good position to steal.
26. What If there are one or two higher cards behind you, but the six factors listed earlier are favorable, and no one has yet voluntarily entered the pot?
You should at least call with your pair if you have a live quality kicker.
27. Should you ever raise?
You should frequently raise whether or not your kicker is up.
28. Example?
You have 9♣ J♦ 9♣ . Your cards are live, no one is yet in the pot, but behind you is an ace and a king. (Notice that the J♦ is a straight flush card.) You should usually raise.
29. What if there are three or four cards behind you higher than your pair?
Usually fold.
30. When would you consider calling?
Only with a high kicker or if your kicker is a straight flush card that’s very live on both straights and flushes.
31. If you are sure that your opponent has a big pair – such as two queens-and you have a small or medium pair, for your call to be correct what do you need (among other things)?
An ace or a king kicker.
32. Is a straight flush kicker good enough in this spot?
No, unless you are in a game with a very high ante.
33. When making this call, what else do you usually need?
Your kicker to be in the hole.
34. What is the problem if your kicker is up?
You will have to lead all the way, thus showing weakness when you check.
35. Why else is it desirable to have your kicker in the hole?
You can catch three cards to give you a hidden hand, as opposed to two cards if you have a wired pair.
36. Example ?
You have 2♣ A♠ 2♥ . It is generally worth it to go all the way against a probable pair lower than aces in a heads-up situation, providing that your opponent does not improve and your cards remain live.
37. What if it is raised ahead of you, the raiser is not in a steal position, your kicker is live but small, and there are not threatening cards behind you?
You should fold.
38. When is it correct to play a small pair with a small kicker?
As an ante steal or when you know you can get in cheaply.
39. If a high card raises in front of you and you have a live pair with an even higher kicker, what should you do?
Reraise if you can get it heads-up. Otherwise, normally call.
40. What if your kicker is a straight flush card?
Call if you can anticipate a multiway poker pot.
41. If you raise with a medium pair, a smaller card reraises, and you know this player has a bigger pair in hole, what should you do?
Call.