Online Poker Tips - How Best to Play Small Pocket Pairs Preflop
For many players, a pair being a made hand is a hand worth playing regardless of its size. Of course there's another contingent of players that wouldn't be caught dead betting hard to see the flop with a baby pair. The general consensus on small pocket pairs falls somewhere in the middle of these two camps. Here are a few scenarios that can affect the relative value of your small pair.
At a full table...
At a full table, a small pocket pair's value is at its lowest. Your best option is to evaluate your opponent's hands by their betting strength and act accordingly. For example, weak betting should improve your hopes of seeing your small pair through the flop, but aggressive betting should be your signal to fold.
Heads-up
In heads-up action a small pair is actually a relatively good hand. Remember that the odds of getting any pair are the same, so you're in a good position regardless of how small your pair actually is. Bet aggressively to protect your hand, then prey for a good draw if your opponent calls.
Early Position
Obviously it's easiest to evaluate the strength of your opponents' hands when you're sitting in a late position, but we all know that you're equally likely to get small pocket pairs in an early position. Don't let your position deter you from taking a strong stance. By that we mean that regardless of your stack size, you should still make an average bet when holding small pairs from an early position. If another player raises, then you'll have to reconsider, but this scenario is better than calling early only to watch everyone else limp into the flop where someone is likely to outdraw you.
Late Position
The best possible time to get small pocket pairs is when you're playing in a late position. You have ample time to evaluate the action and decide your next move. That said, if the betting is weak to moderate you should follow the same strategy you would use in an early position and make an average bet. Re-raising could be dangerous, so make sure you're in control of the betting.
If you're unable to make the first bet, and another player has already made a wager that seems high in comparison to the value of your small pairs, then there's no better time than now to start calculating your odds. With the small starting pot and the similarly small value of your pocket pairs, the expected value of your hand will probably be low enough to fold without regrets when you're facing a large call.
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