What is a One Pair Hand in Poker? (May 2024)

The most common poker hand is one pair. However, it is not a desirable hand as it ranks second. That is not to say it is impossible to win with a hand of one pair, but it is all down to how you will use your cards. Not all one pair hands are the same, and it makes a massive difference whether that pair is among the communal cards or in the hole.

What is a One Pair Poker Hand?

The 5-card hand that you can form has one set of pairs. This is two cards of the same rank. If two players should have one pair each, then the highest pair wins. Should the players have pairs of matching rank, then the next highest card determines which player wins. If there is still no winner, then the round is pushed. Here are a few examples of one pair hands:

• 3 of Hearts, 3 of Diamonds, 8 of Clubs, 10 of Clubs, Ace of Hearts

You have a pair of 3s and your high card is an Ace

• 8 of Hearts, 9 of Clubs, 9 of Hearts, Jack of Diamonds, Queen of Clubs

There is a pair of 9s and the high card is a Queen

• 10 of Spades, Jack of Hearts, King of Diamonds, King of Hearts, Ace of Hearts

There is a pair of Kings and the high card is an Ace

• 5 of Spades, 10 of Diamonds, King of Clubs, Ace of Diamonds, Ace of Spades

The pair of Aces are also the highest ranking cards in the hand

• 5 of Hearts, 6 of Diamonds, 10 of Hearts, Jack of Spades, Jack of Clubs

The pair of Jacks are also the highest ranking cards in the hand

What Beats a One Pair Hand?

One pair can only beat a high card hand. The following rank higher than a one pair hand.

1. Royal Flush
2. Straight Flush
3. Four of a Kind
4. Full House
5. Flush
6. Straight
7. Three of a Kind
8. Two Pair

One Pair Probability

There are 1,098,240 different possible ways to form one pair hands. The odds of getting a one pair hand are 1 to 1.36, and the probability of landing one is 42.25%. It is extremely common to land one pair hands, but the rank of your one pair and whether it comprises one or both of your hole cards makes a massive difference.

What To Do With Your Own Pair Hand

It is more than possible to take a one pair hand to the showdown and win a round, but it all depends on where the one pair is located. The ideal situation is that you have a pocket pair, that is, the one pair is in your hole cards. That is your one pair, and no other players can use those cards to form their hand. Other players may still have a pocket pair, or use one of the communal cards to form one pair, and so you need to be careful. The worst case scenario is if the one pair is formed using only communal cards. Therefore, everyone else also has one pair, and you do not have the upper hand.

Preflop

A pocket pair, whilst a great initial boost, should be considered carefully. A pocket pair ranking from 2-6 is considered a low pair, and can cause you problems. You are better off with a pair of 7-Jacks, but still, these are considered medium pairs. A pair of Aces, Kings, or Queens are premium pocket pairs, and you can start raising straight away if you have them.

If you do not have any pairs, then the strength of your starting hand is determined by your highest card and whether you have any connectors/suited cards.

The Flop

Once the flop is dealt you have to go with a strategy and stick to it. A one pair hand of Queens or higher will give you an advantage, but if there are connectors or 2 or more cards of one suit, there is a danger that someone can make a straight or flush. Those instantly defeat your one pair. Another good thing about a pair though, is that at this stage there is also a slim chance of forming two pair, three of a kind, four of a kind, or even a full house.

The Turn

After the turn, the game usually takes a more serious turn. Should you have one pair of anything up to Jacks at this point, then you have to play carefully. Once again, analyse the cards and try to determine whether another player can defeat your pair. If there are opportunities, then you may have to consider folding. If the possibility of running a straight or flush seems far-fetched or is only possible with a favourable river card, then your chances are quite strong.

River and Showdown

Once the river card is dealt, the final betting cycle begins. Though the turn can also see a large increase in the pot size, players generally do not want to fold at the river. If an opponent starts raising aggressively though, you may have to consider it. Players who limped in the first betting cycles but are now throwing in money can present a big danger. Either they bluffed their way to the final round and out of desperation want to take home the pot. Or, they may have really good cards and have let the other players do the raising. Now, that they have built confidence and are ready to strike, they want to increase the damage. The latter may raise the pot to the line where you may still consider it. Bluffers will usually take the bet up to a level where they want to frighten you off.

Best Case Scenario

The best one pair you can have is a pair of pocket Aces. Pocket Kings and Queens are also great hands. With these, you can start betting confidently.

Worst Case Scenario

The worst case scenario is that you have no matching cards in your hole hands, and the one pair is in the communal cards. A low ranking pair, from 2-6s are extremely poor, and if you have no high card to win a kicker, then you are in trouble.

Conclusion

One pair is only really effective when you have a premium pocket pair. You can still win rounds with a mid-range one pair or even a pair of low ranking cards, but that is more about how you play and less about the strength of the hand. Sometimes, it is better to discard a hand of one pair, as the money you save on that round can be used on the next.