Ditching the Pocket Pair
There’s no denying it-poker pocket pairs are exciting. There’s just a good feeling when the flop hasn’t even come out yet and you’ve already goat a potentially winning hand; and don’t forget the possibility of flopping a set or even a full house! Pocket pairs in poker always make you feel as though Lady Luck is finally on your side. It’s okay to get excited with a pocket pair, but keep your infatuation a casual affair.
The problem with pockets is that they are that much harder to fold if the flop misses you. Say you’ve got pocket Queens, and the flop comes out Ace-King-9. All of a sudden, those Queens are looking pretty crummy. Even if there’s only one over card on the board, your pair is a risky proposition.
As with everything in poker, it all depends. If you’ve got a handle on your opponents and you don’t think that they’re holding anything that can beat your cards, then feel free to bet, just be careful that you’re not getting sucked into someone else’s trap.
When you’re dealing with a pocket pair that misses the flop, be prepared to fold that hand if you think that someone’s got you beat. Don’t fall in love with a poker hand that can’t love you back.
