The Right Way to Play a Pair of Tens

A pair of tens is one of those hands that looks great at first glance, but in reality isn't that strong. A lot of hands can beat a lowly pair of tens and you should usually play your pair aggressively to chase out all the limpers and hopefully play the pot against only one or two opponents.

The first thing you want to consider when you are dealt a pair of tens is your position. Are you in early, middle or late position? Another important consideration is your opponents - are they aggressive or passive - are they weak or strong poker players? If you are playing against strong players and you are in early position, you may even consider throwing your tens away. The earlier your position, the more aggressively you want to play your tens. The later your position, the better your chance of trapping with them. If you manage to hit a flop of all low cards, you most likely have the best hand at the table and you shouldn't much around - start betting aggressively - about half to three quarters of the pot.

If you hit your set (three of a kind), you have the opportunity to slow play. Only slow play if there aren't any straight or flush draws on the board. You don't want to give your opponents a free card to beat you.

If the flop comes and there are cards higher than yours (J, Q, K or A) Don't panic - you're not beaten yet. Put out a feeler bet of about half the pot to gauge the other players reactions. They will hopefully fold straight away. If they call or re-raise you, be careful - you are most likely already beaten.

However you decide to play your pocket tens, make sure that you pay attention to the reactions of the other players at the table. Don't let them push you around and don't miss the opportunity to take down the pot when they show weakness.