Playing High Pocket Pairs
When playing Texas Hold ‘Em, one of the best feelings a player can get pre-flop is to look down into his cards and find two of the same painted cards staring at him. Make no mistake, pocket aces, kings, or queens is a powerful hand that do not get dealt often to individual players. Getting one of these three hands usually means a win, but does not guarentee it. Nor does it guarentee a big amount of chips. If you want to win money with your big hand, you have to play it right.
For starters, don’t ever show the excitement you feel on your face. This is poker 101. If you let your opposition know you have rockets or cowboys, you will lose all your competition and win a minimal amount of the blinds. This is unacceptable as you will only get these hands once in a while and need to cash in when you get them.
Try not to bet too much before the flop. Call raises and take time to think about your bets. The more hesitant you appear, the less likely anyone is to suspect you of holding a big hand. Remember, your facial expressions and betting patterns are half of the game. Pay close attention to everything you do and make sure you keep two to three players with you from the start.
After the flop, make sure you start betting. The last thing you want is to lose because someone catches his or her flush or straight on the river. Bet a high amount that only someone with a solid pair would call. Don’t allow yourself to be beaten by an inferior hand because you were too afraid to drive the opposition out from the start.
If you have any opponents left, and if you think you are still ahead, keep betting. If it seems like you have lost, fold. These are simple tips that may sound easy to follow but really can be quite complex in real life. For example, see how hard it is to let go of pocket kings in real life. Even when you know you’re beat, it is tough.
Following these simple tips can result in big wins consistently with pocket hands. But to really know how to play these hands, you should try it out for yourself. Good luck as usual!
Filed under: Texas Holdem
