TEXAS
HOLD'EM TIPS
FOR BEGINNING PLAYERS
tons
o' tips!
Take a break and buy a new poker shirt...
Tips for Playing the Ace-King
Known widely as Big-slick you will be dealt the the A-K about once for every 83 deals. You'll get the AK suited only once about every 332 hands. It's a powerful hand and comes up quite often, but quite a few decent poker players have a tough time making decisions with this hand.
Tip One: AK Pre-flop: The big question here is whether or not to raise on the flop. It's a big hand but will need some help to win. The good news is that with five more cards to come you will pair the Ace or king well over half the time, about 63% of the time to be more exact. Most contemporary poker books will instruct you to raise big slick pre-flop from any position. Not a bad idea. In low limit poker, however, you should keep the table patterns in mind. If everyone is calling pre-flop raises (a "gambling" table) you should consider calling instead of raising to get some deception value from the hand and also to see the flop without screaming "I have a big hand" first. If no one will be scared off by a raise then go ahead and just call or see any raises. Another thing to keep in mind: A pre-flop raise with AK suited is very hard to resist, but you should sometimes call with it in a loose game and hope that someone else at the table has two of the same suit. I've won some huge pots this way when the flush hits. One check to them on the flop and the raising war begins. Also, If you hit the king or ace on the flop you'll be getting plenty of action and can almost always get away with a check-raise because people will put you on ace or king low kicker. Either way you can often build an equal or better pot then you would have if you'd raised before the flop. On the other hand, you should nearly always raise AK or AK suited in a game that has reasonably good, tight players. You can't give these players any free cards when you're packing Big Slick.
Tip Two: The Flop: This is a sticky situation: You raised before the flop with your bee-u-tiful AK, getting three callers, then the flop comes out no ace, no king. A check here and everyone with half a noodle sitting at the table will put you on the AK. You'll be bullied by a pair of sixes. You should place one quick bet here to avoid this and hope you're given credit for the high pair you don't have. If you're re-raised fold. No one in their right mind will raise you here unless they have you beat. Don't chase trying to pick up the ace or king on the turn or river. The odds are now not in your favor. For the most part your bet on the flop will just be called, and if the ace or king don't come on the turn you're basically back in the same situation. Here, with four cards out, none of which help you, you should usually just check unless the board looks so weak that there is probably no player with a good hand. In that case you may be able to bet and pick up the pot then and there. No one will know your weak at this point. Any good cards on the board, however, and you should check and fold if a bet is made. You missed the flop. You missed the turn. Time to cut your losses and get out, especially if there's anyone showing aggression.
Page 10: Rock, Paper, Scissors
Poker Sharpener
Online Poker Odds Calculator and Hand Tracking Tool Now Available Free
|
|