Everyone who participates in texas hold’em knows that Ace-King is one of the greatest starting hands. But, it’s simply that, an opening hand. It’s just two cards of a 7-card formula. In nearly each new situation, you will want to come out guns blaring with Ace-King as your pocket cards. When the flop arrives, you have to reassess your hand and consider things completely before you just assume your cards are the strongest.
Like most other situations in hold’em, understanding your competitors will help you gauge your situation when you have Ace-King and observe a flop like 9-8-2. Since you wager preflop and were called, you presume your competitor is also holding great cards and the flop may have by-passed them as poorly as it by-passed you. Your assuming will frequently be precise. Also, don’t forget that many poor players would not understand excellent cards if they tripped over them and could have called with Ace-Something and paired the community board.
If your opposing player checks, you could check and see a free card or place a wager and attempt to grab the pot up right then. If they wager, you could raise to observe if they are in or fold. What you wish to avert is simply calling your competitor’s bet to see what the turn brings. If any card other than and Ace or King is shown, you will not have any more info than you did after the flop. So let’s say the turn results in a four and your opposition wagers again, what should you do? To call a bet on the flop you need to think your hand was the greatest, so you have to surely believe it remains so. So, you call a bet on the turn and one more on the river to figure out that your opponent was holding ten-eight and just a second pair after the flop. At that moment, it hits you that a raise following the flop could have captured the pot right then.
A-K is a gorgeous thing to see in your hole cards. Just be sure you gamble on them intelligently and they’ll bring you amazing happiness at the poker table.
