Two pairs

[kingstalker]

I play on the internet a lot and it seems to me that me and my internet poker brethen seem to lose the most money having two pairs, usually we run into three of a kind or get hit by straights,etc, what is it I can do to help lessen these big hits I often take having two pairs?

[rayrns]

If you have Lee Jones, WLLHE, he has a good section on how to play 2 pair. If you don't have it, think about getting it.

The problem with an answer is what type of 2 pair are you talking about. Do your pocket cards match the board, or do you have a pair in the hole and a pair on board. All of these can play different.

In most cases you want to play this hand fast. Get as many bets in the pot as you can. Bet out, unless you are SURE someone, preferrably LP, will bet, then you can raise. That will make every draw between you and the bettor call a double bet and most likely not have the correct odds to so.

When they hit, oh well. When you hit and make them pay the maximum, you should win enough to cover the times they draw out and more.