Most players try to limp into a pot when holding a small pocket pair. That’s a fair enough play providing the blinds are small enough to get in cheaply. However, virtually every player will then check if they hit three-of-a-kind (commonly known as trips) on the flop.

Indeed, ‘trips’ is a big hand and trapping should get you paid off but you have to bear in mind that by giving someone a free card you’re giving them the chance to draw to a winning hand.

Conversely, when betting a well-disguised huge hand your opponents will never believe the strength you have. They are likely to be attracted by the amount of chips now in the pot prompting a re-raise or an all-in move, especially by someone holding the likes of A-J on a J-7-2 flop… lovely jubbly when you’re clutching pocket Sevens!

The best piece of advice I can offer here is to mix up your play so that your opponent can’t ever put you on a certain hand. If you always check and re-raise, or always bet big when you’ve got a made hand you’re going to be easy to read and, as a result, easy to beat.