How to Play Middle and Small Pairs in Texas Hold’em ČMiddle and Small Pairs
Middle and Small Pairs are hands that hold value because they are suited. Obviously, they are not suited if they are part of a straight or flush, but other hands will put them into such category. Middle suited cards are pockets 7’s, 8’s and 9’s, 10’s and Jacks, and small suited cards as 100’s and 200’s.
In middle suited cards, you have a better chance of making a straight because the odds of making a straight are better than the odds of making a flush, full house, or four of a kind, which obviously put the hands into a higher ranking. In addition, the value of the hand goes up as numbers go into the hundreds, not the hundreds into the thousands.
For example, a middle suited card of Q-8-3 is an excellent hand to be in the middle because the odds of getting another middle suited card on the flop are good. The 3’s provide the highest possible pair, and the 8’s provide the highest possible twos pair. Both of those pair together to form what is known as the set, or the trips. The more people that are in the pot, the better. If everyone is in, they will have a better chance of winning the hand.
However, middle suited cards are not as strong as their high counterparts because they are more likely to be the ’cause’ of a win, rather than a result of it. That is, a Q-8-3 is not as strong as a Q-8-4, or a Q-8-5. The reason for this is that in order to win the hand a player would have to hit three more cards on the flop. If there is, say, a Q, the highest card in the set, and an 8, the sequence would be a set. There are two possibilities: the player wins, or the dewapoker wins. In win-or-lose terms, the odds are the same, just the two possibilities are not the same.
If the suit is important to you, you could play lower cards, like 4s and 10s, but make sure that you have a decent kicker, or a better kicker than your opponents, to make up for the times when you don’t hit trips or better. If you don’t, you can get into a lot of trouble, because you may mis-read the board and make a big mistake on the river.
Position is key. If you are in early position, like before you bet, or even if you are in middle or late position and later positions put hands into play, you want to play fewer hands. The reason is that you will know the position of everyone who plays at the table. If you see that no one else seems to be playing what you consider premium hands, like big cards, you may be want to pass. In middle or late position, you can experiment until you get into a hand. In early position, pass if you don’t get any cards worth playing, but with few opponents, you can play with many hands.
mails Bad beats are part of the game, and playing through them can be frustrating. They aren’t the most pleasant to see, but they are part of the game. What’s important is that you learn to deal with them. If you ignore them, they will suck your bankroll dry. If you deal with them and deal with them appropriately, you will reap the rewards.
You can’t win if everything always goes your way. If you allow emotions to rule your game, you will get a pounding of losses. Part of learning to deal with bad beats is learning to take a loss off your mindset. Don’t think about losing. Don’t focus on hitting your next card for the night. It will kill your focus and sabotage your money management.
