by Al Sousa (site owner)
Two pair is a hand many poor players misplay. They decide to try
and slow play the hand in a large field. This is a mistake as two
pair can be beaten easily. Two pair only has 4 cards to catch to
fill up unlike a set which has 7 for the turn and 10 for the river.
Bottom Two Pair: Having bottom 2 pair means that
this hand has to be played fast and you might have to let it go
later on in the hand. It is vulnerable to many holdings. Since many
times your 2 pair will be connecting cards an added danger occurs
as someone else could have the draw.
EXAMPLE:
Your Hand 8 6,
Board: K 8 6
In this case a player having 75s has an 8 out straight draw that
does not interfere with your hand. Or even a player with a pair
of 99s can just pair the K to beat you. They can even get running
pairs on the turn and river to beat your 2 pair with a higher 2
pair. With just 4 outs to the full house you are hard pressed to
fill up. Raise the flop, reraise the flop. Find a way to make the
top pair and draws pay as much as possible. Be prepared to drop
the hand if there is a lot of action on the turn and you don't get
10:1 odds, with implied, for the full house. If the K pairs any
player with an overpair has you beat, A8 has you beat also so play
it carefully.
Top and Bottom Two Pair: Having top and bottom
2 pair is a stronger holding. Any player sharing your ace has to
hit his kicker or pair the middle card to beat you. Once again bet
and raise the flop and be prepared to call down unless you are sure
you are beaten by a draw or higher 2 pair.
EXAMPLE:
Your Hand A9,
Board: AJ9
In this situation if the pot was not raised preflop the chance
of you being out drawn by a better ace is rare. A player would have
had to limp with AJ. Now if the 9s were 3s then the vulnerability
of the hand increases. This board in particular is very dangerous
as there are 2 possible draws out there. In some cases it is right
to just call the flop and raise the turn. This occurs if a raise
now will not make players fold their draws.
Lets say UTG bets, UTG+1 calls and you are MP1 with 2 to act behind
you. You look over at them and see they are going to call anyway's
because the pot is large. In this case it might be better to wait
till the turn to raise. Now they will be faced with calling 2 big
bets cold with 1:5 chance to win. Of course if the pot gets raised
behind you on the flop then it is correct to reraise. You need to
protect your hand as best you can. Sometimes its making the raise
on the turn.
Top Two Pair: Top 2 pair is a strong holding and
almost in most cases will be seeing the river. The action has to
be very heavy in a large multiway pot with a draw on the board for
you to consider folding. Even then there will probably be pot odds
to call for the full house. Bet, raise, reraise this hand on the
flop and on the turn if you feel your opponent might have made a
smaller 2 pair.
EXAMPLE:
Your Hand A9,
Board: A94
Even though this board looks really safe don't slowplay this hand.
Bet, and raise the hand as much as you can on the flop.
When can you slowplay 2 pair?
I would suggest the only times you can slowplay 2 pair is against
1 or 2 people. Vs 2 players I like a better in front and the caller
behind. Waiting for the turn to raise here will put pressure on
the caller behind.
With one opponent any 2 pair is a monster. A typical player I will
wait till the turn to raise as he will always call down top pair
against a single opponent. Vs better players I might raise the flop
disguising my hand. Still be careful of dangerous flops that can
counterfeit your hand if you have bottom 2 pair.
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