How to Play Small Pocket Pairs

Small pocket pairs can be very profitable starting hands in Texas Holdem poker. However, many people misplay these hands or play them in the wrong circumstances – ending up losing money with them. This article looks at how to play small pocket pairs both before and after the flop in order to maximize your profits.

We start by looking at the reason why small pocket pairs are so valuable – the opportunity to hit a hidden monster hand. Next the circumstances in which small pairs are playable before the flop are covered. Finally we look at how to play small pocket pairs when you miss the flop entirely.

If we define small pocket pairs as 22 through to 66 it is easy to see that you will rarely hit an over-pair to the flop with them. The real value of these hands comes the one in eight times that you flop a set with your small pair. In these circumstances you can win many times your initial bet by taking the entire stack of an opponent, for example if someone holds pocket aces.

The potential for a big reward from a small investment is known as your ‘implied odds’. That is to say the times you hit you will often win a huge pot – this makes up for the times when you miss your hand and need to fold to betting action on the flop.

When playing a hand with implied odds value such as small pocket pairs the critical factor is the size of the bet pre-flop compared to your potential gain. On average you will flop a set once every eight times, this means that you need the potential to gain many times your initial investment. For example if an opponent raises 1/6th of their stack you would not have the correct odds to play your small pair for set value alone.
In fact there are times when you flop a set but your opponent(s) miss the flop entirely. To account for these times it is suggested that you ensure that there is 12 times your initial investment available to ensure you have the correct implied odds.

The cost of seeing a flop may not always be clear. If you are in early position and see a limper ahead then calling does not ‘close’ the betting action. An opponent yet to act could re-raise, either forcing you to fold or to pay more to see the flop. Under these circumstances you need to again assess your potential gain those times you hit trips. This also means that small pocket pairs become more desirable in later position – where fewer opponents act behind you, reducing the risk of a re-raise.

Those times you hit trips you will be in a very strong position. The issue now becomes how to maximize the number of chips you win. If there are potential flush or straight draws on the board you should look to win the pot early – avoiding the risk of your hand being ruined, for example by a 4th
suited card. If not then the number and tendencies of opponents in the hand will dictate whether you re-raise early or call to build a pot on the flop.

If you miss your set then all is not lost. Against a single opponent (or a maximum of 2 if timid) you can often take the pot away with a bet on the flop. This works particularly well on ‘dry flops’ (flops with no obvious draws) and flops with just a single high card. Taking a small stab at the pot needs to work only 1/3rd of the time if you make a half-pot bet. If you believe your opponent will fold half of the time then your situation is immediately profitable.

To summarize, small pairs have a lot of value in Texas Holdem poker when played correctly. The ideal scenario is to see a flop cheaply – folding when you miss and building a big pot those times when you hit a set. Ensure that you get to see the flop cheaply, if you do not close the betting or have many aggressive opponents behind you then you may be forced to fold later on. Finally, when you miss the flop a continuation bet can often be profitable – ideally against a single opponent.

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