Medium Pocket Pairs Pre Flop

The very middle third of the deck would be pocket 6s, pocket 7s, pocket 8s, and pocket 9s. I will extend the area of pocket pairs that I consider to be the medium ones to include pocket 10s and pocket jacks.

Playing Medium Pocket Pairs Pre Flop Against a Raise

When you have a medium poker pair and you are raised, it is almost always a good decision for you to call the raise and hope that you will hit your set on the river. After calling a raise before the flop with your medium pocket pair, you are going to usually find that the pot odds favor making a call, especially if you factor in the implied odds of hitting your medium pocket pair. Basically, if you hit your set on the flop, then you will definitely get paid off on the hand. The fact that you got raised would indicate that you will get bet at on the flop almost regardless of what cards hit the board. The really great part of hitting your set is that it is a very hard hand for other players at the table to read.

Playing Medium Pocket Pairs Pre Flop While in the Blinds

Unless you are in a No Limit Texas Holdem game and the bet to you has gotten incredibly large, it is almost always appropriate to make the call. You already have a little bit of money invested in the pot so your call, actual amount of additional chips that you would need to put in the pot in order to continue playing in the hand, is usually pretty easy to justify. If you do hit your set on the river, then you are going to get paid off on your hand. It is usually a very difficult hand for other players at the table to read, and this concealment makes it a very profitable hand to be holding. If you do not hit your set on the flop, then you should almost always fold to a bet on the river because the pot odds are usually no longer very good in your favor. Even if you did not hit your set, if the flop that came out is a lot of small cards, then it is unlikely that the player that raised you actually hit their hand. Because of this, if the flop comes out with a lot of small cards, you may want to put in a bet on the flop.

Playing Medium Pocket Pairs Pre Flop in Last Position and No Action

If you have a medium pocket pair, and are in late or last position, and there have been no callers up until you, then you must raise this hand. You may be able to take the pot down right here and now, and that would, of course, be the best possible scenario. If you do get a call to your bet, then it could be with someone that is on a draw. Some poker players will not give up their blind no matter what two cards that they hold. You need to be observant and know which players that these are. Many times, with a continuation bet on the flop, these players will give up on their marginal holdings.