Ace King is a strong starting hand but it can also be tricky to play correctly. There is no single right way to play AK because everything depends on the situation at hand. However, we do have a few tips that will help you learn how to think when playing AK. That way you will have a flexible, dynamic strategy with AK instead of a single default play.

One thing to remember with AK is that although it is one of the strongest starting hands in poker, it is by no means invincible. Many average hands are just slight dogs to AK so you cannot play this hand in the same way you would play AA or KK. Ace King usually needs help from the board to win hands that go to a showdown.

Playing AK Before the Flop

Ace King should almost always be raised before the flop if nobody else has raised yet. This is one of the strongest starting hands in poker, so you need to raise it to get value for the hand. Raising also makes the hand easier for you to play because it takes control of the hand and forces your opponents to play more straightforward.

If there has already been a raise before the flop, the correct play depends on the situation at the table. If you know anything about your opponent, you can adjust your play based on his raising tendencies. If the opponent is average or aggressive, a 3-bet is usually the best play unless you are out of position and the raiser is skilled / tricky.

Against tight opponents, the correct play depends a little more on the situation. If the original raiser is super nitty, you won’t see any value in 3-betting. In that case, you would be best served to flat call and see what happens on the flop. Against an average tight player, a 3-bet is still fine. They will fold preflop or concede on the flop often enough to make re-raising a good play.

If you raise and someone else 3-bets you, the correct play depends on your position and the type of player you are up against. If you are out of position and the opponent is not crazy, a fold is often the best play. This may sound like nitty advice but it’s very difficult to play AK for a profit from out of position against someone who has taken control of the hand.

Unless you are playing in a tournament, you should rarely get all-in with Ace King before the flop. It’s a strong hand and all, but it’s not nearly strong enough against the range of hands that most people are willing to get all-in before the flop. The only exceptions would be against complete maniacs or if you or your opponent is short stacked.

Playing AK After the Flop

Ace King is much easier to play after the flop if it is played correctly before the flop. Assuming you played Ace King as suggested above, you will have the power of aggression on most flops. Against a single opponent, your default play with Ace King should be to bet any flop. You established control of the hand earlier and told your opponent that you have a strong hand. In this situation, a bet will win the majority of pots outright.

Against a group of opponents, betting the flop is not recommended unless you have a legitimate hand. There are just too many other potential hands out there that stealing will not work frequently enough to make a profit. In multi-way pots, you will need some kind of legitimate hand to win the showdown.

Remember that there is nothing that says you have to win every pot with Ace King. This hand is not invincible and there will be plenty of times when you have to fold it. If you miss your hand and can’t get your opponent to fold, you do not need to push anything. You won’t win every pot every time.

Table selection in poker is the act of looking for soft tables in order to improve your win rate. The nicest thing about table selection is that it can be used to increase your win rate without having to change a thing about your game. Table selection requires very little effort but it can yield major results over the course of days, weeks and months.

The key to getting started with table selection is identifying the type of players you do best against. For the average tight-aggressive poker player, the best players to play against are the ones we know as “fish.” These players have a loose-passive game in which they see lots of starting hands and chase lots of draws. If you do better against maniacs and loose-aggressive players, you can also use table selection to find those players.

The goal of table selection is to find tables that generally fit the profile of the type of players you like to play against. You will rarely find a table at which every single player is a fish, but it is often possible to find tables that have the general attributes of a fish. Doing so is actually quite easy thanks to the stats that online poker rooms provide in the poker lobby.

Practicing Table Selection in Poker

The primary method for table selection in poker is to use the poker lobby to identify tables that look juicy. At any online poker room, a list of tables is displayed upon logging in. This list of tables also includes stats that describe things such as “players to the flop” and “average pot size.”

The most useful stat in the poker lobby is the one that tells you the percentage of players seeing the flop. This stat tells you how many players actually stick around to see the flop every hand. The higher this number, the better. A propensity to play lots of hands is a strong indicator of a weak player.

The average pot size stat is also useful because it tells you how tight or loose the players are with their money. Tables that have large average pot sizes tend to be looser and full of more action than tables with low average pot numbers. This stat is not perfect, but it does help.

