The Right Way to Maximize Pocket Pair in Poker Game

Today's topic is a situation we often encounter in poker games - how to play pocket pairs in Texas Hold'em.Pocket pair poker have their own inherent strength and are often effective blocking cards. Therefore, learning how to play pocket pairs is a crucial skill.

In today's discussion, we will analyze pocket pair poker in different positions and use examples to illustrate the potential meanings of betting and opponent's actions. We will analyze why certain actions are optimal, and players may also use Game Theory Optimal (GTO) to check if such action lines maximize Expected Value (EV).

In the upcoming articles, we will delve deeper into the analysis of big pocket pairs. Let's get started.

Control is Often Needed in Early Positions for Pocket Pair Poker

I believe all players here are aware that Texas Hold'em is a game where positions and ranges are closely related. In early positions, our information is limited, and despite the strength of pocket pair poker, we often need to prioritize controlling the pot. This is mainly for balancing our range of actions and facilitating decision-making.

Consider this example:

In an 8-handed live game with blinds at 10/20, we are in UTG+1 with 7s7h. We raise to 120, a player in middle position and the button call, and the big blind calls. The pot is now 490.

The flop comes As Kd 3c, and it's checked to us after the big blind. As mentioned earlier about controlling the pot, in early positions, our range for opening is generally limited. In this case, if we have A/K, A/Q, or A/J, what do we want to accomplish with our bet?

If we prefer hands like A with a King or some draws like QJ to J10, then we might want to continue with a bet of 1/3 pot. However, in a four-way pot, handling the turn becomes tricky. If three players call, dealing with the turn, especially if it's a blank, can be challenging. We might face multiple opponents, and if we bet again, we risk folding out many hands if it's not a blank.

Therefore, in this scenario, it might be advisable to check a wide range, especially since there are no flush draws on the board. Checking and evaluating the actions of players in later positions can be a more prudent strategy.

Action is Often Needed in Middle and Late Positions for Pocket Pair Poker

When we have pocket pair poker in middle or late positions, there are typically three situations:

No one opens, and we open to enter the flop.
Someone in an earlier position opens, and we call to enter the flop.
Someone in an earlier position opens, and we re-raise to enter the flop.
In most cases, we recommend going with options 1 and 3. This is because pocket pairs in Texas Hold'em inherently have a higher starting win rate than other hands, making heads-up or fewer players in the pot more advantageous than a multi-way pot.

Consider this example:

In an 8-handed live game with blinds at 10/20, we are on the button with 7s7h. UTG opens to 120, a player in middle position calls, and it's our turn. If we choose to call, we might face difficulties with high cards on the board or medium cards that favor draws. Instead, it might be more profitable to re-raise and isolate the middle position player.

Of course, if we choose to call and enter the flop with a positional advantage, that can be a viable strategy too. After all, we have a pair composed of middle-ranking cards of different suits, and as long as we're not against big pocket pairs, our win rate is over 50%, making it a positive EV move in a three-player pot.

This brings us to our judgment on the player in the early position. If we decide to re-raise, it's a looser and more aggressive play, and we expect a tight-passive defense or a tight-aggressive counterattack from the opponent.

Therefore, both calling and re-raising are options, but we must be prepared for action on the flop, as our range is broad, and it would be a missed opportunity not to utilize our positional advantage.

This concludes our discussion on pocket pair poker for now. As we focused on analyzing pocket pairs as a whole, we did not cover big pocket pairs (10/10 and above). In the future, we'll explore optimal action lines for big pocket pairs and ranges above 3bet. Until next time.

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