--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Playing middle pairs like 10-10, 9-9…" description: "\"Playing middle pairs like 10-10, 9-9, 8-8, and 7-7 can be difficult but only if you overvalue them and mistakenly play them as you would premium hands...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/daniel-negreanu-3966_difficult_playing-middle-pairs-like-10-10-9-9-8-8_2485818.jpg" --- # Playing middle pairs like 10-10, 9-9, 8-8, and 7-7 can be… ![“Playing middle pairs like 10-10, 9-9, 8-8, and 7-7 can be difficult but only if you overvalue them and mistakenly play them as you would premium hands.” quote by Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/daniel-negreanu-3966_difficult_playing-middle-pairs-like-10-10-9-9-8-8_2485818.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/daniel-negreanu-3966_difficult_playing-middle-pairs-like-10-10-9-9-8-8_2485818.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/daniel-negreanu-3966_difficult_playing-middle-pairs-like-10-10-9-9-8-8_2485818.jpg) > “Playing middle pairs like 10-10, 9-9, 8-8, and 7-7 can be difficult but only if you overvalue them and mistakenly play them as you would premium hands.” [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He warns that overvaluing middle pairs leads to mistakes, emphasizing the need to assess hand strength objectively. **In simple terms:** Overvaluing middle pairs can cause errors. Key Takeaway Assess hand value based on odds, not emotion. Themes strategy decision‑making risk management Mood analytical pragmatic Type educational strategic When to use this quote - cash games - tournaments - hand analysis - learning sessions Key Concepts probability game theory Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep emotions out of strategic decisions? - When should you fold a seemingly decent hand? A Different Perspective Players may still be swayed by ego. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Overvalue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-overvalue-913012/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle/) [Middle Pairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-pairs-913011/) [Mistakenly Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakenly-play-913010/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Overvalue Mistakenly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overvalue-mistakenly-913013/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Playing Middle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-middle-913009/) ## Related quotes > [I probably played too much on the left for my liking - I'm not that kind of player who is going to get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gylfi-sigurdsson/i-probably-played-too-much-on-the-left-for-my-liking-i-m-not-that/) [Gylfi Sigurdsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gylfi-sigurdsson/) > [For two or three years I played on the wing, when I went to Boulogne in 2011, I started playing in the middle as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-golo-kante/for-two-or-three-years-i-played-on-the-wing-when-i-went-to-boulogne/) [N'Golo Kante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-golo-kante/) > [You need to stay in that one position to get consistency that way. Different things are going through your mind when you are playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-ramsey/you-need-to-stay-in-that-one-position-to-get-consistency-that-way/) [Aaron Ramsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-ramsey/) > [But I don't think the Democratic Party is at eye level with the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-i-don-t-think-the-democratic-party-is-at-eye-level-with-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the unique things is that whether we were out at sea or in the middle of the water tank, a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-reilly/one-of-the-unique-things-is-that-whether-we-were-out-at-sea-or-in-the/) [John C. Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-reilly/) > [In the middle of a play, I go crazy and don't realize what I'm doing. I'll snap back to reality and I realize, 'Hey,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-bosworth/in-the-middle-of-a-play-i-go-crazy-and-don-t-realize-what-i-m-doing-i/) [Brian Bosworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-bosworth/) > [Men generally decide upon a middle course, which is most hazardous, for they know neither how to be entirely good nor entirely bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/men-generally-decide-upon-a-middle-course-which-is-most-hazardous-for/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Well, He had known what love was-a sharp pang, a fierce experience, in the midst of whose flames he was struggling! but, through that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/well-he-had-known-what-love-was-a-sharp-pang-a-fierce-experience-in/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [I can get runs much faster if I stay there in the middle to give bowlers more time and cushion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-l-rahul/i-can-get-runs-much-faster-if-i-stay-there-in-the-middle-to-give/) [K. L. Rahul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-l-rahul/) > [Going to a site with more users seems obviously better to me, but at the same time, having a bland, middle of the road…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-rudder/going-to-a-site-with-more-users-seems-obviously-better-to-me-but-at/) [Christian Rudder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-rudder/) > [On the McLaughlin Report, August 26, 1990: 'There are only two groups that are beating the drums for war in the middle East, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/on-the-mclaughlin-report-august-26-1990-there-are-only-two-groups/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [When you're in the middle of a pennant race, you can't go up there thinking about home runs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammy-sosa/when-you-re-in-the-middle-of-a-pennant-race-you-can-t-go-up-there/) [Sammy Sosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammy-sosa/) > [I grew up in the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/i-grew-up-in-the-middle-class/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) > [Rampant eclecticism is my middle name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/rampant-eclecticism-is-my-middle-name/) [Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/) > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) ## More by Daniel Negreanu > [To be sure, playing it safe isn't a flashy style of poker. Some even claim that it's too weak and passive. That being said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/to-be-sure-playing-it-safe-isn-t-a-flashy-style-of-poker-some-even/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [Chess is a great training ground for poker players because it's a math-based game, much like backgammon is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/chess-is-a-great-training-ground-for-poker-players-because-it-s-a/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [I need some money. You got any money?