PL Strategy: Pocket Pairs April 15
Pocket pairs are big hands in six-max No-Limit Texas Hold'em games but you have to know how to play them profitably! Today's beginner video poker strategy tip focuses on pocket pairs, specifically how to play them in these shorthanded games.
Set-mining and understanding the immediate and implied odds involved is a big part of how pocket pairs will make you money. Our strategy expert shows you how to stay out of trouble and increase your bottom line with some easy-to-follow guidelines.
Dan Skolovy has been routinely beating low stakes games of all kinds online and live for years. Take advantage of his experience in today's poker strategy Texas Hold'em video tip!
Comments
9jerrold
2009-12-03in teh hand where the raise to $31 is called. i have always heard you only call the raise with a weak to moderate pocket pair if you both have 20x the raise in your stack to make it profitable play. how is that different here, as neither player has 20x the raise amount in their stack?
pina
2009-06-23show the puposes of the Pairs Check Strategy
John
2009-04-23Poloplaya just likes giving up his control of the pot to hopefully win with a low pocket pair at showdown obviously. Let's say that u check that first flop with the 6's and another over card hits the board, even if your opponent doesn't have that card he might try to take control and that leaves a pair of 6's as a hand that can only call a bluff. It's probably better to take the pot on the flop than to give it up on the turn or the river.
Kashtree
2009-04-17I believe the purpose of the video is to show how one can extract value from pocket pairs when you hit a set on the flop. Since he misses the flop he's hoping to take the pot down now to avoid being outdrawn for free. That is what I am hearing and seeing. The plays being made are in line with the intended hero's goal.
Kashtree
2009-04-17If you don't bet you are giving up a free card to a flush draw. Shouldn't we bet, hopefully enough, to make the flush draw calling a mistake?
Betting puts value into the hand when someone willing to chase their flush draw calls and misses. Does it not??
Poloplaya
2009-04-17Sorry, but you're wrong. Yes a continuation bet will fold out anything that missed the flop, but... you already beat anything that missed the flop. The purpose of a bet is always to fold out better or get worse to call. Betting that flop does neither.
As for the next part of your comment, if you fold just because he bets out on the turn, you're opening yourself up to getting bluffed off the best hand a lot of times. A good player will recognize this and float with hands like AT and bluff any scare card. You'll have to fold, but if you hadn't bet flop, you could probably call. Basically, betting the flop turns a hand with value into a bluff. I see the argument for betting to disguise your hand, but that's definitely not the standard play.
Kashtree
2009-04-17The reason for betting out with 6's on that flop is to continuation bet and if the villain has missed he will fold. Also hero has POSITION on the villain that called from the small blind. If the villian is on a flush draw, u may possibly be check raised, but given the stack sizes that is unlikely. If the villain has jacks and has checked he would usually call but will be required to act first on the next street. He 1) will check, allowing you to check behind 2) completes a flush and bets, you fold your 6's 3) Bets out on his Jacks allowing you an easy fold. On top of all those options, there is still a chance you hit your set on 4th or 5th street(notice the hero is holding the 6 of hearts) leaving 2 outs to a set vs just 1. Betting allows you to steal the pot right away (you have already shown strength pre flop disguising your hand) or possibly bet a later street and win with a well constructed bluff.
Poloplaya
2009-04-15Make it 3
3)Turn raise seems way too big. Making it about 55 would entice a call and leave you with 120 behind with a 160 pot. Easy shove.
Poloplaya
2009-04-152 comments
1) On the first hand Hero bets with 66. I don't see why. You're never gonna fold out better as any higher PP or J will call or even raise. You're also almost never gonna get worse to call. A4 and 55 might give you a call, but there's really nothing else. You also open yourself up to get check-raised off the best hand by a flush/straight draw.
2) On the second hand, I don't like the raise on the flop with 55. I understand that you want to build a pot, but considering that the flop was ideal for c-betting, I think your opponent has air a good percentage of the time and will fold to a raise. Smooth-calling will allow him to catch up or fire a 2nd barrel. Another factor is the 3rd player. If you raise, he will almost never call. If you call, he might with a hand like A7 or 88. He might also even check-raise with a draw, allowing you to 3-bet, where he would've probably just called if you raised. And besides, if he has AK//AA/KQ, he'll either stack off or he won't, depending on how good he is. Pumping it on the flop or later will make little difference. If you raise on the flop, the pot does become bigger, but he will slow down. If you smooth-call, the pot isn't quite as big, but he will likely keep firing