If you are new to Texas hold’em poker and have just started playing either online poker or live poker, you are almost certain to have encountered the loose low limit hold’em game. A loose low limit hold’em game is one in which the stakes are so low that it seems like almost every player is going to the river on every hand. While it is often preferable to have only a few loose players to target at your poker tables, you can profit from a full table of loose players. One situation you will encounter in your loose low limit Texas hold’em poker games occurs when you flop top pair. Flopping Top Pair in a Loose Low Limit Texas Hold’em Game

When you flop top pair, much will depend on what top pair it is, and how strong your kicker is. Although you may find yourself playing a few more types of hands in very loose games than you would normally, due to the high payoff when you hit a hand, you should generally be playing premium hands. If you are, when you hit top pair, you will usually be in very good shape. Sample Top Pair Hands:

-You have As Kd and the flop comes 8s 9d Kh. This is a great position. You have the best possible one pair hand. The only way you can lose is if someone makes two pair or better. This will certainly happen in your loose low limit hold’em games. In a game like this, your flop bet is likely to be called by hands such as Ad Ts, 8h 7h, and Ks Th. Sometimes you will be called by more than one hand like this, and very often, a seemingly innocuous card or cards will come to beat you. You cannot let this deter you from betting aggressively. In a loose low limit hold’em poker game you should raise with this hand before the flop and continue betting until it is apparent someone has caught a better hand.

-You have 8d 7h and the flop comes 8s 2c 2h. This is an example of a hand you probably should not be playing in the first place. While you have top pair, this board is not threatening enough to get anyone to fold to a bet, and any turn and river combination presents myriad opportunities to beat you. Your best bet here is probably to check and call for as long as you feel you may have the best of it and be prepared to release the hand if a big overcard comes and betting follows.

-You have Kc Qs and the flop comes Qh Th 9s. This is a tricky situation when you play poker at low stakes. You probably have the best hand right now but there are a lot of draws out there, and players do not easily give up on draws in loose low limit hold’em games. Your best bet here is to try to bet into someone who is likely to raise, or try for a check raise if you think someone to your right will bet, to make it two bets to as many players as possible. You need to make this as expensive as you can for players to draw out on you.

The key thing to remember when you flop top pair is that you are ahead but vulnerable. Your opponents will give you action, so try to make it expensive when you feel you have the best of it and slow down or fold when it is likely that a weaker hand has caught up.

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