Poker blog

I used to believe that the primary reason to fold low pocket pairs from early position was to avoid the risk of losing in a set-over-set scenario. While that's definitely a valid concern, I've come to realize there's another factor to consider.

When we're holding the lowest pocket pairs, like pocket deuces or threes, we're essentially "blocking" a significant portion of our opponents' potential pre-flop folding range. In other words, by holding these hands, we reduce the likelihood that our opponents will have weak hands like A2o, K3o, or 72o. This increases the risk that opponents will call our raise, leaving us in a tricky spot where we have to play out-of-position with a hand that has poor post-flop playability. Even worse, we might face a 3-bet, and we'll be forced to fold without realizing the equity of our hand.

Compare this a hand like A5s, which block potential ace-high hands from opponents, but it also unblocks weaker hands that might contain a deuce or three. Additionally, A5s has good post-flop potential, with chances to hit nut flush draws or both high and low straights, giving it much better playability compared to low pocket pairs.