The best starting hands in Texas holdem poker – Part 6

Accepting the idea of a best hold’em starting hand is a player’s first step towards failure! Granted, you cannot do better than pocket aces to start off the hand but get rid of the concept of “best” or you will lose money in the long run and the long run is where you should always have your focus!

Wired aces, kings or queens are GOOD hands to start off with but they can quickly turn into worthless rags. Your position, chip count and the intensity of action before you are all indicators that must be considered before you assess the true value of your “best hand.” The game format is also a critical element for consideration. Are you playing in a live game or in a tournament? Your pre-flop playing of the hand will also contribute to the likely value of the hand as well.

Pocket aces is the highest ranked starting hand possible in hold’em poker. This is no guarantee that they are going to win each and every time you catch them. In fact, I have even folded pocket aces before the flop based on my assessment of the indicators described previously. I was playing an online tournament that started with 800 players and we were down to the last 44 players. The tournament paid down to 40th place so I needed another 4 players to bust out to make the cash. My chip count was healthy and I was assured a payout if I could just avoid any train wrecks.

Having prime table position on the button I am dealt pocket aces. With the blinds already posted there are seven players to act before me. I anticipated making a large raise and picking up the ante and blinds. To my delight the first player to act moves all in so now I stand a good chance of busting another player. The value of my hand quickly diminishes when a second player calls and a third then moves in over the top.

So now I am faced with one player all-in, a second player that called the all-in for two thirds of his chips and a third player that moved all-in over the top. Everyone else folds around to me. Heads up my aces are favored to win but in a hand with 3 other players committed to the hand I know there is a high probability that one of their hands will run my aces down by the river. My long run goal is to make it to the pay window so I fold.

As hard as it was, the fold turned out to be a smart move. The first all-in player was holding pocket jacks. The second player bet his future on suited Big Slick (A/K) and the third player made a loose play with A, Q suited in hearts. Once the hands were turned over I quickly noted the remaining two aces were gone and my hand would have had little chance of improving. The flop brought a third jack for player one but brought two hearts for player 3. The river delivered another heart making the lowest starting hand in this instance a winner.

Had I stuck with the idea that my aces were “the best” my chip stack would have been seriously depleted and a slim chance of making the pay. As it was I went on to finish a respectable 4th place and collected a tidy sum.

So, the moral is NEVER allow the term “Best Hand” to enter your mind until all the cards have been dealt and you are holding the Royal Flush!