Each and every one who bets in texas hold’em understands that a-k is one of the best starting hands. But, it’s simply that, a starting hand. It’s only 2 cards of a seven-card formula. In nearly every situation, you want to come out guns blaring with Ace-King as your pocket cards. When the flop comes, you have to reassess your cards and consider things through before you just assume your overcards are the greatest.
Like many other opportunities in holdem, understanding your rivals will assisting you in gauging your situation when you hold A-K and observe a flop like nine-eight-two. After you bet preflop and were called, you assume your opponent is also possessing great cards and the flop may have missed them as badly as it missed you. Your assumption will often times be right. Also, do not neglect that most bad players wouldn’t understand good cards if they happen over them and might have called with A-x and paired the table.
If your opposing player checks, you might check and observe a free card or lay a wager and attempt to grab the pot up right there. If they bet, you can raise to see if they are in or fold. What you want to avert is simply calling your opponent’s wager to observe what the turn brings. If any card instead of the Ace or King is shown, you won’t know any more information than you did after the flop. Now let’s say the turn results in a four and your competitor bets once again, what will you do? To call a bet on the flop you need to think your hand was the best, so you must surely believe it still is. So, you call a wager on the turn and one more on the river to discover that your opposing player was holding ten-eight and just a second pair following the flop. At that time, it hits you that a raise the bet after the flop might have captured the money right then.
A-K is a beautiful combination to see in your hole cards. Just be certain you play them carefully and they’ll achieve you awesome happiness at the poker table.
