But experience isn't always the best guide - indeed, looking at the mathematical probabilities paints a different picture. The key is to raise aggressively pre-flop so you're quickly faced with something resembling a heads-up situation. From that point, comparing the relative strength of holding pairs before the flop against a number of alternative hands is easier to assess and allows us to develop some golden rules to follow. You'll find out top three set out below in no particular order.

Golden Rule 1

If you have reason to believe you have been dealt a bigger pair than your opponent, then you're a big favourite, while the suspicion that your opponent holds the bigger pair make you (surprise, surprise) the big underdog.

Pocket rockets (A-A) are simply the best pre-flop hand in the deck, and should be played with all the strength you can muster. This is the time to push out potential rivals by raising immediately and, if you are raised, to re-raise. That done the key question then remains- what exactly are your chances of winning heads-up against any individual pair of cards facing you? The answer is, on the face of it, a little surprising.

To illustrate, let us consider the strength of a pair of Aces against a pair of every other rank from kings down to 2s. Box 1, compares odds for each hand where both pairs are of the same suit, of totally different suits, and with one common suit. The box includes the probability of winning with each pair in a heads-up situation and also the likelihood of a tie.

                                              BIGGER PAIRS VS SMALLER PAIRS (BOX 1)

To summarise the results of the probability analysis of bigger pairs up against smaller pairs, we have one clear conclusion: if your pair outranks another pair heads-up, it has in general a bit more than a four-to-one advantage, and this is little affected by how much one of the pairs outranks another. The advantage is slightly stronger when when both pairs have a suit or suits in common. The same analysis applies to any two pairs you care to choose. The conclusion is clear - higher-ranking pairs have a distinct edge over lower-ranked pairs, but this is little affected by the difference between the ranks ( eg A-A has a similar advantage over K-K to what it has over 2-2).This is what makes a high pair such a powerful hand.

In a multi- handed game, four hands are distinct from the rest in that they should generally be raised and re-raised before the flop. These are the pairs: A-A, K-K, Q-Q, and J-J. Beware, though, of holding in all circumstances to any general rule. If you believe that one of your opponents has a higher pair, then your hand is totally dominated regardless of just how much higher ranked it actually is. Pocket cowboys (K-K) is to all intents and purposes as dominated by A-A as is a pair of deuces (2-2).

Golden Rule 2

If you have reason to believe that you are playing a pair against an unpaired or unconnected hand (Box 2) containing at least one card of higher rank, it's essential a toss up or else you're a favourite - but only marginally. However, the exception here is where you're up against a 'kicker' ( that is, the lower ranked of your opponent's two hole cards) which is equal to or lower than the rank of your pair (eg 6-6 vs K-6 or 6-6 vs K-5), in which case the pair is quite a strong favourite.

                                                     PAIRS VS MISC HANDS (BOX 2)