The article "Poker: Playing Medium Pairs (8-8 - J-J)" talks about casino gambling, it has been created by Nick Kisberg.
Playing medium pokcet pairs properly can help you win some nice
pots. But be careful and don't get attacehd to these very
vulnerable hands. Meduim pocket pairs are, in my opinion, some
of the most difficult hands to play. When you are get dealt
these hands, you are usually giong to hold the best hand
preflop. But you always have to watch out for preimum pocket
pairs. It's sipmle to raise these hands because they look so
pretty and strong until that Ace comes on the flop.
How should you play them?
Many tight-aggressive pros like Dan Harrington recommend a
mixture of mostly raises from middle to late position and some
calls with medium pocket pairs. Occasionally they will recommend
folding these hands to strong riase from the right type of
player.
Motsly these will be good guidelines to follow, but I
often play more conservatively with these hands, especially in
online play. If you don't flop a set, these hands can be very
vulnerable and trap you into staying in when you're probably
beat.
Since these hands are so vulnerable, I recommend smooth calling
more often from early and middle postiion.
Your real goal is to
flop a set with these hands, although you will sometimes win a
large pot when there small cards flop. At times I just like to
analyze and play the flop, which is why I would just call even
with pocket Jacks. However, from late position, I will usually
raise these hadns. Note that most of my strategy is focsued on
no-limit.
If you're playing limit, you probably want to raise
even more often to drive out the mdeiocre holdings. Position is
so important in hold 'em - especially playnig dangerous hands
like these.
Consider playing that type of hand in different positions.
Hand #1: I'm on the button holding pocket Jacks. Three callers
come in for the minimum and I'm going to rasie about 3-4 times
the size of the pot.
The blind folds and the three relatively
conservative players all call my raise.
The flop comes out
10-8-4 with two hearts. The first player checks, the middle
player bets the minimum, the tihrd player folds, and I raise it
the size of the pot. This is an ideal flop for you, besides the
heart draw. You have an overapir to the board, and it's unlikely
that they have a higher pair as they didn't reraise you preflop.
Maybe one of them is holding A-8 or A-10, and you can get them
to stay in or even raise you back.
Because of the heart draw,
you should definitely bet out to discourage drwas. You'll be in
power the rest of the hand because of your position.
Hand #2: You're in fisrt position holding pocket Jacks again.
I
would just call in that situaiton a lot of the time, but let's
say that you raise.
You get 2 callers and the blinds fold.
The
flop comes A-Q-7 rainbow.
Not a good flop for you. Anyone with a
Q or an A has your beaetn. But you took control befroe the flop,
so what do you do?
It's not too wise to bluff here, as one of
them probably has an Ace. You have to check it down, and if one
of them has the Ace, he'll probably bet at you. You've got to
fold at that point. You didn't gain much by raising in this
situation. Sure, it is usually correct to rasie in this
situation. But you might consider just calling and seeing what
the flop brings. You're risking weaker hadns getting into the
pot, but sometimes you can afford to take that risk, especially
in a third Jack comes on the flop.
The key is that position and the flop are deifning aspects to
playing these medium pocket pairs. My eaxmples used pocket
Jacks, and you get more and more vulnerable as you go down to
pocket 10s or 9s. Three will be more overcards that can beat you
on the flop. No, if you're hloding pocket 10s and the flop comes
A-10-6, you're in an excellent position if you just smooth
called preflop. Someone holding an Ace will thnik that his pair
is good, but you've got him dominated. Raise him back and don't
slowplay too often.
Aim to hit a set with tehse pairs. It's really the only way to
know where you are in the hand. Even if the flop comes out with
cards smaller than your pocket pair, what if your opponent hit a
smaller set? He'll proabbly get you for all of your money.
That
is a tough read to make, but if there are 3 rags on the board
and your opponent is going all-in, you've got to put him on for
at laest 2 pair. Not always, but usually.
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