For a lot of players pocket pairs is a mysterious game. Usually hard to value because when they are being dealt it is known well that one has a good chance of winning as one might end up with the best hand on the board right then – but the hand is expected more unlikely than not to improve against the opposition as the hand progresses.

Pocket pairs are more robust in no-limit games than in limit games as although they are likely to begin strong but finish weak so they are mostly outdrawn depending on one’s position and what the status quo before it is one’s turn.

Playing Low pockets (2-2, to 6-6)

Low pockets are good to go for a normal game but they stand a next to impossible chance of winning the final showdown if they do not improve with the progress of the hand. Unless there are 4 or more than 4 callers on your hand, calling one’s low pockets isn’t a high percentage play as the odds of flopping a set with a low pocket pair are 8 to 1.

Low pairs will spell trouble if one has a hard time putting them down if they do not hit following the flop. If the board one is playing at has over-cards and one is yet to flop his/her set then the only reason to for call a bet following the flop could be that one is sure ones challenger is bluffing, it would be wiser to make sure that this assumption also takes into account that he/she has a card higher than a 6 and might use it for a turn or river.

Playing Medium pockets (7-7 to 10-10)

Medium pockets offer more possibilities than low pockets. The chances of an over-card showing up on the flop are inversely proportional to the value of one’s pockets. If you want to play full throttle then medium pockets offer a good opportunity to take advantage of any gap. Raising the stakes before a flop with say a 9-9 may likely do away with all callers with the exception of the ones holding ace-big or higher pockets, so one may be sure that a silly flop like 3d or 5h or an 8c will not be hitting any player. But if you happen to get over-cards, then do not hesitate to put the cards down instead of yielding to the temptation of betting.

Calling a Bluff

When one wants to bluff prior to a flop than one would do worse than with low and medium pairs. The fact that you know you’ve got a made hand might be of little solace. When someone calls with high cards but no pairs, the chances of the caller hitting a flop are very low, therefore players shoot twice to make their bluff work. Do keep in mind that it might result in heavy casualties if your bluff is nailed!