Everyone who plays hold’em knows that a-k is one of the greatest opening hands. But, it’s just that, an opening hand. It’s just 2 cards of a 7-card equation. In just about each new situation, you will want to jump out firing with Ace-King as your pocket cards. When the flop arrives, you must to check out your cards and consider things completely before you just assume your cards are the greatest.
Like most other opportunities in holdem, understanding your adversaries will assisting you in gauging your situation when you have A-K and observe a flop like 9-8-2. Since you wager preflop and were called, you assume your opponent is also possessing good cards and the flop may have missed them as badly as it by-passed you. Your assumption will frequently be correct. Also, do not overlook that most lousy players would not understand good cards if they happen over them and possibly could have called with Ace-x and paired the board.
If your opposition checks, you might check and see a free card or lay a wager and try to pick the pot up right then. If they wager, you can raise to see if they are in or fold. What you wish to avert is basically calling your opponent’s bet to observe what the turn gives rise to. If any card other than and Ace or King is shown, you won’t know any more information than you did following the flop. So let us say the turn results in a 4 and your opposition bets again, what should you do? To call a bet on the flop you must think your hand was the strongest, so you have to surely think it remains so. So, you call a bet on the turn and one more on the river to find out that your opposing player was holding 10-8 and only had second pair after the flop. At that moment, it hits you that a raise the bet after the flop could have won the money right there.
A-K is a beautiful thing to find in your hole cards. Just be sure you wager on them wisely and they will bring you great happiness at the poker table.
