Pocket pair

A pocket pair is a pair of downcards of equal rank, which by themselves form a pair. The fact that they are downcards means they are "in your pocket" (hidden from view of other players); this is the origin of the term.

By their very nature, pocket pairs are powerful hands in poker, the higher the better. Depending on the variant being played, pocket pairs can make well-disguised trips or can end up being an overpair on the flop.

In Hold 'em, the odds of a pocket pair becoming a full set (three of a kind) on the flop is roughly 7 to 1 against.