Seeing a pair of cards on the board can imply a number of possibilities
Having a paired board is more common than you might think in Texas Hold’em. When there are paired cards on the board many interesting things happen, and you should take some time to dig into a good strategy to make the most out of these hands. Interestingly, a lot of players tend to work their strategies in very predictable ways when facing paired boards, so knowing when to choose the best lines when the board pairs will give you an edge and turn you into a well-rounded player.
Every board texture comes with its particularities and getting a paired board happens around 17% of the time. So, you can expect to see a paired flop in one out of every six times and a paired turn once every five times. Given that this happens quite often, it becomes important that you are prepared to engage in action during these hands.
Even though all players are unique in their style, two things usually happen when there is a paired board – players will either turn chaotic or cautious. Most people are not that comfortable with taking risks, so there is a larger number of people who turn cautious when having a paired board. These players would be nervous facing a monster hand because they don’t have one, so they will play carefully and try to control the pot size. You can take advantage of these players by playing more aggressively so they fold more often, and you can steal the pot
With chaotic players, on the other hands, things change as they will be applying extra pressure on these kinds of hands, especially when opponents look nervous or uncomfortable. However, it does not mean that the player is bluffing all the time. To tackle chaotic players, be careful not to engage in every play, as they often come with a bluff.
