Pocket pairs can be tricky, and misplaying them can put your chips in serious trouble!
A pocket pair can look great preflop but how does the strength of your hand change on the Flop, Turn, or River?
Whether you have ducks, treys, walking sticks, snowmen, ladies, cowboys, or rockets, understanding what your pocket pair is worth on every street will give you a skill edge against your opponents.
Put your skills to the test in these decisions involving pocket pairs!
- 3♥3♠ with 17BB Stack
- 5♦5♣ in the Small Blind
- 6♠6♣ on the Flop
- J♠J♥ on the Turn
- T♣T♠ on the River
Understanding and mastering these strategies will give you the opportunities to exert a skill edge against your opponents and play your pocket pairs effectively:
Keep on practicing!
-Fearless River
PS: a Membership with Fearless River is the easiest and fastest way to add more levels of complexity and nuance to your game. Members have access to over 150+ scenarios like this to practice their decision-making skills!
How are these scenarios helping your game?
Post your answers in the comments below.
[UPDATE: This Fearless River Strategy Episode is no longer available for free to non-members]
We hope you enjoyed this special access to a full Strategy Episode from Fearless River!
Episodes like this are included as part of a Membership to Fearless River and our Monthly and Yearly Members get BRAND-NEW informative Strategy Episodes monthly!
Bubble play is often the most challenging aspect of tournament poker, especially with millions of dollars at stake.
Join Fearless River Lead Instructor, Nick Binger as he breaks down the action from the recent ultra-high stakes WSOP One Drop Final Table and provides detailed analysis of the strategic points considered when facing a $2 million dollar decision!
We’ll see you online!
-Fearless River
HOW CAN LEARNWPT HELP YOUR GAME?
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Knowing how and when to C-Bet, Continuation Raise, Float, and Check-Raise are the keys to getting a hold of chips and protecting your stack.
Understanding and mastering strategies such as Continuation Betting, Floating, Protecting C-Bets, and Check-Raising will give you the opportunities to exert skill edge against your opponents.
Practice your Continuation Betting decision-making skills now by reviewing the following collection of Poker Hand examples on how to effectively use the Fearless River C-Betting strategy.
- When You Miss the Flop: Missed the Flop in a Multiway Pot
- C-Bet and Get Check-Raised: T♠T♥ vs a Check-Raise
- 3-Bet and Get a Single Caller: 6♠6♣ on the Flop
- Continuation Raising: K♠K♥ vs a Flop Bet
- Calling in Position vs C-Betting: A♥K♠ vs a Donk Bet
An effective C-Betting strategy that accounts for board texture, number of opponents, stack sizes, and likely hand ranges is an essential tool that separates amateurs from the Pros.
Understanding these critical concepts and how to apply them will put you in a position to take down uncontested pots through aggression, and provide a balanced approach to your postflop game plan.
Keep on practicing!
-Fearless River
PS: a Membership with Fearless River is the easiest and fastest way to add more levels of complexity and nuance to your game.
How are these scenarios helping your game?
Post your answers in the comments below.
Our goal at Fearless River is to help players of all skill levels succeed in improving their play in cash games and tournaments.
We hear from students all the time about their progress at the tables. In 2018, we asked members to share their “aha” moment, and Yves from West Vancouver, Canada, sent us a great one from the Borgata.
Student Snapshot
➧ Player: Yves, West Vancouver, Canada
➧ Training: online member and live workshop student
➧ The game: $1/$2 No-Limit Hold'em at the Borgata, the day attending our live workshop
➧ First $100 buy-in: lost after slipping back into old habits
➧ Second $100 buy-in: over $700 in three hours, sticking to the game plan
"Actually, it was the day after the last day of the Borgata workshop.
I went down to the Borgata No-Limit $1/$2 table and bought in for $100. I started playing my old game, and in 30 minutes I saw a situation I should have played using your strategy that would have yielded a positive result.
I played a hand that you said I should not, and that did not work well. Down to $40, then $20, ... I bought another $100 determined to apply what I learned.
"It really is another world when you have an effective preflop strategy that works with a solid postflop game."
Yves, West Vancouver, Canada
No heater, but solid committed play. A few all ins, some check raises, but solid positional play and my stack went over $700 in three hours. I did take a picture.
I look forward to using these new playing tools in the future."
Why This Story Stands Out
Yves’ story is one almost every player can relate to. Under pressure, it’s easy to slip back into old habits. What made the difference was his decision to reload and commit to the game plan, and the positive results followed.
Congratulations, Yves, and thank you for sharing your story! 👏
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P.S. With a $5 First Month of Membership you'll also receive our full library of game-changing videos which includes access to the concept Episodes on Position and Number of Opponents discussed in the Stealing Episode!
Watch this 2-minute preview of a Fearless River Strategy Episode as Nick Binger explains 1-Pair Betting Lines (plan of actions taken across multiple streets with one pair).
Understanding which Betting Line you should take prevents thinking street by street and gives you a game plan needed to gain value in a hand!
After viewing the 2-minute preview, click the red JOIN NOW button to purchase your $5 First Month of Membership and receive immediate access to this full Strategy Episode (normally for Monthly and Yearly Members only!).
As an added bonus after joining, you can download the 1-Pair Betting Lines Guide introduced in this Episode from the Tools Dashboard to study how to play 1-Pair against a single opponent.
P.S. You'll also receive access to over 450 game changing Episodes and everything you need to jump start your game and get on the path to becoming a winning player!
Knowing how and when to make moves Preflop is one of the keys to getting a hold of chips in a poker tournament.
Understanding and mastering strategies such as Preflop Calling, Preflop Raise Sizing, and Position will give you the opportunities to exert skill edge against your opponents.
Practice your preflop decision making skills now by reviewing the following collection of Poker Hand examples on how to increase the number of ways of to win hands (and not lose chips!) Preflop:
- T♠T♥ vs a Raise and a Reraise
- T♣9♣ vs a Raise and a Call
- A♠J♥ vs a Raise & Call
- Q♦Q♣ vs a Limp-Reraise
Preflop is where your toughest opponents will often give you the most trouble. Our purpose of the Poker Hand emails is to get YOU (our students) to become the player giving everyone else trouble.
Keep on practicing,
-Fearless River
PS: a Membership with Fearless River is the easiest and fastest way to add more levels of complexity and nuance to your game.
How are these scenarios helping your game?
Post your answers in the comments below.
Watch this preview of a Fearless River Strategy Episode as Nick Binger explains First-in Hand Ranges (what hand ranges you should be playing when it folds to you preflop).
Understanding what hands to act with preflop from Early, Middle, or Late Position is crucial to your success!
After viewing the preview, click the red JOIN NOW button to purchase your $5 First Month of Membership and receive immediate access to this full Strategy Episode (normally for Monthly and Yearly Members only!).
As an added bonus after joining, you can download the First-in Hand Range Charts from Early, Middle, and Late Position introduced in this Episode from the Tools Dashboard to help study these ranges off the felt!
P.S. You'll also receive our full on-demand library of game changing Episodes and everything you need to jump start your game and get on the path to becoming a winning player!
