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| Playing A Pair of Queens Pre-Flop in Texas Holdem |
Playing pocket queens pre-flop is very different to playing aces or kings.
The reason for this is simple. While it is very likely that you hold the best hand pre-flop with pocket queens, there is a 48% chance that an ace or king will arrive on the flop, leaving you in a difficult situation for this reason, you have to be far more careful with pocket queens. It is still very important though to raise pre-flop, to help to define your opponents hand range, and eliminate the threat of limpers hitting a cheap two pairs or trips, as well as maximising your winnings if you are ahead after the flop.
It is also worth re-raising if more than one player has called an original raise. If there's been a raise and a re-raise before you though, I'd call if I had position on the re-raiser (acted after them) and even consider folding if the re-raiser had position on me, depending on what type of player the re-raiser was.
The reason that position is important in this case is because of what could happen post flop. Let's say for instance, that your opponent, the re-raiser, is an aggressive player who's holding pocket 10's. He doesn't know what you hold, and you don't know what he holds, but from your pre-flop play, you've both indicated strong hands.
Now the flop comes, A, K, 5, and you both know that there is a good chance that the other has an ace or king. You're first to act, and so check assuming that you are behind. Your opponent, who has no ace or king himself now knows that there's a good chance you don't have either and ace or a king so raises. |
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It'd now be very difficult for you to fold, knowing that you could be beat, so are left with little option but to fold. On the other hand, if your opponent is first to act, he'd be the one assuming that he was beat, and checking, giving you the information necessary to raise and win the hand. For this reason, position can matter as much as your cards when deciding what action to take pre-flop.
In general though, pocket queens are a very strong hand. The three important rules to remember with them though are:
1. Always raise with them pre-flop to scare away weaker, but more unpredictable hands.
2. Always raise with them post-flop if the flop contains no ace or king. You don't want to try to be clever and slow play them, only for an ace or king to arrive on the turn.
3. Don't get married to them. This applies to any hand, but especially the more powerful starting hands. They may seem great when you get them, but after the flop is dealt you think you're losing them, let them go. You're under no obligation to keep playing them. |
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