One of the toughest decisions in Texas Holdem is to know the best way to play a small pocket pair.

Should I raise before the flop and try to win the hand uncontested? - This way I won't have to worry about overcards that are sure to appear on the flop.

Should I just fold assuming that my hand won't be the best after the river? - This way I can save money for when I have a better starting hand.

Should I try to see the flop as cheaply as possible and see what develops? - This way I can take a look at three more cards without having to put too much of my chip stack at risk.

There is no one correct answer to the question and a lot will depend on your position at the table and what has happened before it's your turn to act. If someone has made a decent bet ahead of you (say 4 times the big blind), what should you do? If the bettor has a higher pair, you are already a 4 to 1 underdog in the hand. If he has 2 overcards, you are a slight favorite. However, even if he has overcards, it's virtually a "coin flip" giving you only slightly better than a 50/50 chance of winning. Keep in mind that your "coin flip" odds only hold true if you stay in the hand until the end.

Let's say you are holding pocket 4s, the flop is K106, and your opponent bets after the flop.

Do you put him on a drawing hand like AJ or AQ and raise him? Or, is he holding AK or KQ in which case you are in bad shape.

When you play a small pair, you goal should be to flop a set (three of a kind). This type of hand can be difficult for your opponent to figure out, and will win you a good deal of money in the long run. If you flop a set and there are no signs of a straight or a flush draw, check the hand and try to induce a bet from your opponent. If you don't flop a set, you need to get a read on your opponent by making a bet or raising. The one thing you want to avoid is calling a bet in the hopes of making a set on the turn or the river. You need to bet or raise to determine the strength of your opponent's hand. If you just call a bet, your intention should be to raise later in the hand. If you think you are beaten, don't be afraid to fold.

In the next article, we will discuss your odds of making a set on the flop and the results of our survey about how to play a pair of 3s from late position.