Playing Medium Pairs

You'll often hear players say things like "I hate having pocket jacks -- they're so hard to play!" the truth is that these medium-to-large pairs -- perhaps everything from 88 to JJ -- are strong hands that often win pots unimproved. At the same time, they're buried by the monster pairs, and are only a coin flip against AK or AQ. Plus, they can be a little tricky to play on the flop, since overcards will commonly hit the board.

That said, if nobody has yet raised in front of you, JJ and TT are typically worth a raise; in middle or late position, the game will often go for 99 or 88. If someone else raises, all of these hands are worth calling with preflop in a cash game, assuming the stacks are fairly deep. In tournament play, it's often a good idea to get all-in with these hands preflop if possible, since they play very well in all-in situations (unless, of course, you're unlucky enough to be up against a bigger pair).

After the flop, treat carefully with these hands; if you've made a set or have an overpair to the board, your hand is still very strong, but if an overcard has hit the board, you're vulnerable. If you were the preflop raiser, it's still worth firing a continuation bet; if not, you may have to fold to aggression from a normally passive opponent.