Poker Veteran of 50 Years: Hands That Play Themselves

“Never look a gift horse in the mouth”

Part of the unique thrill and enjoyment associated with the game of poker is the knowledge that over time your skillset will prevail and your good decisions will be rewarded. 

Let’s talk about a group of hands that reside in a class of their own and take over your game. These are the premium hands that everyone waits for and wants to have. Hands that you rarely if ever fold. Hands that dictate your play, and at the same time, make you feel like you are in control of the action, at least until you are not. 

I call them “Hands That Play Themselves.”

They are, AA, KK, QQ, and AK.        

When you look down and see these cards staring at you, you’re mesmerized — they make you feel like you just hit the jackpot. You want to look again to be sure. Well, you know what you’re gonna do — you’ll win the pot, make some money—now it’s just how much? You’re definitely not going to fold.

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WELL, NOT SO FAST!

Sometimes, you are so seduced by these hands that you can lose sight of the bigger picture — like you haven’t won the pot yet.

Let’s go over some of these hands in detail.

AA — Aces — a hand you will get 1 out of 221 times. They say with Aces “you either win a small pot or lose a big one.” Although they are ahead of any other hand pre-flop, they do lose occasionally.  Frankly, they always make me feel uncomfortable.

Things to consider when playing aces: Position is important, then bet sizing, and finally, deciding if you are willing to go broke defending them. Of course, you’ll need to make a sizeable bet or raise pre-flop to limit the number of players you’ll want to go up against. Slow playing Aces in hopes of trapping can backfire, as that can attract more opponents than you want. Overbetting can take down the pot, winning just the blinds. So, coming up with the right balance is key. The best-case scenario is being heads-up. And then there is the post-flop action. You’ll make a continuation bet in hopes of dominating the action; however, what happens when you get an unfavorable flop and you are raised? You will have to decide whether you want to risk your entire stack defending this seductive pair. 

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KK — Kings— referred to as an “Ace Magnet” is a hand that often attracts an ace on the flop.  I find Kings easier to play than Aces as you are wary of an Ace hitting the flop. Like with Aces, pre-flop you’ll want to make a sizable bet, raise, or re-raise depending on the situation. Post-flop, it is good to test the waters and put in a well-sized continuation bet. You not only learn a lot from that bet, but often your opponent might just fold if they did not connect, based on your pre-flop raising action. If an ace hits the flop, you have to determine whether to continue or bail.

QQ — Queens — are a strong starting hand that requires a gentler pre-flop approach than either of the above hands. With a cooperative board and moderate betting action, Queens often have the ability to withstand the heat and make it to showdown. Like with AA or KK, you’re best off playing heads-up. On a positive note, you can minimize your liability if an ace or king hits the flop and strong betting action follows, as they are easy to fold.

AK — Ace-King— “Big Slick” as it is known in poker circles is a drawing hand opposed to the pocket pairs we have been reviewing. Of these, the Ace-King might provide the greatest upside value with the least risk for several reasons. You have top-top, the two highest unpaired cards, which is a very potent starting hand. It is a versatile hand that is played well from any position and is benefited by seeing the entire board— all five cards. If an ace or king hit the flop, you’re probably ahead. And if you miss the flop and are facing some strong action, it is easy to fold. 

Ace-King is also a great bluffing hand and a hand you might even want to risk your entire stack with if you have to pre-flop, depending on the action.

So, with these hands, there is not much to think about, except how much should I bet to protect them and how much am I willing to lose in the event things don’t go my way. 

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