As you play Texas Holdem, what do you do with medium pockets pairs (7s, 8s or 9s)? Hang in there and play is the instant gut reaction of most every Texas Hold’em Poker player when they’re dealt any kind of pocket pair. After all, it is a pair. The problem with pocket sevens, eights and nines is that they are so prone to overpairs.
If you make it to the flop with such a hand, any overcard on the flop becomes a threat to your hand. Caution is the operative term when it comes to medium pocket pairs. If you’re in a late position and the first one to enter the pot you might want to exhibit some strength to the blinds with a raise, but be prepared to toss your hand in the muck if they re-raise.
If you make it to the flop in online betting, your medium pairs are to be played conservatively unless you flop a set. With medium pocket pairs, that is pretty much the bottom line. You flop a set or you get out when facing pressure.
It is sensible to limp in from an early position and to fold if a player raises. You just have to face the truth going in with medium pocket pairs that you have not got the power to get into a raise war with other bettors who are in all likelihood holding greater hands.
You might have to play your medium pocket pairs differently than you would in a cash competition situation in a No Limit Texas Hold’em Tournament scenario. You may have to force the action/issue and get ambitious with your medium pocket pairs if your poker chip stack is low. That is really about the only time you want to force the issue with these hands.
Occasionally you will see bettors from an early position get quite ambitious and raise with medium pocket pairs hoping to scare away other gamblers, assuming that in a worst case scenario, they’ve still got a pair and can draw for a set if they are called. Depending on who may raise (if it’s a “maniac”) some players will even call a raise with their medium pocket pairs to see the flop. In the long run this is seldom profitable since if you don’t flop a set (and most times you won’t) the hand is going to be a loser.
Medium pocket pairs are an all or nothing sort of hand in No Limit Texas Hold’em. You have an opportunity to hit a major hand by flopping a set if it is possible to get in cheaply. In any other case, the hand should definitely be folded.