The basis of this free poker article is to talk through the strategy of paying with the big pairs: Ace / Ace, King / King, Queen / Queen, and Jack / Jack
If you're lucky enough to have the best cards, a pair of Aces, its paramount you try and find a large raise or re -raise if a player raised before you. With a pair of Aces you must not call a raise as potentially you're loosing the chance to get more money into the pot and probably more significantly allowing opponents with poorer cards get better cards on the flop.
Your goal is to force others to fold or to think you are bluffing with one big card or two big cards and call your big raise. It is important when playing with AA not to slow play with small raise so you won't allow your opponents to improve on the flop and maybe on future streets and also you will thin out number of opponents.
Once the flop has passed it's a good idea to go for a large raise not allowing your opponents the chance to call flushes, straights or drawing hands for minimal chips. Try and remember there is the chance that one of the opposing players has made a better "flop" and you may no longer have the best cards. The chances are you should still be the front runner and let the pot grow unless you're positive someone else now holds the better cards.
When playing hands like KK, QQ and JJ you should raise before the flop. Someone would have maybe A and something lower but it is very rare to come up against a better hand before the flop when holding either of these hands, so raising will reduce the number of players who want to see a flop. Key thing is to limit the number of players who you are up against with either of these hands because the opponents can easily make a better hand than you hitting an Ace on flop to make bigger pair.
There are 2 scenarios which the "flop" creates- you will either turn overcards or you won't. When there's no overcards on the flop you should carry on raising. The 2nd scenario when overcards are on the table is a lot harder to play. I recommend to raise a three or four times a large blind and then consider your options after the opposing player responds to the raise. If they call be careful and bide your time as you don't have the highest chance of taking the money in any more scenarios. If the pot keeps getting larger you must be ready to let the hand go.
Always consider the possibility that your opponent could have a better hand than you if they are also playing aggressively by betting and raising too. Playing with big pairs can be sometimes tricky but if you do right raises before flops, and after it is more likely for you to win pot.
I look forward to seeing you at the free poker tables soon!
Laura works for free poker website NoPayPoker NoPayPOKER, a totally free poker tournament website where you can play Texas Hold’em poker tournaments with hundreds of poker players worldwide. It’s free to join, free to play and you can still win real cash, because all prizes are advertiser funded. The site is US player legal and all of the games are rake free. NoPayPoker has made it possible to play some fun poker, genuinely risk free, and still win real cash!
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