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/i-need-some-money-you-got-any-money/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [Deep-stack games like High Stakes Poker are the favorites among both poker pros and avid fans of televised poker. In these games, the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/deep-stack-games-like-high-stakes-poker-are-the-favorites-among-both/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [The most important reason why it's dangerous to risk all your chips pre-flop is that you simply can't be certain that you are even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/the-most-important-reason-why-it-s-dangerous-to-risk-all-your-chips/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [I seldom reraise before the flop no matter what my hand is. By so doing, I'm able to disguise the strength of my hand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/i-seldom-reraise-before-the-flop-no-matter-what-my-hand-is-by-so/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [In tournaments, you want to steal the blinds as cheaply as possible without risking a high percentage of your chips.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/in-tournaments-you-want-to-steal-the-blinds-as-cheaply-as-possible/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [If I haven't played with a player before and I don't know anything about them, the more they tell me about themselves, the better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/if-i-haven-t-played-with-a-player-before-and-i-don-t-know-anything/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [I was very curious, that's why I think my reality TV seems normal. I watch a lot of reality TV because I am so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/i-was-very-curious-that-s-why-i-think-my-reality-tv-seems-normal-i/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [Success at poker is ultimately the result of solid fundamentals and the ability to read your opponents' betting patterns. This is especially true when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/success-at-poker-is-ultimately-the-result-of-solid-fundamentals-and/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [Beating a tight game requires focus. You'll need to seek out every opportunity where you can steal a big pot. One way is by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/beating-a-tight-game-requires-focus-you-ll-need-to-seek-out-every/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [I became vegan in 2006 when I started taking healthy eating seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/i-became-vegan-in-2006-when-i-started-taking-healthy-eating-seriously/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [The thing that can get confusing is you think, is this guy really a good player or does he just seem that way based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/the-thing-that-can-get-confusing-is-you-think-is-this-guy-really-a/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [Some golf instructors get overly technical and teach the mechanics of the ideal swing. That approach didn't work for me. So, I found a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/some-golf-instructors-get-overly-technical-and-teach-the-mechanics-of/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) > [Powerful drawing hands, like a pair with a flush draw or even conventional straight and flush draws, are often good opportunities to try a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/powerful-drawing-hands-like-a-pair-with-a-flush-draw-or-even/) [Daniel Negreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) [Explore all 118 Daniel Negreanu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/) ## More Difficult quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [Consumers can choose organic cotton grown without pesticides, but it uses more water and requires more land than conventional crops. Organic cotton can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/consumers-can-choose-organic-cotton-grown-without-pesticides-but-it/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [It is extremely difficult to do anything constructive, let alone deep, on daily commercial television, especially on a talk show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/it-is-extremely-difficult-to-do-anything-constructive-let-alone-deep/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. I was often working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/having-small-children-and-being-an-investigative-reporter-would-seem/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [It's only a little difficult to say no. You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-sivers/it-s-only-a-little-difficult-to-say-no-you-ve-got-to-believe-that-the/) [Derek Sivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-sivers/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [To explicate the uses of the Brain seems as difficult a task as to paint the Soul, of which it is commonly said, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-willis/to-explicate-the-uses-of-the-brain-seems-as-difficult-a-task-as-to/) [Thomas Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-willis/) > [Someone else who liked what I did might turn around and say, "She's reworking and rethinking everything. She could just be making blankets now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-emin/someone-else-who-liked-what-i-did-might-turn-around-and-say-she-s/) [Tracey Emin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-emin/) [Browse all 13,132 Difficult quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Playing middle pairs like 10-10, 9-9, 8-8, and 7-7 can be difficult but only if you overvalue them and mistakenly play them as you would premium hands.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel Negreanu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/playing-middle-pairs-like-10-10-9-9-8-8-and-7-7-can-be-difficult-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Difficult" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/playing-middle-pairs-like-10-10-9-9-8-8-and-7-7-can-be-difficult-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/daniel-negreanu-3966_difficult_playing-middle-pairs-like-10-10-9-9-8-8_2485818.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/daniel-negreanu-3966_difficult_playing-middle-pairs-like-10-10-9-9-8-8_2485818.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef2/daniel-negreanu-3966_difficult_playing-middle-pairs-like-10-10-9-9-8-8_2485818.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Playing middle pairs like 10-10, 9-9, 8-8, and 7-7 can be difficult but only if you overvalue them and…” — Daniel Negreanu", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Daniel Negreanu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-negreanu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Playing middle pairs like 10-10, 9-9,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/playing-middle-pairs-like-10-10-9-9-8-8-and-7-7-can-be-difficult-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-negreanu/playing-middle-pairs-like-10-10-9-9-8-8-and-7-7-can-be-difficult-but/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```