Let’s
dispel the absolute poker myth that Aces and Kings always lose
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Believing that high pairs hold absolute
poker
power is obviously wrong. But the counter-belief, quoted by so many
weaker players, that Aces and Kings always lose is clearly incorrect.
As the Bible itself tells us:
Elisha
said, “Get some flour.” He put it into the pot and
said, “Serve it to
the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.
2
Kings 4:40-42
Not a
very helpful quotation in itself, but see which book it comes from? TWO
KINGS! There’s a hidden message there for Texas Holdem
players
everywhere.
Now, there are
times when you’re certainly beaten with the top pairs. Aces
and Kings
are not invincible.
You will
regularly see weaker players calling with KK or AA when the flop is:
(obviously without the club in their
hand). Or
betting flops like this:
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The higher the paired card is,
the
more you should worry, since most players will play cards
like TJ, AT or KT.
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This is how the absolute poker
myth of Aces and Kings always losing perpetuates itself. Sure, it hurts
when they lose. But you need to give the top pairs plenty of
protection. Get some flour and make the pot into a
bigger cake.
Many new players
don’t raise enough with their top pairs. They feel that if
they raise
too much, they will drive out all the other players and only win the
blinds. I agree that it feels awful to only win the blinds when you
raise with your big pairs. You wait ages for Aces or Kings and what do
you get? Next to nothing!
But
which feels worse? Which is the absolute poker nightmare? Winning
the blinds, or losing a substantial pot because you DIDN’T
raise?
Raising also achieves something
else. It makes the hands who DO call against you more likely to be the
kind that will pay you off with the second-best hand, rather than lousy
junk hands that can hit a lucky (and impossible to read) two pair to
beat you.
Do you see? Players
in the blinds are more likely to call a raise with hands like KQ than
they are with hands like 52. This is obvious. Now look at what happens
with the above example hands. You have AA and the flop is:
In the first example, it’s an
absolute poker
dream. Your raise was called with KQ. Perhaps some very good players
will be able to fold here when you bet the flop. Most of the
time, you are going to get action, and unless your opponent
picks up a lucky K or Q, you’re going to win.
In the second example, the absolute poker
nightmare, you didn’t raise, afraid of winning only the
blinds. Now
you are in all kinds of trouble. Most players UNDER-value two
baby pairs on the flop.
If
you’re very lucky, you will find your big bets flat-called.
If you run
into the kind of aggressive, loose opponent who values hands like this
correctly, BOOM. You will face an all-in raise or reraise.
Serve it to the people to eat.
You have taken the cake that should have been yours and handed it to
your opponent on a plate.
Think
you could fold AA in that situation? It’s really hard. Now
YOU are the
one in trouble, and all because you got greedy. The blinds were not
enough for you. You wanted MORE. Well, now you’ve got it, and
unless a
K, A or running pair arrives, you’re history.
The absolute poker myth that Aces
and
Kings always lose has been perpetuated, again, and you have nobody to
blame but yourself.
Protect
your two Kings or two Aces. Raise every time. So you just picked up the
blinds? At least you’ll find there is nothing
harmful in the
pot.
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