Poker Strategy

Some players will automatically play this hand and some will even raise with it. In my opinion, it is not correct to even limp with this hand if the situation is not right.

Specifically, you want to have live cards when playing this hand. If no ace king or queen jack or ten are out, your hand is strong and you are justified to raise in early position or if there's been one or two limpers. The reason for this raise is not only because it is quite conceivable that you currently have the best hand, but because you could easily outdraw your opponents even if you don't currently have the best hand, as long as they don't improve.

Since you don't want them to know what you're playing, you're better off raising so as to conceal your hand. If you make broadway, your opponents will have no clue. If you catch runner runner trips and your opponent makes trips too, it'll cost him a fortune. You know that he's got trips but he thinks you've got aces up or kings up and will raise you at least once.

Raising also commands respect and your opponents are likely to fold on fifth street if they don't improve, afraid that you've got a big pair. If you hadn't raised, you may not have had the opportunity to bluff them on fifth street and perhaps even on fourth street.

However, since this kind of raise is somewhat of a bluff-raise, you don't want to do it often after one or two players have already entered the pot with what is possibly a better hand. Our position is that semi-bluffing should be done sparingly and only when there's a good chance that you will win without having to improve. You should, therefore, have a "decent" track record of raising on third street with big pairs; this way your opponents will respect your raise and go out on fourth or fifth street if they don't improve, if they don't drop right then and there.

You want to play this hand heads up or against two players. You don't want more than two players, since that makes you less likely to succeed as a bluff and it also makes it more likely that one of your opponents will make a strong hand that beats even your "represented" big pair. Realize that if you improve, you will most likely improve to one or two big pair. This kind of hand typically wins against one or two players but not more.

If the AKQ aren't live, don't raise with it. Even if there are too many jacks and tens out, don't raise since you are looking for those cards to make a broadway.

If there are too many face cards out there, you should consider not even calling for the bring-in. You should certainly not call a raise in this spot.