playing top pair (or any pair, for that matter)
 

This is my first post here about poker. It wasn't until today that I began to understand all of the abbreviations you guys use [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

Anyways, what is you guys' opinion on playing top pair after the flop? I'm always scared to play it, since it seems like someone always comes back at me with a bigger hand. Looking at my Poker Tracker statistics, I'm a winner in every situation except playing single pairs. In fact, my losses with one pair are greater than my wins in every other situation.

Here are my one pair stats:

total: 317 (of 739 total)
saw flop: 99
folded flop: 27
folded turn: 71
folded river: 14
went to SD: 33
net loss (total for one pair): 9.48
net loss (when didn't fold one pair): 1.46
hands won $: 15
won % at SD %: 33.33
% of total hands: 42.90

So, it looks to me like I don't play it enough... but on top of that, I must not be playing it right, since I lose either way. Is there any way, within poker tracker, to find out how many hands I would have won w/ a pair, had I not folded them?

FYI I just started playing on Royal Vegas Poker last week at the 0.05/0.10 level... so I don't know if the stats mean anything yet.

Thanks in advance!
Justin

Re: playing top pair (or any pair, for that matter)
 

[ QUOTE ]
total: 317 (of 739 total

[/ QUOTE ]

I stopped reading, don't worry about super tiny samples like this

spend time reading and responding to hand posts here, get Getting Started in HoldEm, and eventually Small Stakes HoldEm

Re: playing top pair (or any pair, for that matter)
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
total: 317 (of 739 total

[/ QUOTE ]

I stopped reading, don't worry about super tiny samples like this

spend time reading and responding to hand posts here, get Getting Started in HoldEm, and eventually Small Stakes HoldEm

[/ QUOTE ]

cmon bottonsemt, !!!
you go to arty tabke now@

you wanted head sup!?

Re: playing top pair (or any pair, for that matter)
 

Justin,

A big part of your thinking in playing top pair is to start with the right cards. If you're playing big cards and flopping somewhere in the 15-25% range, your top pair is often good because you have a good kicker. If you have top pair and a J or better kicker, play it fast to try to take the pot . . . don't let people hang around and suck out on you. If you're the pre-flop raiser, bet out. If you're in early position, and the pre-flop raiser is in late position, go for the check-raise.

If you're playing ace-suited and catch your ace with a low kicker and more than one opponent, you're very likely behind. This is a tough situation. I like Lee Jones' line here (waiting to be pelted with rotten vegetables from 2+2'ers). Check in early position. Fold to a bet and call in front of you. If you get to bet immediately after the first bettor, raise . . . then hope it checks through on the turn. If it does, you probably need to call a bet on the river.