How to Play Pocket Kings: Avoiding the Ace on the Flop

If you thought I hated slowplaying Aces, don’t even get me started on slowplaying pocket Kings.

Especially when you’re playing online, it’s a big mistake to try to slowplay pocket Kings pre-flop.

The odds are clear: while big pocket pairs are the strongest hands in Texas Hold’em their average winning percentage takes a walk off a cliff when played against multiple opponents.

Low-stakes online players will often call a big raise with trash hands and they’ll definitely call the minimum bet with trash hands.

Let’s take a look at why pocket Kings may be the worst hand in Hold’em to slowplay pre-flop.

Common pitfalls of slowplaying pocket Kings

Do you want to make it that much easier for the online fish to draw out on you? Not only are pocket Kings vulnerable to hands that hit two pair, a set, a straight, a flush, etc., but they’re also vulnerable to anyone with an Ace.

With so many online players that play Ace-anything, you shouldn’t voluntarily let them into the pot cheaply.

From any position you should raise your pocket Kings. On especially loose tables, you might even want to raise it more than you usually would – perhaps 5 or 6 times the big blind.

An example hand illustration

Consider this hand: you’re in second position with pocket Kings. You just call the minimum bet, hoping that at least one of your opponents would raise the hand and you could gain additional bets.

Unfortunately, no one raises the hand.

Two other players call the minimum bet, the small blind folds, and the big blind checks to see the flop.

The flop comes 4-Q-10 and you’ve got an overpair to the board.

You’re ready for action and lead out with about a pot-sized bet after the big blind checks.

The player behind you calls, and the second preflop caller doubles your raise. The big blind folds and you don’t know what to make of the situation.

You re-raise all-in and both players, who have you covered in chips, call your bet. The first caller has J-9 for a straight draw and the last player has pocket 4-4 for a set. The turn is an 8, and the river is another 10. Pocket 4s takes down a huge pot with a full house.

These are the types of hands you’ll see if you allow all comers in for the minimum.

Protect your pocket Kings

Of course, many online players would’ve called with the 4-4 even to a raise, but you could’ve at least make him think twice about it. If this was a $1/2 no-limit game, you could’ve raised to $10 or $15 to go. The J-9 probably wouldn’t have called and that’s a pretty large bet for the pocket 4s to call.

Sometimes he’ll still do it, but at least you’ll be making them pay a premium to take that chance on hitting a set. He’s about a 7.5 to 1 underdog to hit that set so you’re definitely making him go against the odds.

By slowplaying pocket Kings you give everyone a great price to see the flop if they feel like it.

Dealing with Ace-high flops

Maybe you can occasionally get a huge bet from a lesser hand on an Ace-containing flop with K-K, but often you’re beat and you won’t know it.

Try to get one or two callers with your raise preflop and keep betting into it on the flop unless an Ace comes. This way, you’ve taken control of the hand and you’re not letting your opponents draw cheaply.

Weeding out Ace-trash

It feels like an Ace comes on the flop an abnormally high percentage of the time when you’re holding pocket Kings. If you properly raised preflop you probably pushed out trash hands like A-3 or A-7. With only one or two opponents it’s less likely that one of them has an Ace.

Even if they do have an Ace they might put you on A-K with such a big raise preflop and bet on the flop. You might get them to lay down A-Q or A-J, which would be the best hand.

If you get played back at with an Ace on the flop, you should consider laying down your hand.

If it’s wrong to slowplay pocket Aces you definitely shouldn’t be slowplaying pocket Kings, which is even more vulnerable. Especially in the often-crazy world of online play raise your Kings and bet them again on the flop. You’ll be protecting against trash hands hitting a monster flop, and you’ll be taking control of the hand.

Pocket Kings and Queens are great to be dealt preflop in hold’em. They’re made hands and you’ve got a big pair already, even if you don’t improve. Unfortunately, they’re also very vulnerable hands that can get you into a lot of trouble. For this reason, you should very rarely, if ever, slowplay these two pocket pairs. You’re just asking your opponents to take your money if you do.

It’s easy to get yourself in trouble with K-K and Q-Q

Suppose you get dealt Q-Q in third position. Naturally, you’re going to play the hand, but how should you play it? In a no-limit cash game, suppose you just smooth call the minimum bet. Much to your disappointment, no one raises the pot behind you so you can reraise.

Instead, 4 other players call the minimum bet and both blinds stay in.

The flop comes down J-10-6 with two clubs. With an overpair to the board, you feel pretty confident right now. There are 7 players in the pot who’ve come in on the cheap. The small blind checks and the big blind makes a reasonable bet.

You raise him, and everyone folds to the button who goes all-in. The big blind calls the all-in bet and action is back to you.

This is a terrible situation for you, because while you have an overpair to the board, what could these guys possibly have to make that large of a bet?

You nervously call. The big blind turns over 10-6 offsuit for two pair, and the buttons turns over the 5-3, both clubs on a flush draw. The turn brings a K of hearts, and the river a 2 of clubs. The button rakes in the massive pot with his completed flush.

Don’t let people see the flop cheap with pocket Kings and Queens

This type of hand is very common, especially in online poker. When you allow that many players to come in for the minimum bet, you’re going to see all sorts of garbage hands stay with the hand. You can’t even really fault the guy with the 5-3 – he’s getting great pot odds to see a flop.

With 7 players seeing a flop of two more suited cards, you can be reasonably sure that at least one opponent has two more of them. Someone else could have a set or two pair. And sometimes you’ll run into opponents who have slowplayed pocket pairs even bigger than yours!

You’ll have no reads on your opponents without raising pre-flop

The lesson is: you’re not going to know where you stand with Q-Q or K-K unless you raise preflop! When you raise, you’re going to thin the field out and those trash hands are going to think twice about staying in the hand. Raise it enough, and only the complete idiots and premium hands will stay with you.

Fire out a pot-sized raise from any position and see what happens. If you’re in early position and get reraised, slow it down a little. With Q-Q, you’ll probably just want to call the reraise and see a flop. He could have A-K, K-K, or A-A. When you have K-K, you can consider putting all your chips in at this point. K-K is a little safer because the only way you’re beat at this point is if your opponent is holding Aces.

Final words of advice with pocket Kings and Queens

Be very careful on the flop with these two pocket pairs. Invariably, you’re going to see an Ace come on the flop all too often when you have pocket Kings.

What are you going to do? Since you raised preflop, your opponent is likely to have called with big cards, perhaps an Ace-high hand.

If you’re first to act after the flop, bet a small amount with the intent of getting more information. If he raises you with any authority, you should probably fold.

Running into Aces

You’re also going to run into times where you have Q-Q or K-K and end up all-in against A-A. It seems to happen a lot because these are hands that people are willing to go all-in with preflop. The few times that these hands are dealt together, both opponents are usually going to end up all-in.

One quick note to consider about Q-Q: if you make a standard raise and get reraised all-in, do you think that your opponent is likely to have done that with a worse hand than Q-Q? If not, throw your hand away.

Play your Queens and Kings right: raise ‘em hard preflop, and be willing to let them go if you get too much action for your liking or the flop brings an overcard.

Key Takeaways