Why AK Is Such A Powerful Hand

To become a good poker player it is important not only to look at which starting hands to play, but also learn why they should be played. Starting hand charts are good for beginners to give them something to fall back on, but to become a truly good player you have to be able to adapt to unique situations, and to do this you need to understand why one hand is good and the other is bad.

Ace King, also known as Big Slick, is undoubtedly one of the most powerful starting hands in Texas Hold’em. Let’s take a closer look at why this hand is so powerful.

Even though one hand is a winning favourite against the other, it doesn’t mean that it is a better hand to play. For example, take AK versus 44. If those hands are played against each other to showdown they will win about the same amount of time. It’s pretty much a coin flip situation. Actually, 44 is a slight favourite. In saying that, 44 is a hand that usually should be folded when the pot is raised or re-raised, there are just so many boards you will not like with 44 and there are overcards.

On the other hand, AK should often be re-raised and played like AA/KK. The reason for this is that AK will often have great value after the flop (if ace or king comes), and even when you miss the flop in and there are 1-2 other players involved in the pot, you can often take down the pot with a continuation bet.

While when playing 44 or any small pairs for that matter, you will probably sit there with and under pair and be forced to fold if someone bets before you. The main objective with small pairs is to hit a set and not get attached to the hand if you don’t make a set. If an opponent holds AQ, they will probably drop the hand if they missed the flop so you will not gain much with your 44 even when you hold the best hand after the flop.

Some players like to peel a card when they miss the flop with two high cards, so are you going to bet the turn with an under pair? It’s just a really tough situation to be in when you are pretty much readless on a player. With Ace King however, you will gain a lot of equity from the AQ/AJ guy if an ace hits on the flop.

The same thing is applicable for A8 vs KQs. While A8 will win against KQs most of the time, assuming both go to showdown, KQs is still a much better hand. The reason for this is that when you hit a king or a queen you usually hold the top pair with the best kicker, and will be able to gain equity from anyone holding for example a king with worse kicker. With A8 on the other hand, you will often find yourself against an ace with a higher kicker, which will cost you if you get a pair of aces since you will raise and call down with a bad hand.

Being a favorite before the flop is good but it is not as important as being the big favorite after the flop, since the most money is made in post flop situations. The moral of the story is to play hands that are likely to win extra bets after the flop and drop the ones that are likely to lose bets after the flop. Ace King has the drawing power to make the best hand and win big pots which is why its such a powerful hand to play aggressively pre flop. This is the reason why you usually should drop any high card hand with a bad kicker like A6.

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