Pocket Aces and Kings : General Beginner Strategy for Big Pairs

Big pairs are certainly a welcome hand for any no limit texas holdem player. However, the sheer starting strength of these hands often leads to many mistakes on the part of most beginners. Let’s take a look at what big pairs are, and some general strategy tips for new players.

What hands do you consider "really big pairs"?

I would consider any pair higher than tens a "big pair". However, Jacks and Queens have a personality all their own, and tend to present different challenges than pocket aces or pocket kings. For the purposes of this tutorial, we’ll only be discussing the latter two hands.

General pre-flop strategy for pocket aces and kings

As most poker players already know, aces and kings are the two best starting hands you can get in texas holdem. With that being said, you're always a favorite against any other hand when you have aces. With kings you’re a favorite nearly every time, and you should treat them no differently than aces pre-flop. In general, you should be looking to play these hands very aggressively pre-flop.

• If you’re the first one in the pot
  You should make a standard raise of 3-4 times the blinds. The reason for this is that you want to chase away weaker hands like 57 suited, and keep around hands that you most likely have dominated (such as KQ, AK, JJ, etc)
  
  
• If there’s already one or more limpers in front of you
  I would bump up my raise a bit here. Make it your standard 3-4 times the blinds, but add in an extra blind for each limper. For example, with 3 limpers, make it 6-7 times the blinds.
  
  
• If there’s a raiser already in the pot
  You should be re-raising this spot. The pot is likely already a moderately decent size, and you will likely get a call from the initial raiser.
  
  
• If there’s more than one raiser in the pot, or a raiser and one or more callers
  Push all in right here. There’s plenty of money in the pot, and you’re likely a huge favorite over any of the other hands. Your goal is to get rid of most of them and keep around the one with the strongest hand (you might get called by AK, or QQ). You stand to win a big pot most of the time.

With pocket aces or pocket kings pre-flop, you should never have reservations about getting all your chips in the middle pre-flop against one or two opponents.

General post-flop strategy for pocket aces and kings

With really big pairs after the flop, it’s highly likely that you’ll be ahead most of the time. In general, you should be thinking…"how can I make some more money on this hand?"

Go ahead and bet out about ½ the pot post flop. Your hand is likely the best and unless you’re up against a maniac and going for a check-raise, betting is always your best option here. Your bet will be high enough to punish draws, but low enough to sometimes get an incorrect call from your opponent.

Common pitfall #1: Don’t marry your hand

While pocket aces and kings are certainly one of the prettiest hands in poker, one of poker’s toughest lessons is learning when to fold a really good hand. Calling off your entire stack with pocket kings when there is an Ace on the board is not the brightest of moves.

Likewise, clinging to your pocket aces when you continue to get lots of action from a notoriously tight player is not the greatest move either. A board of KK4 gives you an over pair, but when the tightest player at the table raises "all in" over top of you, you should really be questioning whether or not your aces are good anymore.

Common pitfall #2: Playing with your blinders on

As there are not too many good starting hands in texas holdem, it’s easy to ignore the rest of the table when you have a pair of aces. Sometimes you’re so busy thinking about how good your hand is, that you’re not paying attention to the factors around you. Stay alert and treat it like any other hand.

Alternative Strategies - Limping with Pocket Aces?

While some players are advocates of this strategy, I feel that beginners should not be limping with really big pairs. Doing so can sometimes be good for deception, but it can leave you with far tougher decisions post-flop, which is a bad thing for newer players.

Conclusion

For beginners, really big pairs should always be played aggressively pre-flop. Don’t worry at first about being deceptive or sneaky with your pairs. Learn the generally accepted "proper" way to play your cards first. After you become more experienced as a poker player, you’ll learn when where and how to profitably deviate from that correct play.