Folding Kings

Why is it that pocket kings are such ace magnets? Every damn time, there seems to be an ace on that flop!

This scenario, while frustrating, is somewhat easy to get away from. Why is it, though, that nobody can ever fold their kings unless there’s an ace on the board? There are equally terrible flops that don’t include an ace!

I was playing an 8-16 game recently, and had a hand come up on the button. A player in middle position raises, and I look down at A-A. I three-bet. He four-bets, and I five-bet. He calls.

The flop comes Q-J-9. He bets, and I raise. He just calls. The turn is a 9; he checks, I bet, and he once again calls. The river is a 3, and the same action follows. I show my A-A, and he flashes me his K-K; everybody “ooohs and ahhhhs” as he mucks.

Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a very cold deck when your kings run up against aces, particularly when there’s no ace on the board, and you continue to hold an over-pair.

However, the phrase “I have an over-pair, how could I have folded?” is an absolutely defeated, losing viewpoint. To get preachy for a moment, poker doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and each situation should be treated as specifically individual.

Take our hand, for instance. I FIVE-BET the action! A reasonable poker player could only make this move with a select number of hands, namely A-A, K-K, Q-Q, and maybe J-J or A-K. Maybe.

So, after the flop of Q-J-9, how many of these hands can he beat? He bets, and I raise, something I would very rarely do with A-K after facing aggressive action from somebody I five-bet. Sure, he has an over-pair, but a thinking man would HATE this flop! Did he run into a cold deck? Absolutely. This does not mean he couldn’t have limited his damage. He cannot beat A-A, Q-Q, J-J, and chops with K-K. Even if I have 10-10 or A-K, a best case scenario, he still must fade a number of turn/river cards.

Granted, most players would play this hand the same way, transferring into call-down mode after the flop. But, although you cannot win a pot making observant, heady folds, you will turn a much higher profit if your game reaches this level.

I hope my in-game strategy would be as sharp as my post-game analysis! This isn’t always the case, of course!

Jacob "Jaymind" Westlin is a semi-professional limit hold'em player with a strong, sarcastic wit. Jaymind also frequently contributes to Minnesota Poker Magazine's monthly publication. Email Jaymind at jayjay083@hotmail.com