How do you play pocket fives?

Open it from any seat as a first-in raise, but understand what it is once the pot gets contested: a hand that wants to flop a set and otherwise give up. Calling a raise is fine when the stacks are deep enough to win a big pot the one time in eight you hit. The pair of fives rarely wins at showdown unfaced, so do not build a big pot with it on its own.

This hand opens for a raise from every position, including under the gun.

Common mistake: Paying too much to set-mine. If the stacks are shallow, calling a raise with fives loses money, because the set does not pay enough to cover all the times you miss.

Quick tip: Hit your set roughly one in eight. No set, no hand, most of the time.