Everyone who participates in hold’em understands that Ace-King is one of the very best opening hands. But, it’s simply that, an opening hand. It is just 2 cards of a seven-card formula. In nearly each new situation, you will want to jump out guns blaring with Ace-King as your hole cards. When the flop arrives, you have to reassess your cards and think things through before you just assume your overcards are the greatest.
Like most other opportunities in holdem, knowing your opponents will help you gauge your situation when you hold Ace-King and observe a flop like nine-eight-two. Since you wager preflop and were called, you presume your competitor is also holding good cards and the flop may have missed them as badly as it by-passed you. Your assuming will often times be right. Also, do not omit that many bad bettors would not know great cards if they fall over them and possibly could have called with Ace-Something and paired the community board.
If your opposition checks, you could check and see a free card or lay a wager and attempt to pick the pot up right there. If they bet, you could raise to observe if they are for real or fold. What you want to avoid is simply calling your opponent’s wager to see what the turn brings. If any card instead of the Ace or King is shown, you won’t know any more info than you did following the flop. Now let us say the turn results in a 4 and your opponent bets yet again, what should you do? To call a bet on the flop you had to think your hand was the strongest, so you must surely believe it still is. So, you call a bet on the turn and 1 more on the river to figure out that your opposing player was holding ten-eight and just a second pair after the flop. At that instance, it hits you that a raise after the flop might have won the pot right there.
Ace-King is a beautiful combination to see in your hole cards. Just be certain you gamble on them wisely and they can achieve you great happiness at the poker table.