Ace Queen Holdem Mystery

Ace Queen is a mystery starting hand for some players and a starting hand that other player seem to love.  When this author plays this hand the flop seems to come with a king in it and miss both of these cards.  Other players seem to make it work.  The question is why and or how come.  There is no logical reason for this disparity of results that seems to prevail when different players play this hand. Doyle Brunson said this was not one of his favorite starting hands.   Other players on TV like this hand.  They have had very good luck with it in live play or online play.   If you watch enough TV tournaments, you will see players draw to this hand all the time, with some missing it and some making it.  Doyle seems to have had my luck with this starting hand, or he would not nave stated that this hand was not a favorite of his.

From a math standpoint it is a good starting hand, however Ace-King, Kings or Aces is far better. This hand is one of those that a player grits their teeth and plays hoping the Flop will be generous.  Truthfully I would rather draw to a pair of tens than this hand.  However I have seen other players catch both an Ace and a Queen on the flop. [Read][more...]

The Danger of Ace King

Players that know Holdem well are on intimate terms with the math of Holdem and the starting hand rating list.   Ace King is high on the list just after the pair of rockets, also known as aces and the lovely pair of Kings.  The problem with Ace King is it is just a good drawing hand that gets over bet way to often in Holdem games.  On TV you see a lowly pair of fours beat Ace King for all the money a non-paired player has bet.  The hand is a good drawing hand, but that is all it is, just a good drawing hand.   Way to many players over bet this hand before the flop.  Watch a cash game or a tournament at any level, this scenario will be played out over and over with the Ace King winning some times, but losing a lot of the times.

This makes these two cards very dangerous to the stack of player holding them.   They look so good before the flop, but after the fop they can be just a drawing hand.   The Ace Queen can be even worse, but that is another drawing hand story.  This starting hand can easily lose any pot or hand.  [Read][more...]

A Suggestion for Early Play in a Holdem Tournament

This suggestion works and will get many players deeper into the tournament than if they just sit and wait for a super starting hand.  The suggestion is this play suited connectors even if they are small value cards.  The reason this works is simple.  The blinds early in the tournament are small and unless you are playing -with some all-in maniac, the wagers to see the flop are not very threatening to the starting stake.  If you get lucky with this starting hand you may have the best of it at the end of the hand as a player with Ace King or such will be sucking wind even if he hits one of these cards on the River.  Your two pair, straight or flush may just win you a huge pot.  Another facet of playing this way early is you can play this way several times and fold.  The small loss of chips is nothing compared with the possible big pot this starting hand may capture.  Remember, many players will only play big cards of pairs.   If you are playing these small cards, the flop may hit you perfectly and give you an unbeatable hand at the end of the deal. [Read][more...]