The term bottom pair refers to a pair made with the lowest card available on the board when playing community card games like Hold'em.
Pocket pairs which are lower in rank than the lowest card on the board are instead referred to as underpairs.
Bottom pair may sometimes also be referred to as a low pair although low pairs can include any small pair whether it’s the same as the lowest ranked card on the board or not.
In this guide we’ll learn the following -
Why is it Called Bottom Pair?
It is called bottom pair, because it’s a pair made using the lowest card on the board when playing community card games such as Hold’em and Omaha. Lower pairs than bottom pair are possible however since a player may have a lower ranked pocket pair in the hole.
How Strong is Bottom Pair in Hold’em?
Bottom pair is relatively weak in Hold’em although it does stand to be the best hand somewhat often in pots where there is not a lot of betting and raising. When facing large bets and raises, bottom pairs are little more than bluffcatchers and should be discarded unless our opponent has a history of bluffing very frequently. Bottom pair usually has enough showdown value that we should try and reach showdown where possible as opposed to turning the hand into a bluff.
How Strong is Bottom Pair in Omaha?
Bottom pair is extremely weak in Omaha. It’s unlikely that bottom pair is good even in situations where relatively little interest has been shown in the pot. It might make more sense to treat bottom pair in Omaha like an air hand and consider turning it into a bluff if we think our opponent is capable of folding.
What is the Difference Between Bottom Pair and an Underpair?
Bottom pair is made with one of our hole cards along with the lowest ranked card from the board. An underpair is formed with two of our hole cards (a pocket pair) and is lower in rank than the lowest ranked card on the board.
What is the Difference Between Bottom Pair and Low Pair?
Bottom pair refers to a pair made with one hole card and the lowest ranked card on the board. Low pair simply refers to any low ranked pair (perhaps 6 and lower) and may or may not be a bottom pair; the term low pair includes underpairs for example. It’s also possible for bottom pair to be a mid or high pair depending on the rank of the lowest card on the board.
Summary
The term bottom pair refers to a pair made with one hole card along with the lowest ranked card from the board. Bottom pairs are very weak holdings in both Hold’em and Omaha although they do have slightly more showdown value in Hold’em since it’s harder to make pairs when we are only dealt two hole cards.
