Welcome to PocketTwos.com. A poker site by the Pro's, for the amateurs.

The Powerful Ace King      By: TMoney    tmoney@pockettwos.com

        Ace King, commonly referred to as Big Slick, is without a doubt one of the most powerful hands in poker, but gets its “2-sided” nickname for a serious reason.  The Big aspect is no mystery, as AK are the highest 2 cards you can get without having a pocket pair.  However, the Slick, and most commonly overlooked facet of AK is that it is not a made hand pre-flop, and if you play it like one, then many times it will come back to bite you.  Let’s first take a closer look at why this hand is so powerful at the poker table.  

        It is commonly agreed that besides AA KK QQ or JJ, that AK is the next best hand you can have pre flop.  You might ask why, considering every pocket pair, even 22 is a statistical favorite over the Big Slick [see odds].  However, in a multi player game, low pocket pairs only make sets about 1 out of 8 times on the flop, and if not turned into 3 of a kind, low pocket pairs are pretty much “duds,” or losing hands when there are over cards on the flop.  Ace King on the other hand proves to be a consistently powerful hand, unlike smaller pocket pairs. That is, you will spike an ace or king on the flop 1 out of 3 times, where you will undoubtedly be a favorite in the hand.  However, even if you miss on the flop, your implied odds [see section on odds] are high because you are drawing to make the top possible par.  And whenever you make a pair with big slick, you cannot be beaten with a higher pair, or out kicked with a higher kicker.  As you may have heard, big slick always makes “top par, top kicker.”  Another one of the greatest strengths of AK is that when you have it, the worst you can be pre flop is a slight underdog, assuming pocket aces are not out in the same hand [see section on AA].  Even against QQ all the way down to 22, AK still gives you close to even odds pre flop.  Needless to say, AK also crushes any other hand that is not a pocket pair.  

        It is not usually disputed why AK is such a powerful hand, as seen above, but what most people overlook is the slick, or slippery aspect of the hand.  When you make a pair on the flop, you are more than likely leading and can structure your betting as so.  However it gets tricky when you miss the flop.  Most players continue to bet out hard even on a missed flop.  This can work at times, forcing the opponent to fold, but when action reaches the turn (fourth community card) and you have not made a pair, many people continue to throw a big bet out at the pot.  This pattern can even continue to the river.  What people who do this are most likely thinking is “hey, I have a great hand, AK.”  But the important thing they fail to realize is that they have in fact no made hand at all, only a high card.  Thus they are beaten by any pair.  This is a big problem, because to win with big slick when you have missed the flop, you must make bets of increasing size and hope a) your opponent folds or b) you draw out on the turn or river.  The problem is you can lose a lot of money trying to save your hand.  Many times when you miss it is better to slow down your betting when there is joint action, because if your opponent has made a hand, he will most likely continue to call you.  To add to this dilemma, when a low flop hits and you have raised, your opponent will most likely put you on a hand like AK, and may recognize if you are trying to buy the pot.  Thus, it has its name Big Slick, as you can win big by making the hand and capitalizing, but you can just as quickly lose a lot of money by throwing bets into the pot with only a high card. 

        So, now we get the real problem.  How do we play AK?  First, AK is a hand worth raising in all positions at the table, from under the gun to on the button, to small and big blinds.  You are announcing to the table that you have a big hand, and you are telling the truth.  The beauty of AK is that you will get callers with other big hands such as AQ, AJ, QK, and KJ which will all end up out paired and out kicked by the Ace King.  The only time I would ever be worried of a bigger hand than yours is if someone re-raises a raise that you have made from 1^st position, or “under the gun.”  As the hand unfolds, use your position to dictate your betting.  If you are first to act and miss the flop you may want to throw out a bet after the flop, but if you miss again on the turn, slow down with a check most times instead of letting yourself get sucked in.  Most times on the turn or river you will be able to sense if you are beat.  If so, don’t be afraid to throw the hand away.  If you have position on your opponent you have the information of his bet first, so you can determine your move based on his.  When you hit the flop, well, bet strong to protect it and be aggressive!  However, examine your opponent’s strength. If you are being bet into or raised come the turn a red flag should go off I your mind that you are up against a set or two pair.

        Overall, the biggest problem most amateur poker players have with AK is that they become too attached to the hand to give it when they should.  There is no doubt that AK is a powerhouse hand and will take a lot of money from people with second best hands who are out-kicked.  However, it is a hand that needs to be played with caution because it does not always hit, and even when it does hit the board, there are plenty of hands that can beat it.  Be aggressive but don’t play it like Aces or Kings! It will end up haunting you.