Each and every one who bets in holdem knows that a-k is one of the best opening hands. But, it is simply that, an opening hand. It’s simply 2 cards of a 7-card formula. In nearly every situation, you will want to jump out firing with Ace-King as your hole cards. When the flop arrives, you must to analyze your hand and think things completely before you just assume your cards are the strongest.
Like most other circumstances in Texas Holdem, understanding your adversaries will assisting you in gauging your position when you have Ace-King and see a flop like nine-eight-two. Since you wager preflop and were called, you assume your competitor is also holding good cards and the flop might have by-passed them as poorly as it by-passed you. Your assuming will often times be right. Also, do not overlook that most poor competitors wouldn’t understand great cards if they happen over them and could have called with Ace-x and paired the community board.
If your opposing player checks, you could check and see a free card or make a wager and attempt to pick the pot up right then. If they wager, you might raise to observe if they are in or fold. What you wish to avoid is basically calling your competitor’s bet to see what the turn brings. If any card instead of the Ace or King is shown, you will not know any more information than you did after the flop. Now let us say the turn brings a 4 and your opponent wagers yet again, what should you do? To call a bet on the flop you had to believe your hand was the strongest, so you have to truly think it still is. So, you call a wager on the turn and 1 more on the river to figure out that your opponent has a hand of 10-8 and just a second pair following the flop. At that time, it dawns on you that a raise after the flop might have captured the pot right then.
A-K is a beautiful thing to see in your hole cards. Just be certain you participate in them astutely and they can bring you amazing cheerfulness at the poker table.