Tue, 01/04/2011 – 03:52 – PokerPages Staff

Learning to play successful poker goes far beyond the poker rules.  In poker, nothing is more comforting than holding high pocket pairs.  Getting high pocket pairs, however, is not a common occurrence.  As such, the beginner poker player must learn how to play the other possibilities.

More commonly, a player may be dealt a small pocket pair.  A small pocket pair is a pair of sevens or lower.  Playing these hands tends to be quite troublesome to many players.  For a number of players, there is a tendency to overplay these hands.  It is important to learn that the value of low pocket pairs is determined by getting to the flop cheaply.

A small pocket pair is a drawing hand, in most instances.  The goal of playing low pocket pairs is to catch trips on the flop.  If you do not catch trips on the flop it is correct to fold your low pocket pair without putting more chips in the pot.  If you are lucky enough to catch your third card on the flop, you will hold a large advantage and could steal away a lot of your opponent’s chips, who will not likely put you on trips.

To learn more, check out PokerSchoolOnline, the best source on the internet for poker related learning.  Then put those skills to work by playing for free at PokerStars.net.  Also, check out the PokerPages sections on poker information and poker articles for more poker tips and strategies.