Rahul P Gopal
Rock Star
Platinum Level
Pocket pairs are a strong but tricky group of hands in poker tournaments. Knowing how to play them well at different stages can help you win more chips. This simple guide explains how to handle small, medium, and big pairs during the tournament.
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#### Early Stage: Play Safe and Patient
- **Big pairs (AA, KK, QQ):** Raise and re-raise to build the pot and scare opponents.
- **Medium pairs (10s to 6s):** Call to see the flop cheaply and hope to get three of a kind (a “set”). Fold if you miss and face strong bets.
- **Small pairs (5s and below):** Play only from late position. Fold if others raise before you. Your goal is to catch a set cheaply.
***
#### Middle Stage: Start Playing More Aggressive
- **Big pairs:** Keep raising for value. Be careful if lots of players stay or the board looks dangerous.
- **Medium pairs:** Call or fold depending on your stack and the action. If your stack gets smaller, you might need to push all-in.
- **Small pairs:** Mostly fold unless you can see the flop cheaply from late position.
***
#### Late Stage: Be Bold and Push
- **Big pairs:** Push all-in or make big raises to steal chips and force opponents to fold.
- **Medium pairs:** Push all-in if you have around 15-20 big blinds. This helps steal blinds and antes.
- **Small pairs:** Usually fold unless you are very short-stacked. Then, push all-in to try and double up.
***
### Important Tips
- Play tighter from early seats and looser from late seats.
- Adjust your style based on your chip stack—deep stacks let you try to hit sets; short stacks need push or fold moves.
- Don’t slow play—bet and raise strong pairs early to get value.
- Watch your opponents and learn their styles.
- Fold medium and small pairs when unsure after the flop and facing big bets.
***
I would like to hear from you all, how you will play pocket payers especially the lower ones.
***
#### Early Stage: Play Safe and Patient
- **Big pairs (AA, KK, QQ):** Raise and re-raise to build the pot and scare opponents.
- **Medium pairs (10s to 6s):** Call to see the flop cheaply and hope to get three of a kind (a “set”). Fold if you miss and face strong bets.
- **Small pairs (5s and below):** Play only from late position. Fold if others raise before you. Your goal is to catch a set cheaply.
***
#### Middle Stage: Start Playing More Aggressive
- **Big pairs:** Keep raising for value. Be careful if lots of players stay or the board looks dangerous.
- **Medium pairs:** Call or fold depending on your stack and the action. If your stack gets smaller, you might need to push all-in.
- **Small pairs:** Mostly fold unless you can see the flop cheaply from late position.
***
#### Late Stage: Be Bold and Push
- **Big pairs:** Push all-in or make big raises to steal chips and force opponents to fold.
- **Medium pairs:** Push all-in if you have around 15-20 big blinds. This helps steal blinds and antes.
- **Small pairs:** Usually fold unless you are very short-stacked. Then, push all-in to try and double up.
***
### Important Tips
- Play tighter from early seats and looser from late seats.
- Adjust your style based on your chip stack—deep stacks let you try to hit sets; short stacks need push or fold moves.
- Don’t slow play—bet and raise strong pairs early to get value.
- Watch your opponents and learn their styles.
- Fold medium and small pairs when unsure after the flop and facing big bets.
***
I would like to hear from you all, how you will play pocket payers especially the lower ones.