When playing Texas Holdem, everybody loves to see a pair of Aces or Kings in their down cards. But, as the pairs get lower and lower, opinions tend to vary. Some people love a pair no matter what it is. Others hate to play the low pairs because they feel they end up losing more money than the make in the long run. When playing pocket pairs, there are two things to think about. Knowing when to play your hand, and knowing when to get out. If you are first to act, playing pocket 3s may not be the best idea. At that point, you have no idea what the rest of the table is holding, and may get raised by any number of the remaining players. Yet, if you were sitting on the button with no callers ahead of you, the pocket 3s may bring a smile to your face. As with everything in Texas Holdem, knowing how to read your competition and knowing when to play what hand will come with practice and through reading literature from Texas Holdem experts. As a common sense rule of thumb, higher pairs can be played from any position, mid-range pairs from middle position, and lower pairs from late position. All, or course, depending on what the other players have done ahead of you.

After you get into the hand, knowing what to do once the community cards start showing is critical. Often times, players call and continue to call bets as the community cards are shown. Before they realize it, they are at "the river," with no additional help from the board, and 4 overcards staring back at them.

Here is an example from an actual game:

I was holding KJ and my opponent was holding 77. The flop showed K96. At this point, I was pretty certain I was holding the best hand and made a decent sized bet. Fourth Street added a second 9. I now had top two pair and bet again. Fifth Street brought a J. With the Jack on the river, I felt quite confident my hand was the best and upped the stakes for my final bet. When the hand was over, I looked at my opponent (also a friend) and asked if he thought I was bluffing. When he said he wasn't sure, I told him that a bluff was really the only hand he could have hoped to beat. If I was holding a 6, or a lower pair, my betting would have reflected that (unless I was bluffing). In the end, the hand was very costly for him, and I was able to take home a nice size pot.

Personally, I like playing pocket pairs. I think seeing the community cards complete a set is one of the best feelings in Texas Holdem. Play your pairs wisely, and you won't need to fear the low ones.