Texas Hold'em Poker - How to Play Pocket Deuces

I can write a book on Texas Hold'em. However, even though I have played professionally for 3 years, I can't write a better book than Doyle Brunson, who has one heck of a lot more experience and success that I will ever have. So I won't waste my time or yours. I can take some specific details and write a more detailed analysis than you will find in a general How to Win At Hold'em Poker type book. I know this may be of interest only to players who really like Poker and want to excel but I'll give it a try. My goal is to start with three articles:

1) How To Play Pocket Aces

2) How To Play Pocket 9's

3) How To Play Pocket Deuces

That is to say how to play high, medium and low pocket pairs. If this is too detailed start at my more general articles on poker? If you don't like poker I have a lot of other articles you might relate to better.

This is part 3 - How To Play Pocket Deuces.

Scenario

You are on a nine person table playing no limit Texas Hold'em. You are dealt a pair of pocket deuces, a low ranked first two cards you have some major decisions to make. I have seen people loose a chance to gain a very large pot by throwing away this small pair. I have also seen people play them like they were a mid to high pair which can also cost you a lot of money.

The same advice I give here applies to all very small pocket pairs including threes, fours and fives. Sixes and sevens are right on the cusp between low and medium pairs but I play them cautiously like medium pairs.

Your position does matter even more with small pocket pairs than with medium or high pairs. Only play these cards on the first round in the extremely late action position of small and high blinds. I wouldn't play a small pair on the button unless everyone has either limped in or folded after the blinds.

Possible Strategies

Why not go all in on a semi-bluff before the flop in any position? After all you might catch a set on the flop or everyone might fold and you could steal the blinds. The fact is that an all in with this hand is just not a good business plan in any position. The possibility of stealing the blinds is gambling to win relatively small amount of money with a large amount monetary risk. You should never make a stand with a small pocket pair unless you are going to be blinded out soon and have to play or be eliminated.
A second strategy is to slow play the deuces to try to maximize the size of the pot should a set of deuces fall for you on the flop. I have said in other articles that the object of poker is to win the most money, not the most number of hands. So why not do this? Set a trap, run up the pot and reap the rewards if you get lucky. The answer is that the more people who are allowed to stay in the pot and draw cheaply, the better are their chances of drawing out on you. That just is too much risk. I advise against it. It is your money though.

The final strategy is a raise with the deuces equal to 3 or 4 times the big blind. You should do this only in the small or large blind position if no player has re-raised the blind or folded. The object is to re-raise into a weak table to force out as many players as possible. If you pull a set and the odds against it are about 5 to 1 against it, you do not want enough people around to beat you even with this improved hand. That means you are willing to gamble a single raise to drop the number of players down to 1 or 2. If you get a set against 1 or 2 players then you are the favorite. If someone else draws top pair or has a high pocket pair, your trips you can make a lot of money on the turn and river. If you are re-raised you before pot odds force you to stay in, consider dropping out. After all if they have trips as well, you will be beaten.

Card Sense

With pocket deuces stay in for the flop if it is cheap and if you are one of the blinds. You have already invested in the pot with your blind. Don't limp in, since you are telling any good player how weak you are. Play your hand according to what the flop brings. Get out as soon as it looks like you are not in control.

Good luck and I hope this helps. Let me know if you can think of a better strategy because I want to win more money as well.