Low Pocket Pairs

I consider low pocket pairs as anything under pocket tens.

Its really quite simple, only play pocket pairs when it is advantageous to do so.

A good strategy is to call when there is no raise or minimum raise when it does not cost you too much, say when it is 10% of your stack or less, anything over is simply not worth the risk.

So once you've called, you are hoping to do one of three things,

1. Flop trips (three of a kind, which happens once in every 8 hands) or
2. Have the flop be under your pair.
3. Have the flop be trips meaning that you have a full house.
   

In all cases there is a good chance that you will win the hand and you have not outlayed very much to do so. One thing to watch for however, is that in case 3 beware that others may have a higher pocket pair (leaving you next to dead) or high cards (that might hit). In all three cases people will rarely think that you have what you have, which can be profitable.

If any of the three cases above occur you should raise about a pot size raise. As people will not usually put you on these hands you can profit from loose calls from high cards thinking you are bluffing.

If one of those three scenarios does not happen on the flop, fold to any raise. Think of it as a lottery ticket, small outlay for big returns. If you don't win the lottery, you don't go risking lots of money next week try to recoup you losses, do you?

Never raise with low pockets unless you are bluffing, because it is really a bluff, I have seen too many people massively over value their pairs and when the flop comes all higher cards they continue to bluff, it is simply to risky to do. At least bluff with over cards, not under pairs.


Some articles from: Poker Addict