In the hierarchy of poker hands, strength and significance during the game are clearly separated, their value is determined by the smallest chances of collecting all the required five cards in one hand. But in this article, we will discuss a combination consisting of four cards plus a kicker – namely Two Pair. This combination can be considered one of the smallest, since it surpasses only Pair in strength. In poker, Two Pairs are regularly encountered by players, so we decided to talk more about them.Collage: My Lucky StoryWe will learn how this combination is assembled, how to play it and how to determine the winner in a disputable situation where Two pair went to not one, but two participants of the table at once. What is a Two Pair combination To begin with, let’s figure out what a Two Pair combination is – a set of four cards, where one pair, like the second, consists of cards of different suits, but of the same value. For example, two fives and two jacks, two threes and two tens, and the like. Also, the fifth card is involved in the combination – that is, the kicker. Probability of Getting Two Pair in Poker As far as the probability that you will get two pair during the hand, according to poker statistics, it is very high and amounts to more than forty percent, to be exact 42.5. This means that in almost every second hand, Two Pair can enter the game. But this, as you understand, is complex poker mathematics and it will not work out that at least four out of ten times we will see this combination at the table. Note that in Omaha Poker this figure may be slightly higher, but in Stud Poker (with five cards) it is lower. The famous “Dead Man’s Hand” also belongs to the Two Pair combination, which was collected by Wild Bill killed during the game, by the way he played five-card poker and he received two aces and two eights of black suits, plus an unknown, unfortunately, kicker – the fifth highest card . How Two Pairs are Made in Poker Let’s look at the example of Texas Hold’em in three main ways or variants of making a Two Pairs combination. Each of them can affect both the way the draw is played and the perspective of the combination itself. You got a pocket Pair in your starting hand, so you need to wait for the second Pair to enter the board (table) in the form of community cards on the flop, turn or river before upgrading to Two pair. There is a 16 percent chance that a Pair will appear. The Two Pair combination, if your hand does not have a pair, has a chance of making only two percent. Since the necessary amplification matches your hole cards, the cards must go on the board. Note that this situation may be too readable for your opponents. Also rare are two pairs of three community cards located on the table and one own card. For example – the board on the flop contains a three of a kind, a three of a kind, a jack, and your hand has a jack and a five – so two pairs of triplets and jacks are collected. And of course, the option if Two pairs came to the table in common – let’s say on the turn (when four community cards are open) or the river (all five community cards are on the table). The case is rare, but very dangerous, since there is always a possibility that one of the participants got a Full House. How to play a Two Pair combination A very large influence on the strength and play of a Two Pair combination has the value of the cards from which it is assembled. It is logical that pairs of kings and queens are much stronger than two fives and two nines. The kicker is also important – the fifth card, which, if necessary, will play the role of the eldest. This also applies to your opponent. The probability of strengthening your hand or the hands of opponents on further streets of poker is also taken into account. As in other cases with not the strongest combinations, it is important to analyze the risks – pay attention to the size of the bets and the pot itself or the pot of the game, your position at the table and the playing styles of your opponents. In a situation where two pairs are gathered at a table with a large number of participants, the strength of the combination is significantly reduced. Also, don’t forget that the shared pair on the board can be part of someone else’s Flush or Set (Three of a Kind), and they beat Two Pair unambiguously. Controversial situation with Two pair for two players If in the distribution of Two pair got not one, but two players at once, a disputable situation develops, let’s look at how the winner is determined in these circumstances. The first thing they pay attention to, as we said above, is the value of the cards from which the combination is assembled – in simple words – the older the cards in Pairs, the stronger the whole set. This means that Two Pairs containing, for example, two Aces, defeats the opponent’s Two Pairs, which has lower card values. If it turned out that the opponents have exactly the same Pairs, the kicker comes to the rescue – the fifth card of the combination. His seniority determines the winner. Let’s say two poker players have the same two deuces and two jacks, but one has a kicker – a ten, and the other has a king – a king, naturally stronger. Summing up the article – Two pair is not uncommon in poker, the combination is not included in the list of strong hands, but if you know how to play it and you are lucky with the value of the cards, then it can give you good chances of winning. Poker is a game of opportunities, but also risks – study the materials, practice and your level of play will improve.
