Kicker

TheUndertaker · Mar 2, 2009

Yesterday I was only getting beat because I had the worst kickers.I played A 9o board has A A I bet was raised putting me all-in I called opponent has A Ko.The same thing happen in a next tournment with I had K 5o opponent A Ko board K K I bet the pot was raised but this time I fold but lost 1/2 my stack,the same situation happen a couple more times..Should I stop playing cards like this any advice would be helpful.

Gribbley · Mar 2, 2009

I usually don't play A9o -- suited it's ok but you can still end up in the lower kicker situation. When you Play Ax, what you'd really like to see is your x as the high pair or trips... Otherwise you can't invest too much into that ace. You have to try to remember how many hands your opponent has been playing and figure out if he has been playing Ace-rags too.

Peterr211 · Mar 2, 2009

It took me a long time to get used to losing with the top pair, but being out-kicked. I had to learn to play those hands less, or make sure lost less of my stack. Not an easy thing!

nobunaga808 · Mar 2, 2009

Playing those hands seems to be dangerous for me in live games way more then online games.

Nickmond · Mar 2, 2009

When you play A9, K9, etc. you run those risks, I never call raises with such hands anymore and my win rate has increased as a result.

coolubet · Mar 2, 2009

You just don't play those hands...I don't know how many times I lost to either a kicker or two pairs!!!!!

hothandsmgee · Mar 3, 2009

Unless the cards are suited A rag is not something you should consistently be playing. odds are if the other player had an ace with a good kicker he probably raised pre-flop so you likely should not have been in the hand in the first place.

leavem · Mar 3, 2009

I would suggest not playing those cards. The kicker is important. How many times have you seen a player bust because they were outkicked? You should be playing with both cards in your hand, not just the highest one.

jroyfus · Mar 3, 2009

leavem said:
I would suggest not playing those cards. The kicker is important. How many times have you seen a player bust because they were outkicked? You should be playing with both cards in your hand, not just the highest one.

I agree with you on this 100 percent

I used to play hands like that as well until I went broke

several times over lol.

Marginal hands produce marginal results at best.

Snowmobiler · Mar 3, 2009

If you are going to try to play those kinds of hands,you have to keep the pots very small.If someone wants to put alot of chips in it is prob best to fold.Myself I usually fold pre flop and save the aggrevation.GL going forward.

boro · Mar 4, 2009

Snowmobiler said:
If you are going to try to play those kinds of hands,you have to keep the pots very small.If someone wants to put alot of chips in it is prob best to fold.Myself I usually fold pre flop and save the aggrevation.GL going forward.

This.

Also depends if youre in position and able to lay it down when it seems that the other player(s) hit, too. But usually just foldem preflop.

Stu_Ungar · Mar 4, 2009

TheUndertaker said:
Yesterday I was only getting beat because I had the worst kickers.I played A 9o board has A A I bet was raised putting me all-in I called opponent has A Ko.The same thing happen in a next tournment with I had K 5o opponent A Ko board K K I bet the pot was raised but this time I fold but lost 1/2 my stack,the same situation happen a couple more times..Should I stop playing cards like this any advice would be helpful.

Pot Control!!

I play a lot of Ace rag because preflop there is not enough 3-betting to stop me and I will often pick up the blinds or cause a fold on the flop.

However when playing Ace rag on a flop like that you have to consider what would raise here and what would call a raise.

There is nothing wrong with taking A5 on that board down to showdown.. provided the pot iskept small.

Once the pot size increases you have to fold because its too likely you are beat.

Stop assuming that everyone's bets are bluffs and start thinking about the strength of your hand.

A weak hand in a small pot is ok.. but a weak hand in a big pot is going to loose you money.

OneMoreBust · Jun 14, 2009

I stay away from those types of hands personally, but when you are in BB or SB and see the flop for practically free, they can be speculative hands.

Live tourney today. 4 callers of the BB, I was in SB and completed the blind, 2000 chips for the cost of 200, worth looking it up. I flopped top pair and a flush draw was out there. I bet 1.5BB to look weak and test the waters. 2 callers. Turn came King, giving me trips (with a jack kicker). Flush draw was still out there and I did not want to give the one guy i put on a flush draw a chance. I was already somewhat short stacked and after putting in my BB and my 1.5BB bet, had 4BB's left, and pushed in. One insta call, one fold, and Im staring at KQ across the table from my KJ, and nothing on the board to save me.

I call this "shit happens", you get priced into completing a blind, hit top pair, test the waters, turn trips, only way id get out of this hand was if I had enough chips that I could have folded if the guy re-raised my 4BB bet (which was all in)

NewLucker · Jun 14, 2009

Such hand as K5o always going to pass, it would then not have problem caught K on the board.....

vicnik58 · Jun 14, 2009

If yours kicker is small, you shouldn't answer the big raise and especially to make re-raise (if only you don't bluff).

maolitas · Jun 14, 2009

with 2 AA on board, a third one in your hand, you could expect nobody had the last one...
Of course, it depends on the action on flop/turn/river

suit2please · Jun 14, 2009

"Should I stop playing cards like this any advice would be helpful."

You should not be playing cards like this. Depending on your position and any raises. A9o in late position, button or cut off, with it folded to you, alright raise. In EP and MP probably better off folding. K5o probably fold in any position, unless its folded to you at the button or cut off and you believe you can steal. So really the only time I would play K5o is when I wasn't playing my cards at all just position and the other players.

stuventus · Jun 14, 2009

If you are not good enough to know how to play A9/K5 etc, then do not play them.

Not being harsh but you fall into this group.

NB. You dont need to play these hands to beat low stakes.

RISKY 101 · Jun 14, 2009

you should definately be folding k5 in most situation maybe if its folded to u on the button and the blinds are tight then raise otherwise k5 is easily folded.. most times i play a9 its suited otherwise dump it

jdeliverer · Jun 14, 2009

stuventus said:
NB. You dont need to play these hands to beat any stakes.

FYP

stuventus · Jun 15, 2009

Firstly what does FYP mean?

Secondly in certain situations and positions it can be +VE to play lesser hands like the aforementioned. But I will not go into that as OP does not need to know. Plus the concept is tricky.

Kicker

TheUndertaker

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Gribbley

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Peterr211

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nobunaga808

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Nickmond

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coolubet

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hothandsmgee

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leavem

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jroyfus

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Snowmobiler

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boro

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