Slowplay Pocket Kings? NEVER!
written by BeatTheFish.com
 ...Fishy
says, "They're even worse to slowplay than Aces"
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 preflop. The reason is simple: while you have big hand
preflop, it is vulnerable to all sorts of hands on the flop. Online
players will often call a big raise with trash hands, and they'll
definitely call the minimum bet with trash hands.
Do you want to
make it that much easier for 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 let them into the pot cheaply.
From any position, you should raise your
pocket Kings. On especially loose tables, you'll want to raise it
more than you usually would - perhaps 5 or 6 times the big blind or
more. 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 let 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 reraise 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 and a set. The turn
is an 8, and the river is another 10. Pocket 4s takes down a huge
pot with a full house.
Now, 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
they'll do it, but at least you'll be making him pay 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.
Maybe you
can occasionally get a huge bet from a lesser hand on the 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.
It seems 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 drove 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 for A-K with such a big raise preflop and
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 slowplay pocket Kings, which is even
more vulnerable. Especially in crazy online play, raise your
Kings and raise 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.
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