Everyone who gambles in Texas Holdem understands that ace/king is one of the best starting hands. But, it’s simply that, a starting hand. It’s simply 2 cards of a seven-card equation. In just about each new situation, you will want to come out firing with A-K as your hole cards. When the flop comes, you need to analyze your hand and think things through before you just suppose your overcards are the strongest.
Like most other situations in hold’em, understanding your rivals will help you gauge your position when you have A-K and see a flop like 9-8-2. After you bet preflop and were called, you assume your competitor is also holding great cards and the flop may have missed them as badly as it by-passed you. Your assumption will frequently be correct. Also, do not forget that many bad players would not know good cards if they tripped over them and possibly could have called with A-x and paired the community board.
If your opponent checks, you might check and observe a free card or place a wager and attempt to pick the pot up right there. If they wager, you might raise to see if they are in or fold. What you wish to avoid is basically calling your competitor’s bet to see what the turn results in. If any card instead of the Ace or King hits, you will not know any more info than you did following the flop. Now let us say the turn brings a 4 and your opponent bets once again, what will you do? To call a wager on the flop you must anticipate your hand was the best, so you have to surely think it remains so. So, you call a wager on the turn and 1 more on the river to find out that your opposing player has a hand of 10-8 and just a second pair after the flop. At that instance, it hits you that a raise following the flop might have captured the money right there.
A-K is a wonderful thing to find in your hole cards. Just be sure you play them wisely and they’ll bring you awesome happiness at the poker table.