When you do play medium pocket pairs, your main goal is to flop a set. These hands are especially vulnerable because there are many overcards to your pair. Consider pocket 10s. They seem like a great hand proflop, and they are to a certain extent preflop. Unfortunately, all it takes is a single J, Q, K, or A to beat your tens on the flop. Most opponents play bigger cards, so it is likely that one of your opponents has made a pair higher than yours. A good situation for your tens is when 3 unsuited small cards come on the flop, such as 8-2-5. Be sure to bet out because your opponent could have a straight draw. You probably have your opponents beat, and they might be willing to put in a sizeable bet if they're holding a hand like A-8, which is a common hand you'll be up against in online play. As an aside, unless you're getting a 'free' play from the blinds, you should never play a hand like A-8 from any position as a beginner.

When you do flop a set with your pocket pair, you need to properly assess the flop before you decide how much to bet. Many beginners will try to slow play this hand or check-raise it. Check-raising is common in low-limit online games, but it really shouldn't be a big part of your strategy. It probably won't intimidate your opponent much, and if your opponent raised preflop you're probably better off making a bet so he can try to steal it from you. You can then re-raise your opponent and get as much money in as possible. When you have more than a couple of opponents in the hand with you, you'll usually get a call and/or a raise, so you should usually bet out with your set. Analyze the texture of the flop, and if there are two suited or connecting cards, you definitely don't want to give your opponent a free card that could complete his draw. You also shouldn't bet just a small amount, or you'll be making it statistically correct for your opponent to call. Bet at least the size of the pot and you'll be making him go against the odds to draw.

You also need to be careful when you do play mediocre hands like K-Q and J-10, which shouldn't be all too often. These are types of hands that are easily dominated. Even when you hit your Q on the flop with K-Q, your opponents could have A-K and limped in. With J-10, even if you pair up your Jacks, a Q-J, K-J, or A-J has you beat, unless you hit two pair. Many beginners bust out of tournaments and cash games by overvaluing top pair with a mediocre kicker. Having top pair, top kicker puts you in a better situation, but you still should be willing to let it go if you get too much action and feel that you're beaten. There are just too many hands that can beat you, and in online play, your opponents are going to be playing all sorts of hands. You need to start expecting your online opponents to play anything. If the flop comes 3-3-9, don't be too surprised if your opponents would play another 3 from early position.

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