05-20-04, LearnTexasHoldem:

Playing Two Pair

Question: Great site, learning more every day. My biggest fault is getting burnt with 2 pair, so my question is how the hell do you play it? Assume you get dealt 2 pair on the flop, there's not much point in slow playing as people could pick up sets, straights, much more that can beat you. So how would you bet?

Thanks.

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Answer: Are you playing no limit or limit? For limit holdem it is a toss up between raising the flop or waiting and raising the turn card. In no limit holdem, how I play the hand will differ slightly. Two pair is a good hand but remember you can only beat one pair. I'll play it aggressively in some situations but it just depends.

What does the flop look like? If you have AK and the flop is AK4 then I may try to trap someone by slowing down a bit. If the flop is QJ9 and I have QJ then I am much less likely to slow play. My biggest concern when the flop is very coordinated and I have two pair is to win a little and not lose a lot. You need to be able to recognize when the flop is dangerous -- when there aren't many safe cards that can come. There is a term called "the playing zone" and that usually means any card over a 9. When there are three cards in the playing zone, you need to be much more careful. The last two concerns for playing two pair are who your opponents are and how many of them there are.

In no limit holdem I'm more likely to slow play with just one opponent, especially if I have a decent read on their hand. Let's say I have 87s and the flop is 872. If I know he has a big pair then I'm more likely to wait him out and let him get committed to the pot. But if there are five opponents in with me and I have the same hand then I'll bet it strong so I don't get outdrawn. I remember reading in Doyle Brunson's book about he said that two small pair was his bane -- he would lose more with that hand then anything else. My advice for not getting burnt with them anymore is to play them a little more aggressively so you don't get outdrawn. And if that doesn't work you may want to look at the strength or your cards to begin with -- you know, a two pair with AQ is much better then two pair with A4.

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