A high pair as a starting hand in maria poker is a really good start to a hand. You already have a made hand before you enter the flop so there is definitely a strong case to back yourself into the pot.
However, you do have to be careful if the flop produces cards that are of a higher value than yours. The chances are somebody else may have developed a better pair than the one you have in which you would be in second place. In this situation it is probably best to monitor how they bet. If they are ahead of you at the table, you can make your judgement call after their move which is a favourable position to be in. However, if not, you will have to trust your instincts with your decision. It is probably best advised not to bet heavy even if you think the flop has not helped your opponents, just in case you make the wrong judgement call.
Sometimes two high cards can work out to be a better starting point that a pair. The reason being is that you end up with more options going into the middle. If you hit three-of-a-kind with your pair, you are very unlikely to beaten; however, when you think about it, there are only two cards in the pack which could produce that result. With two high cards though, there are a host of different ways of improving your hand. Apart from hitting a pair, or even two pairs, you could end up finishing with a straight. An even bigger positive is if the two cards are of the same suit. You then have a flush draw in your favour.
