Flopping two pair in No Limit Hold’em is a great feeling and it is definitely a hand you want to play aggressively, but it is important to remember that not all flopped two pair holdings are the same.
Top two is a great hand and should be played accordingly. There are not many holdings to be afraid of and you should be looking to build sizeable pot. The odds of an opponent having flopped a set are slender enough, but your own hole cards further reduce the chances of top or second set being out there. Be aware that when your top two pair are close together, such as in a QJ or JT type holding, there will be big straight draws out there.
Believe it or not, bottom two pair on the flop should still be played aggressively, rather than cautiously. If your opponent has flopped top pair, they will only have five outs to improve and your bottom two will still be good after the river card has fallen around three-quarters of the time. If the board pairs when your opponent has top pair, your hand will be counterfeited, so it is important to try and take the pot down as soon as possible.
Top and bottom two is the weakest two pair holding, as an opponent holding an overpair or top pair has an extra out to beat you. Imagine you have Queen-Five in the big blind and the flop comes Q 7 5. An opponent holding QJ can beat you if the board shows another seven, as well as a jack, as you will both be holding Queens and Sevens with your opponent’s Jack outkicking your Five. Be a little more cautious in this situation, if called, when cards fall that outrank your lowest pair.
In flopping two pair, you already have a strong hand, but the chances of it improving are slim. Two pair will improve just 17 % of the time, so it is crucial to play the hand aggressively and win the pot at the earliest opportunity. Don’t be afraid of an opponent having flopped a stronger hand, it doesn’t happen often enough and even if your opponent holds a set, you will still have that slim chance to suck out.
If your opponent is keen to play back, you need to consider how skilled they are. Most of the time, they are going to be behind and it will be difficult to do anything but get your chips to the middle, particularly with top two. Skilled players are less likely to commit their stack with just top pair though, so you must exercise your judgement, but folding two pair on the flop should be extremely rare.
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