Playing big pairs - KK

» COLUMN

Playing big pairs - KK

by timechen

Cowboys are the second best starting hand in Texas Hold'em. This column will discuss how to play them. In order to illustrate the difference between KK and AA, we will use the same example hands as in the column on playing with aces, only this time you will have two kings.

We will cover the same three situations:

• The board is dry
• The board is draw heavy
• You are out of position

Note: You and your opponents will all have full stacks ($5 with $0.02/$0.04 blinds) in the example hands.

The board is dry

Pre-flop: Hero is MP3 with K, K
5 folds, Hero raises to $0,16, 2 folds, SB calls $0,16, BB folds

Flop: ($0,30) 2, 6, J (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0,20, SB raises $1,00

You can evaluate your hand almost exactly the same as in the column on AA. You made a standard 4 BB pre-flop raise. The flop is good; there are only four dangerous hands your opponent could have: 22, 66, JJ and AA. Your main focus is getting all your chips in the middle.

You will call the raise. On the turn, you will either raise all-in, or, if your opponent checks, bet and call if he goes all-in.

Pre-flop: Hero is MP3 with K, K
5 folds, Hero raises to $0.16, 2 folds, SB calls $0.16, BB folds

Flop: ($0.30) 2, 6, J (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.25, SB calls

Turn: ($0.75) 3
SB checks, Hero checks

Once again, you have an overpair on the flop. After the SB checks you place a contibet, which gets called. Then the Small Blind checks again on the turn. If you bet and your opponent raises, you will have to fold your hand 80% of the time, as you will lose the hand too often.

You decide to check behind on the turn and call if the SB bets. If he checks again on the river, you should make a roughly 1/2 pot size bet.

Pre-flop: Hero is MP3 with K, K
5 folds, Hero raises to $0.16, 2 folds, SB calls $0.16, BB calls $0.16

Flop: ($0.50) 2, 6 , J (2 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero bets $0.35, SB calls, BB folds

Turn: ($1.15) 3
SB checks, Hero checks

River: ($1.15) 8
SB checks, Hero bets $0.7, SB raises All-in

You are facing two opponents on the flop. The BB folds to your contibet after the SB calls. Your opponent checks on the turn and you check behind like in the previous example. After he checks again on the river, you make a roughly 2/3 pot size bet.

Then the SB goes all-in. You see yourself behind too often to justify calling and fold your hand.

The board is draw heavy

Pre-flop: Hero is MP3 with K, K
5 folds, Hero raises to $0.16, 2 folds, SB calls $0.16, BB folds

Flop: ($0.30) 5, 6, J (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.20, SB raises $1.00

This is a pretty ugly flop since you can't draw for a flush if another diamond shows up. Still, your hand is too weak for an all-in on the flop, since you will be able to get any draw to go all-in on the turn in this situation.

You can also fold on the turn if the draw does complete. Your line is: call flop and go all-in on any non-diamond turn card. The simple reason is that there are a lot of possible opponent hands on this board than on a board that doesn't offer any straight or flush draws. Should you see a diamond on the turn, you will fold your hand.

Pre-flop: Hero is MP3 with K, K
5 folds, Hero raises to $0.16, 2 folds, SB calls $0.16, BB folds

Flop: ($0.30) 5, 6, 7 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.20, SB raises $1.00

You have a very strong hand and a number of outs to beat a possible flush, straight or set. After the SB raises you go all-in.

Pre-flop: Hero is MP3 with K, K
5 folds, Hero raises to $0.16, 2 folds, SB calls $0.16, BB folds

Flop: ($0.30) 5, 6, 7 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $0.20, SB raises $1.00

You don't have a flush draw. You could also be running into aces in slowplay and only have 2 outs against a set. You should fold in this spot.

You are out of position

Pre-flop: Hero is MP2 with K, K
2 folds, MP1 calls $0.04, Hero raises to $0.20, MP3 folds, CO calls $0.20, 4 folds.

Flop: ($0.50) 6, Q, 5 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.45, CO calls $0.45.

Turn: ($1.40) 9 (2 players)
Hero bets $1.00, CO calls $1.00.

River: ($3.40) 9 (2 players)

KK is still a strong hand on the river. The only hand you have to worry about is a slowly played AA. Still, you bet on the river, since your opponent will call with a Q often enough. You bet app. $1.50 and hope your opponent calls. If a passive opponent then raises, you should fold. If an aggressive opponent raises, you can call.

Pre-flop: Hero is SB with K, K
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to $0.16, 6 folds, Hero raises to $0.48, BB folds, UTG+1 calls $0.32.

Flop: ($1.00) 9, 4, 7 (2 players)
Hero bets $0.92, UTG+1 raises to $2.00

You have an overpair in a re-raised pot. AA already has you beat; against QQ, JJ, TT with a heart you have just 57% equity. Hard as it may be, you have to fold your hand.

Pre-flop: Hero is BB with K, K
MP1 calls $0.02, MP2 folds, MP3 calls $0.02, CO folds, BU calls $0.02, SB calls $0.01, Hero raises to $0.16, MP1 folds, MP3 calls $0.14, BU calls $0.14, SB folds.

Flop: ($0.52) T, Q, T (3 players)
Hero bets $0.38, MP3 calls $0.38, BU calls $0.38.

Turn: ($1.66) 6 (3 players)
Hero checks, MP3 bets $0.56, BU calls $0.56

AQ is the only hand you have beat. After both opponents stay in the pot and the flush draw completes on the turn, you switch to passive mode and play check/fold.