Posted by Dr Fro 10:55 AM

KTL and I were discussing the subject of pocket pairs pre-flop. It is an area of disagreement among poker authors. I am curious as to other people's thoughts, but this is my approach. I put all pocket pairs into the following categories:

• AA, KK
• QQ-99
• 88-66
• 55-22

I play AA and KK the same way. I try to get as much money as possible into the pot pre-flop. In late position, I raise. In early position, I might call with the intention of re-raising. I'd only do this at a table where I have great confidence that a raise will come. All poker authors agree that you should occasionally slow play these hands. Varying the play of any hand of course helps you to disguise your hand in the future. However, 95% of my poker playing is against complete strangers, primarily online. There is little to no value to varying your play against people you will, in all likelihood, never 'see' again. So I almost never slow play AA or KK. When you hold KK (as previously discussed here), by the time you figure out you might be facing AA, you are very pot committed. Thus, I play the two hands the same way.

With QQ through 99, unlike KK or AA, it is more likely than not that the flop will bring an overcard. This sucks. So, for the most part, I want to get heads-up with QQ-99, That way, even if an overcard comes, there is a decent chance that my opponent missed it. Based on the hope that my opponent missed the overcard, I still bet my pair post flop. If the hand doesn't end right there, well, I'll know when to run. With QQ-99 in early position, I will call. What happens next determines how I play the hand. Maybe we get a family pot, which is just fine: I will only play post-flop if I get a set. If I get a raise from a guy, I may try to re-raise, which would all but ensure a heads-up flop. I would plan to bet the flop no matter what comes out for the reasons stated above.

I play 88-66 and 55-22 trying to see the flop for cheap and releasing my hand if I don't get a set. The only differences between the two groups are:

• With 55-22, I probably won't call to any sort of pre-flop raise. With 22, I probably won't play without at least 3 opponents (I really hate 22). But with 88-66, I could call a raise as long as it isn't too big.
• From time to time, I might play 88-66 like QQ-99 (that is, re-raise and go for heads-up). This would only be at a short handed table or against a player that I feel I can outplay post-flop.

That is my pocket pair basic strategy. There is a lot more to playing pocket pairs, including what to do when you get re-raised. That we can cover another day. I am curious as to other people's thoughts on basic pre-flop pocket pair strategy. Pls comment below!

2 Comment(s):

Posted by  LAYGO, at 4:39 PM, May 30, 2006  

I disagree about QQ/JJ.

While most defintely NOT playing them like AA/KK, they are easy to play hard/fast. I can see getting away from them after an A hits while playing fast.

Just this weekend, I got it all-in preflop w/AA, KK, & JJ . . . lost them all. Twice eliminating me from a tournament, the third doubling up the eventual winner to my 2nd place.

All online.

AA vs KK, I lose when he flops K.

KK vs AQo. He gets 4 diamonds on the river.

JJ vs 77. 7 on the river.

ARGH!

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Posted by  Padilla, at 3:09 PM, June 01, 2006  

Ugh. Wrote an epic on this, but it was taken from me before publishing it.

Moral: However you value them in an ideal world, 2 important points are to consider your position before acting and to consider how the opponents still in the hand will react.

(The 2nd point led to a long discussion on calling a raise with AA/KK/QQ if you feel the players after you are going to fold anyway...allowing you to successfully disguise your dominant holding, which may induce a bluff post-flop)

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