Ace King Strategy

here are a lot of Texas Hold'em players who absolutely despise the Ace King strategy because playing it wrong can really sting. People who have managed to win races with this strategy, however, are quite fond of it. Surprisingly, neither of these groups is likely playing the Ace King strategy correctly. The best Ace King players are those who do not allow themselves to have strong feelings toward a positive or a negative hand. So before we address the Ace King strategy, abandon whatever feelings you currently have about it.

Ace King Preflop: Raise or Not?

If you find that your hole cards are an Ace and a King, you probably already know which route you are going to take. If there are no tellingly large bets placed before you, this is a good indication to raise. Do not raise simply because you have an Ace King before the flop, because you have to figure out what your opponents have, and one of them may or may not have a pocket pair. Use your past experiences against each of your opponents to gauge what kind of hand they have. If a tight opponent is betting large, folding should be a strong consideration.

How much to Raise With Ace King -

Determining how much you want to raise is one of the most critical parts of this strategy

when you have an Ace King before the flop. It is vital that you beware of shortstacks that will be committed to the pot, because these are the players who are most likely to call. If you do not make enough of a raise, you run the risk of having people call you when they have marginal hands because they will get assistance from the flop. If there doesn't seem to be a point, don't risk your chips. The only time you should take a risk like this is when you get an awesome read off of your opponent.

How much to bet With Ace King -

Once the flop has been shown, there are a limitless number of options on how to play your Ace King strategy, but you should always bet the same amount on the flop if you took the opportunity to raise before the flop. If there are no middle pairs on the board after the flop, bet on the flop even if you don't hit anything. This is a bluff that has a high likelihood of winning you the hand, though it is not perfect.

What if someone else acts first?

If someone acts before you by placing a bet before you can, simply play it by ear. An important skill to have when playing a strategy like Ace King is situational awareness. You need to know what bets are placed, who they are placed by, and what cards each opponent may be holding. Do not become too enamored by having over cards at the flop, because if your opponent has anything at all you will be beaten.

Moving past the flop -After you have played through the flop, you should have a good idea of whether you are behind or ahead in the hand. If you acted as the aggressor and bet the same amount of chips that you bet before the flop, you should have a good idea of what to do for the rest of the hand.

If you did not happen to hit your hand on the flop, and another opponent called you, then now is the time to back down and change your course of action. You can either bet the same amount as on the flop, or check through unless your Ace or your King is hit on the turn. A little bit of intuition is required to determine what your opponents are holding. Determine whether or not you can get them to fold, and bet accordingly.

If you did hit your hand with the flop card and you acted as the aggressor, you should bet half of the amount of the pot comfortably. If an opponent calls you on the turn, then you can feel comfortable assuming you are betting against a legitimate hand like an AJ or an AQ. You may be getting slow played, or your opponent may have a pair and a draw. Be careful of a flush draw or Broadway straight complete when the river card comes, because your opponent may be able to complete a straight with an Ace even if you have a top two pair.

Do not let your feelings about the Ace King strategy sway your game play at all. Do not raise too much or too little at any time, and be prepared to run away if anything particularly frightening occurs.

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