How To Play Small Pairs In Texas Holdem

Being dealt a small pair before the flop in Texas Holdem poker is a mixed blessing. While pairs from 2-2 through to 7-7 can potentially win a big pot, they are also vulnerable to high cards (particularly picture cards) coming on the flop and giving one or more opponents a better poker hand. This article looks at the best way to play small pairs in Texas Holdem Poker games to ensure that you maximize your profits.

We start by looking at the importance of position at the table in deciding whether or not it is profitable to play your small pair. Next we look at the hoped for outcome – hitting a 3rd card on the flop to match your pair. Finally we look at some of the important factors involved in deciding how to maximize your profits those times you do hit the 3rd card.

Key to deciding whether to play your small pair before the flop are the number of players to act after you do – and the presence of bets and raises before it is your turn to act. If there are many players still to act and you know that they are likely to bet and raise you would be less inclined to play a small pair than when there are only a couple of opponents still in the hand. This is because small pairs play most profitably when they see the flop cheaply – hoping to hit trips and win a big pot. If you pay too much to see a flop then the money you win those times you hit will no longer make up for those times you miss and have to fold, meaning that your play will become unprofitable over time.

When there have been bets ahead of you it is important to try and decide whether your action will close the betting (for example when you are last to act and calling means you will all see the flop), or whether there is a risk that someone behind you will reraise once again. If you think there might be multiple bets then fold, otherwise calling the small raise – particularly when you act last after the flop – if often profitable.

Ideally you would like to hit a small set of trips and win a big pot from an opponent with a big pair. This will happen approximately once every 8 times you play, meaning that you need to recover at least 8 times your pre-flop bet to make a profit over time. What newer players often miss is that they will not win the hand every time, and even when they do it is not always possible to win an opponents whole stack.

In order to account for this we need to ensure that our opponent has enough chips to pay 10 to 12 times our initial investment when calling before the flop. This should be one opponent only under normal circumstances – it is rare to stack two players at the same time.

Finally, when you do hit a set of trips you need to decide how to play the hand to maximize profits. Slowplaying is an option, checking rather than raising to feign weakness often inducing an opponent to bet. Be cautious doing this if there are straights or flushes which could be made on the flop, and also where your opponent plays timidly. Leading out with a small bet early will start to build a pot, giving you a better chance of getting all the chips in the middle by the river. If this bet is your standard post flop ‘continuation bet’ then all the better – your opponents may see this as weakness and reraise you big while you have a monster hand.

Related articles:

How To Play Medium Pairs In Texas Holdem

How To Play Suited Cards In Texas Holdem