Guidelines For Holdem poker – Playing Medium Pocket Pairs

Written By: tang on August 27, 2010 42 Comments

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As you play Texas Holdem, what do you do with medium pockets pairs (sevens, eights, or nines)? Hang in there and play is the immediate gut reaction of most every Texas Hold’em Poker gambler when they’re dealt any sort of pocket pair. It is a pair, after all. The problem with pocket sevens, eights and nines is that they’re so susceptible to overpairs.

Any overcard on the flop becomes a risk to your hand if you make it to the flop with such a hand. Caution is the operative word with medium pocket pairs. If you are in a late position and the 1st one to enter the pot you may 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 in online betting, your medium pairs are to be played cautiously except if you flop a set. With medium pocket pairs, that is pretty much the bottom line. You flop a set or you get out when facing strain.

From an early position it is prudent to limp in and to fold if a gambler raises. You basically have to confront the fact going in with medium pocket pairs that you lack the power to get into a raise war with other gamblers who are probably holding better hands.

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

Occasionally you will see gamblers from an early placement get pretty aggressive and raise with medium pocket pairs intending to force away other gamblers, assuming that in a worst case scenario, they have still got a pair and can draw for a set if they’re called. Depending on who might raise (if it is a “maniac”) some players will even call a raise with their medium pocket pairs to see the flop. Since if you don’t flop a set (and most times you will not) the hand is going to be a loser, so this is seldom lucrative in the long run.

Medium pocket pairs are an all or nothing type of hand in No Limit Texas Hold’em. You have an opportunity to hit a huge hand by flopping a set if you are able to get in cheaply. If not, the hand ought to definitely be folded.

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