Playing medium pocket pairs

[NFI]

What do you do with medium pockets pairs (sevens, eights, or nines) as you play Texas Holdem? The immediate gut reaction of most every Texas Hold'em Poker player when they are dealt any kind of pocket pair is to hang in there and play. After all, it is a pair. The problem with pocket sevens, eights and nines is that they are so vulnerable to overpairs.

If you make it to the flop with such a hand, any overcard on the flop becomes a threat to your hand. With medium pocket pairs, caution is the operative word. If you are in a late position and the first one to enter the pot you might want to show some strength to the blinds with a raise, but be prepared to toss your hand in the muck if they re-raise.

If you make it to the flop, your medium pairs are to be played conservatively unless you flop a set. That is basically the bottom line with medium pocket pairs. You flop a set or your get out when facing pressure.

From an early position it is prudent to limp in and to fold if a player raises. You simply have to face the fact going in with medium pocket pairs that you lack the firepower to get into a raise war with other players who are likely holding better hands.

In a No Limit Texas Hold'em Tournament situation you may have to play your medium pocket pairs differently than you would in a cash game situation. If your poker chip stack is low you may have to force the action/issue and get aggressive with your medium pocket pairs. That is really about the only time you want to force the action with these hands.

Sometimes you will see players from an early position get very aggressive and raise with medium pocket pairs hoping to bully away other players, figuring that in a worst case scenario, they still have a pair and can draw for a set if they are called. Depending on who may raise (if it's a "maniac") some players will even call a raise with their medium pocket pairs to see the flop. In the long run this is rarely profitable since if you don't flop a set (and most times you won't) the hand is going to be a loser.

In No Limit Texas Hold'em, medium pocket pairs are an all or nothing type of hand. If you can get in cheaply then you have a chance to hit a big hand by flopping a set. If not, the hand should really be folded.

[KcRides]

very good info boss thanks

[teabagger357]

Here is my strategies on them early in tourneys depending on the aggressiveness of the table I generally throw a min raise to get the limpers of in early position if I get called I hope for a set depending on texture of the board and how many callers, I usually follow with a contination bet.. if get called I usually check down to river if no set.


In middle or late position if no callers or raisers I throw 3 times bet and hope they all fold..
With callers already I usually just limp and hope for a set.. fold after flop usually if a bet and if lots of people in the pot.

Of course late in tourneys it all has to do with position and chip stacks,mine and the people play the blinds, I fold the a lot in early position or just limp and hope to hit a set.I try not get my self in situations late in tourneys that could jeperdize my chip stack.



Now you all no my pro advice LOL..

[datsme53]

I'm in agreement here. Most of the time I use the ol' "set em or forget em" stat. I do play much more aggressively when the need to is there. When your chip stack is down and the blinds are dictating the situation, I will push with these hands or a total shove if it comes to it. Cutting down the number of player to one or 2 is the objective in that playing them more like a big PP. Middle PP are for the most part not a lot better hands than small PPs really... so tread lightly and heed the situation. Flops with no overs will change the situation greatly... so if I don't set em and the board shows overs...I'm thinking of getting away from them.

[inittowinit30]

i try to get in as cheap as i can to try and hit a set i love to see flops with medium pairs and sometimes it makes me pay if i get out of hand with them they can lead to my demise