Single Poker Ace
and
Position
by
Bill
Burton
This lesson is about Texas Hold ‘em and
single poker ace from
any Position at the
How to Play Poker
program.
There was a time before the
poker
revolution when most of the really bad Texas Hold’em poker
players
were found only in the low limit games. In the last few years however
with the
popularity of poker increasing along with the discretionary income of
the
players, you will find bad players in both low and higher
limit
games.
Many of whom make the same common mistakes.
The biggest mistake that many losing Hold’em players
make is to play any two suited cards from any position. I
refer to it as
ASAP.
The second biggest mistake is playing a
Single
Ace
from any
Position. I keep notes
about players
that I play against and I use the acronym
SAP
for this type of poker ace player and that is what many of
them end up
being when they play a single ace with no kicker.
Many players look down and see a single poker ace
as one of
their starting hands and get all excited. They think they have found a
winning
lottery ticket that they need only to bet to cash in.
Maybe
this is due to the
fact that you will only have an ace in your starting hand
about 15
percent
of the time.
But a single ace is not as strong as some
players
think it is. You can’t play a single ace with a low kicker from any
position if
you want to be a winning player especially if it is unsuited.
You’re Not Alone
The chances of one of your opponents holding an ace at the
same time you do is directly related to the number of players in the
game with
you.
If you are in a ten handed game and hold a single ace
the probability that
no one else holds an ace is about 25 percent.
In other words, when you have a poker ace there is a 75
percent chance that someone else also has one as well.
Playing
a single
ace from early position is incorrect because you can be raised and
re-raised.
If you don’t flop an ace you will probably lose
money and
even if you do flop an ace you could be beat by a higher kicker.
The second card that is dealt with your poker ace is the
kicker.
If you play a single ace with a small kicker this is
known as playing a
weak ace. If there is another player in the hand who has a bigger
kicker you
will be a loser if an ace comes on the flop and your hand does not
improve.
For
example hold Ace-five and the flop is: Ace –Queen- 8.
If one of your opponents holds an ace your chance of winning
with your five as a kicker is very slim. Your opponent would have to
hold a
four, three or deuce in order for you to win. There are only 12 cards
that he
could hold that would make you a winner.
If he held any of
these low cards or Ace-five as well you
would split the pot if the turn cards were higher than five. If he held
a
higher kicker you would lose.
Suited
Aces
Play well against a large field.
In late position in an unraised pot you
can
play a suited ace because of its flush potential. If you do make a
flush you
will have the nut flush but you have to remember that you will only
make a flush
about 5.77 percent of the time when you start suited. This is why you
want to
play your suited poker ace in a hand with many players. Playing a
suited ace
from early position is not advisable.
A Profitable Opportunity
If you are in a game and notice that many of the players are
playing a single poker ace then you have the opportunity to beat them
if you
only play an ace with a strong kicker.
Many players will
refuse to fold an ace even if they have a weak kicker. These players
will call you all the
way to the river only to be beaten by your strong kicker.
Don’t be a SAP! Learn to throw away those single poker aces
when you are out of position. You will see a big improvement in your
game and
your wallet.
Poker
Ace is followed by Hold 'em Tips
OR
How to Play Poker 1
Program
OR
Learn
Poker Games 2 with 7 Game Types
Gambling
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