Limit Texas Holdem: Playing High Top Pairs

One Pair

High Top Pair

Texture and the Top Pair

A Pair as a Drawing Hand

Moderately High Top Pair

UnderPairs

Interactive Tutorial: Playing a Pair

High Top Pair, with a Strong Kicker

A high top pair would be a pair of Aces, a pair of Kings, or a pair of Queens.

A strong kicker would be an Ace, King or Queen. (A 'kicker' is the unpaired card in your hand and it is used to break ties. For example, if two players have a pair of aces, the person with the highest kicker (other card in their hand) would win the entire pot).

For example:

Your Cards			The Board:

These hands should be played very strongly under almost all circumstances. You want to make people pay when trying to out draw you.

Generally, you are not overly concerned with improving you hand, but you are concerned if the texture of the board is problematic. That is, if a flush is possible or a straight is probable you need to tread lightly. We will discuss some of these situations later (Texture and the Top Pair).

High Top Pair, with a Reasonable Kicker

A high top pair would be a pair of Aces, a pair of Kings or a pair of Queens.

A reasonable kicker would be a Jack or a Ten. A Nine or an Eight would be reasonable if three or less players (including you) saw the flop without a raise.

For example:

Your Cards			The Board:

These types of hands should be bet at every opportunity until you meet a raise. You probably have the best hand, but you are vulnerable to someone with the same pair and a stronger kicker (in addition to all the other hands that could beat you.)

Call with this sort of hand at your own peril! This is especially true if people are still left to act behind you and/or the board shows a straight or a flush possibility.

If you get raised by a conservative player then you need to consider the texture of the board. If flushes and straights are possible, you should fold this type of hand, especially at the flop or the turn--there are just too many ways you can be beat.

High Top Pair, with a Weak Kicker

A high top pair would be a pair of Aces, a pair of Kings or a pair of Queens.

A weak kicker would be any card lower than a Ten.

For example:

Your Cards			The Board:

Playing at a full table, this sort of hand is far weaker than most player's imagine. Because of that fact, it is exceptionally tricky to play.

Generally, you don't wish to be calling with this hand. Fold to a bet at the flop. (An exception would be if only one or two aggressive opponents saw the flop with you, then you might wish to raise to see where you really stand.)

If you are in last position and nobody bets at the flop, then you can take the lead and bet with this hand.

If you are in early position you might wish to bet or to simply check-fold. Against a three of more opponents we recommend the check-fold.

Always fold to raises with this hand.

At the turn and the river, things get even trickier with this hand. Every poker instinct and ability is tested. Great players will be raising with this hand in some situations and folding it in seemingly similar ones. We suggest extreme caution. Position, being last to act, is critical in these cases.

Texture and the Top Pair