The deadliest hand in Texas Hold’em can be summed up in two words: pocket pairs. This hand is deadly in two different ways: (1) it can give you and edge over all opponents by increasing your chances of trips or a full house or (2) set you up for a likely “bad beat.” One thing that all poker players must understand is that the strength of pocket pairs decreases with each card that hits the board (the community cards).

Let’s look at the first scenario listed: pocket pairs can give you and edge over all opponents by increasing your chances of flopping trips or a full house. This is significant because triples or a full house will likely be the top hand at a typical table game. The second scenario happens because of what was mentioned previously: the strength of pocket pairs decrease as each card on the board is over turned.

With this being said, there are different types of pocket pairs which require them to be played in different ways:

High Pocket Pairs

High pocket pair hands include all the face cards: AA, KK, QQ and JJ. These are four of the highest pocket pairs possible. These hands look strong at the start of a hand, but don’t be fooled. These hands require medium to big bets in order to scare players from limping in. On the other hand, you don’t want to bet big enough where you scare all players out of the hand because you won’t win anything. If you decided to limp in with high pocket pairs you may be beat by one of the weakest hands, depending on the flop. Most poker players agree that these are the hardest hands to play because of the diligence and strategy they require.

Mediocre Pocket Pairs

These pairs consist of those ranging from 7s to 10s (77, 88, 99, or 1010). These pairs should be considered strong, but not played with too much confidence. Remember, if one person is holding a face card and there is a face card on the board, then you are already beat. Most professionals suggest either folding these cards instantly or playing them heavily (by betting big). These are the cards that you don’t slow play, unless a trip comes out on the board. Just remember that these cards must be played carefully or else you will be in for a big loss.

Low Pocket Pairs

Pocket pairs that are 66 or lower are once again tricky hands. If the blinds are relatively low and no other players are raising pre-flop then it is recommended to limp in. All you want to do is see the flop. If the flop does not give you trips and someone bets then you must fold. If the hand is checked all around then check and pray that the next card gives you trips. Bottom line: Do not put more than the big blind in the pot without landing trips. It will only lead to a smaller chip stack for you.

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