1. In the early stages of the tournament, with small and medium pairs, it is best to just answer.
It is very difficult to win a no-limit hold-em tournament without three of a kind (set) with small or medium pairs. The reason is simple, you can win very big pots when you catch three of a kind with a pair, because it is almost impossible for your opponents to identify such a hand you have. In fact, you even want your opponent to have a hand like pocket kings or pocket aces when you respond with a hand like pocket fives.
With these pairs, the most important rule is: "Don't hit, don't hit" . If you don't catch your third straight on the flop, you just fold. You should be able to catch a set or better about one in eight times.
Your goal with small and medium pairs is to win the biggest banks with the smallest possible investment. You shouldn't care how many players see the flop, but you should want to see the flop as cheaply as possible. So the question is: How much should you be willing to pay to see the flop?
As a rule of thumb, we can think that we shouldn't risk more than 10% of our existing chips to see the flop, unless the opponent has a very large stack that would allow us to win a monster-sized pot. It's worth knowing that the odds of catching a set with a pair are about 7.5 to 1.
Example:
You have a pair of black fours in the cut-off (one place before the dealer's position). Early in the tournament, blinds are 25-25, you have 2000 chips. A player in early position with 2500 chips raises to 100. It would cost you 100 chips to call and see the flop, which amounts to 5% of your available chips. Call and see the flop.
Example:
You have a pair of pocket eights in the cut-offs, the tournament is in the middle stages and blinds are 200-400. You have 15000 chips. A player in early position with 25500 chips raises to 1600. It would cost you a little more than 10% of your chips to call, but your opponent has a big stack for this stage of the tournament, so take a chance and call.
Remember: "Don't get it - don't build it"
2. In the middle or late stages of the tournament, raise your bets with small and medium pairs.
In the middle and late stages of a tournament, blinds start to have an increasingly important impact on your chip stack. What's more, the longer the tournament goes on, the more people start to play more closed and cautious.
Your task with these starting hands is either to win the blinds with all the flushes or to see the flop with a small risk but a potentially big payout.
Some players like to just call with small pairs throughout the tournament, hoping to see the flop cheap. However, this is a very weak line of play, as it is very useful to "steal" blinds in the later stages of a tournament. Also, the chances of strengthening your existing hand are also very slim. For example, if you are stuck with a pair of sixes, you know that you will have to play against at least one opponent. Since the odds of at least one card on the flop being higher than your existing pair are very high, you are left with practically only one option for victory: to catch your set.
Example:
You have a pair of pocket sixes. The middle stage of the tournament is underway. The blinds are 400-800 and your chip stack is 17000. You raise to 2500 from early position. The next player with 30,000 chips beats your bet to 10,000. Everyone else folds. What do you do? With 13700 in the pot, it will cost you another 7500 to call. It's really not worth it, just get out.
Example:
You get a pair of sixes in the middle position. The middle stage of the tournament is underway. The blinds are 400-800, you are the chip leader with 40000. In middle position you raise to 2500. The next player, with 30000 chips, moves up to 10000. All the other players fold, so what do you do?
With a pot size of 13700, it would cost you another 7500 chips to see the flop, which is more than 10% of your existing chips. Even if you have a chance to win a huge pot, why take such a huge risk at this stage of the tournament? Fold your hand.
3. In the middle and late stages of the tournament, beat the bets with small and medium pocket pairs
Breaking bets with small and medium pairs is a very risky but very strong action. Your aim in beating your opponent is to put pressure on him to give up and fold his hand. This tactical manoeuvre works well if you haven't played many hands before and your chip stack needs replenishing.
Example:
You get a pair of pocket eights in the cut-off position. The blinds are 200-400 , you have 6000. You have not played any hand for a long time, so it is likely that the other players at the table see you as a tight player who only plays with strong hands. A player in middle position who has 9,000 chips raises to 1,600. Everybody folds to you, so what do you do? The worst option is to call. Don't risk 20% of your chips hoping to take down the set. You must either beat or fold. You have to decide this based on how strong you think his hand is and how your opponent sees you at the table, your so-called "table image". Since beating your opponent would leave you with not too many chips, it is best to just say "all in" and risk all your chips.
Tip: How much to raise with pocket pairs from deuces to jacks?
Don't be predictable with your bet raises. Also, don't make weak-looking "defensive" raises, where you raise a little more than usual before the flop, signalling to your opponents that you have a very vulnerable starting hand, such as pocket jacks. It will also be harder for you to make decisions after the flop because you have invested more chips.
Instead, think about how much you are risking and how much you can win. If you get such a vulnerable starting hand, change your raises according to your position. Raise less when you are in early position, for example 2.5x the blinds, and raise a little more when you are in late position.
Of course, you can simplify your betting by always choosing to raise the bets equally. Your opponents won't know whether you have pocket aces or a pair of deuces if you raise the same all the time.
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