How should you play One Pair in Hold’em?

The best way to play One Pair in Texas Hold’em depends entirely on the value of the pair. Small pairs have a solid chance of winning a showdown situation against overcards but they’re also vulnerable, so play with caution.

Be wary of raise bets. Middle pairs are similar but can be considered slightly stronger given their higher value.

The face cards are a minefield. A pair of Jacks are deceptively dangerous. They feel strong but can often end up leaving you with a losing hand. Pocket Queens, Kings, and Aces are where you can go to town (Learn more about poker starting hands here).

Force out the small value card players to ensure you avoid any unwanted surprises. After that then you need to play the situation in front of you on the table.

One Pair Probabilities

When playing Texas Hold'em, there is a very strong probability that the hand will be One Pair. In fact, more than 40% of all hands played with seven cards available result in One pair.

Below, we’ll look at One Pair probabilities when players have their two hole cards and three community cards.

The odds of being dealt One Pair on the flop is only the tip of the iceberg. To view a wider range of odds and probabilities of being dealt different hands then check out our very own poker odds calculator.