Each and every one who competes in texas hold’em understands that ace/king is one of the best starting hands. But, it’s just that, a beginning hand. It is simply 2 cards of a 7-card formula. In nearly every situation, you’ll want to jump out firing with A-K as your hole cards. When the flop arrives, you must to reassess your cards and think things through before you just deduce that your overcards are best.
Like most other circumstances in Texas Holdem, understanding your rivals will help you gauge your position when you have Ace-King and see a flop like 9-8-2. Since you wager preflop and were called, you presume your opponent is also possessing good cards and the flop might have missed them as badly as it missed you. Your assuming will frequently be right. Also, don’t forget that many poor competitors wouldn’t understand excellent cards if they happen over them and might have called with A-x and paired the community board.
If your opponent checks, you could check and observe a free card or place a bet and attempt to pick the pot up right there. If they bet, you can raise to see if they’re in or fold. What you wish to avoid is simply calling your competitor’s wager to observe what the turn brings. If any card other than and Ace or King is turned over, you will not have any more information than you did after the flop. Now let’s say the turn brings a four and your competitor bets again, what should you do? To call a bet on the flop you need to believe your hand was the best, so you must surely believe 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 the bet following the flop could have won the money right there.
Ace-King is a wonderful combination to find in your hole cards. Just be sure you bet on them wisely and they can bring you amazing happiness at the poker table.