The Playing of Pocket Pairs in an Atlantic City Poker Game
Pocket pairs in No Limit Texas Hold Em poker may give you the best opportunity to win a large pot. This is because if you hit a set it’s not seen by anyone. I break down pocket pairs into a couple categories. Small pocket pairs are: two’s through seven’s, middle pocket pairs are eights through jacks, and premium pocket pairs are aces, kings, and queens.
In early position I do not like to play small pairs at all. Many players may disagree, but today’s players are more accomplished than five years ago so we must adjust our strategy accordingly. The main problem with small pairs in early position is that if you do hit your set and are up against four or more players, another player may have hit a higher set and you will lose your stack set over set. You may feel this is too conservative for your style, but I prefer not to play many hands in early position.
Middle pairs and premium pairs are fine to play in early position. I would mostly raise with them. This will give a deception factor. If you miss your set and an ace or king hits the board you may be able to steal the pot because you showed pre flop strength. The fact to remember is that playing from early position is less profitable due to the fact that you must act before your opponents. They have information from you that you do not have from them. So even if you have a profitable hand such as a set, it is not as profitable and easy to play as if you are in middle to late position.
Flop texture and your opponents playing styles are important factors to consider when choosing a betting strategy with made sets and missed hands alike. These situations you must learn by playing many hands of poker and learning your opponent’s tendencies.
Keep in mind this is basically a default strategy for playing pocket pairs in Atlantic City. Add in your own nuances as to how the game is playing. However remember playing pocket pairs in No Limit Texas Hold Em poker can be the most profitable hands due to their transparency.
In conclusion, poker is all about strategic planning where you need to keep the entire focus on the game so that your opponent does not get an advantage and beat you so therefore take the game seriously and not like you are playing bandarq online.