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You wait an average of 221 hands before picking up pocket kings, only to have an ace hit on the flop and make you wish you never had them.
While some players on level one thinking (what do I have?) will try to power bet them and pretend the ace isn’t there, others just accept their misfortune and give up on the pot. The problem I have with both of these scenarios is, like any other situation in poker, the way you play KK depends on many varying factors.
Your strategy on how to proceed with KK on an Ace-high flop depends most importantly on two factors: your opponents in the pot, and their stack sizes. For example, look at the following situation:
- There are 21 people left and 18 people will cash;
- The blinds are 500-1,000 and you have a slightly below average stack of 18 big blinds;
- You have KK in the small blind, and there are 3 limpers in the pot to you.
When your stack is this size, playing only premium hands is probably the best strategy for an average player, as getting caught up in a marginal situation so close to making the money is not your best option. When it’s your turn to act, you raise it up 5 big blinds, or 5k. One loose-passive limper calls, leaving behind him a stack size of only 4 big blinds. This type of player often shows tendencies to limp then call in highly marginal situations often times calling with weak holdings.
The flop comes 9-7-A. You are first to act, and based on the stack sizes in this spot, I see no other option but to move your opponent all in. You know that your opponent’s pre-flop calling range could be anything from a pocket pair to suited connectors.
Of course, there is the possibility your opponent holds an ace; however, if you were to check and your opponent moved all in, pot odds dictate a call in that spot regardless. There are too many hands your opponent can hold that do not contain an ace, so a call here is a no-brainer. When you have roughly 36% of your stack invested in a pot, with his 4k all in you’d be getting 3.75 to 1, and that is just too much value on a call to pass it up.
Now, say that you get involved in a hand where the action goes the exact same, except this time you are well above average with 38 big blinds and the one limper has close to 38 big blinds as well. This limper would be classified as anything but loose, playing a tight style of poker. This opponent has only shown down good hands and has yet to show a bluff or a spot where he got out of line with a marginal, overvalued hand.
With the pot at 11k and the flop 9-7-A again, this time there are a variety of ways to play. Knowing your opponent doesn’t get out of line too often, checking here might even be a safe way to play, since your opponent might suspect you are laying a trap for him. He might check behind trying to keep the pot as small as possible, which is exactly the same line of thinking you are taking. You would love to check this hand down and showdown a pair of KK to his potential QQ, JJ, or no pair.
You could also go the route of finding out where you are at in the hand by throwing out a continuation bet. This line is a bit more aggressive, but is probably most recommended as it gives you the best chance of winning the pot without the risk of your opponent drawing out on you, if indeed he is behind on the flop.
If your continuation bet is followed by a raise or even a call, then it is best to shut down immediately. There are too many chips in your opponent’s stack to get risky because you may potentially be drawing to a two-outer if he indeed has an ace.
Play the hand so it gives you the best chance to win, but also play your hand so that it gives you the best chance to survive and move on to better equity spots for your money. Failing to realize the proper risk versus reward balance will result in often falling short of making the money or the final table.
David Williams |
