Pair Poker

Poker games can be notoriously tough, as there are numerous ways to form a winning hand. While many of us will be familiar with some of the best poker hands, such as a full house, other plays warrant less attention, such as the pair.

But how can you form a pair? And what is the highest pair hand in online poker? In this guide, we will run a few examples of using this hand, and at the end, we will answer some FAQs.

WHAT IS A PAIR IN POKER?

A pair is a simple, but effective hand. In texas hold’em, pair hands consist of holding two hands that are of the same rank, but different suits. Ultimately, the higher the pair with the one rank you have, the stronger your position will be on the board.

Therefore, the quality of the pair will depend on what hands you held before or after the flop, and this is where the first three cards are dealt. However, as you will see later on, two pairs are more formidable.

HIGHEST PAIRS

Two pairs will have a variety of combinations of the same suit, but a pair will be of different suits. Let’s have a look at how the one-pair card plays out here. We have used an example of the type of cards you can lay down to form a one pair. This is split into premium and lower-ranked pairs.

• Pair of aces
• Two Kings
• Two Queens
• Two Jacks
• Two Fives
• Two Fours
• Two Threes
• Two Twos

HOW TO PLAY A PAIR?

When laying this hand in casino games, you should always be wary of how this will pan out, especially if you are competing against other players for a large pot. But to help you feel more confident in using such hands, we have outlined a few strategies:

• Pay attention to the kicker – The kicker can play a big role when holding high card hands. So, for example, the Ace could be high kicked, because your opponent is more likely to try and place an ace preflop. Novice players can fall into the trap of trying to play a stronger hand.
• Figure out your stack size – The number of chips you have to play with will also influence your betting stance. Sometimes, you may decide to go all in, but the value of hitting a set more often than not outweighs the chances of losing all your chips and busting out.
• Take note of your position – Calling a low poker hand will put you on the back foot. Instead, take your time. Sometimes, slow playing can be beneficial if you want to squeeze another player with a five card hand.

HOW DOES A PAIR RANK?

To establish the importance of a pair, we have revealed the official poker hand rankings to see where it sits:

• Royal Flush (highest ranking)
• Straight Flush (a straight flush with five community cards won’t contain a broadway straight, for example)
• Four of a kind
• Full house
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a kind (a three of a kind is also known as trips)
• Two Pair
• A Pair
• High Card

PROBABILITIES OF GETTING A PAIR

So, what are the chances of drawing two cards that form a pair? We have shown the odds of doing so using two versions of poker – texas hold’em and Omaha. We have designed a table to illustrate the probability.

TEXAS HOLD’EM PAIR STAGES AND ODDS

• Pre-flop and flop (29%). However this increases to 31.1% with any starting hand, but you shouldn’t put down any two pair hands).
• Turn (12.8%). Once you have placed your second hand, the chances of landing a strong pair may drop.
• River (24%). In the last stage of the streets, you can get a high pair with good kickers.

OMAHA PAIR STAGES AND ODDS

• Pre-flop (55.1%). This is against a two pair. You will get four cards to begin with.
• The Flop (29%). Represents the odds of matching one of your hole cards.
• The Turn (38.6%). This will jump up depending on the number of outs you make.
• The River (80.8%). With more outs, you can win more money with a high card hand.