Observation and Table Selection

The secondary method for table selection in poker takes place once you have actually joined the table. You can use your own eyes to find out how well the other players play. Pay close attention to the action and look for fishy characteristics such as:

• Playing lots of hands
• Limping into pots without preflop raises
• Calling raises from out of position
• Check-calling frequently
• Poor starting hands displayed in the hand history
• Reckless bluffs
• Chasing of draws
• Angry or misguided chat box chatter

None of these attributes is a perfect gauge of fishiness, but together they give you a pretty good idea. This method takes a little longer so it is best used once you have already used the table stats to sit at a few tables. If you notice none of these tendencies, you may not be at as good a table as you thought.

Table Selection and Flexibility

Table selection requires you to be flexible because you will need to change tables occasionally to find the best tables. Players come and go all the time in cash games, so you have to be willing to get up and move if a table goes bad. This requires no effort online, but it can still be tempting to be lazy and stick with a table you’ve been at for the last hour.

Table selection does require a little work, but it’s well worth it. If you constantly search for soft tables, your win rate will have no choice but to go up. I can personally tell you that some of my best months in poker were a direct result of practicing table selection.

Stealing the blinds in poker serves two major purposes. First of all, it adds to your chip stack in both cash games and tournaments. Secondly, it improves your table image by making you look aggressive, which makes it easier for you to get paid on big hands.

Stealing the Blinds in No Limit Cash Games

Blind stealing plays an important role in cash games, but not to the same extent that it does in tournaments. Even so, one successful blind steal every hour does make a difference in your long term hourly win rate. But you have to be careful, because if you try to steal the blinds too often, it will get expensive and actually hurt your win rate.

Much of your decision of whether or not to steal the blinds should be based on the type of players in the blind positions. If you’re in a game full of fish, you really don’t need to steal the blinds or attempt any other kind of trickery. Just play a normal tight-aggressive game and wait for strong hands.

If there are weak players in the blind positions, you can steal from them fairly easily. Just wait until you have position and it gets folded around to you. You can then put in a modest preflop raise and win the blinds. If there are smart, aggressive players in the blinds, you should scale back on your steal attempts.

For the most part, blind stealing in cash games can be seen as an image builder. If you were to never steal the blinds at a table full of aware players, they would know what you have every time you did raise. In games full of smart opponents, the occasional blind steal helps you remain unreadable. This makes it easier to get paid off on big hands in the future.

Stealing the Blinds in Poker Tournaments

Blind stealing plays a huge role in poker tournaments – especially towards the later levels. In fact, much of your stack building efforts in the late tournament game will revolve around stealing the blinds. This is because as tournaments progress, the blinds grow larger and larger.

Blind stealing in poker tournaments should mostly take place in the middle and late stages. The early stages of typical poker tournaments are too loose and wild to make it worth stealing the blinds. Additionally, the blinds are not yet large enough to justify the risk of losing vital chips.

As the tournament advances, the blinds become increasingly important. They force the players to either earn chips or bust out early. If you want to stay competitive and have a shot at making it to the final table, it is vital that you steal as many blinds as you can. Otherwise, your chip stack will dwindle, the other players will stop fearing you and you will find it increasingly difficult to win pots.

The key to successfully stealing the blinds in poker tournaments is in choosing your targets. The best players to steal from are those that are scared and are simply trying to survive to the money. These players are the easiest to steal from because they don’t want to risk chips by defending their blinds.

It is also important to identify good situations for blind steals. It is obviously much easier to steal from late position than from under the gun (although the occasional early position raise is a powerful move). You should also consider the recent history of the table. If you have won several pots recently without a showdown, it will be more difficult for you to get away with a steal.

The size of your raise should be determined by the size of the blinds and your own stack. If you have a large stack relative to the blinds, a 2-2.5x raise is plenty in a tournament. But if the blinds are starting to get big relative to your stack, you will be best served by just pushing all-in on your steal attempts. It may be scary to push all-in, but it gives you the best chances of winning. Besides, you would have to call anyways if you got any action because a single raise takes up such a large portion of your stack.

Blind stealing in tournaments is risky but it’s a necessary part of winning tournament strategy. If you want to do more than make it to the money and take home a prize that barely covers the original buyin, you will have to steal blinds and take risks. The one piece of advice you will see more than any other is to play for first place – not to make it to the money.

Many times I have been asked if it is possible to make a profit playing poker online. The shortest answer is that of course it’s possible to make money playing online poker. Thousands of online poker players turn a regular profit and some players have become wealthier than anyone in the normal working world.

But for every player making a profit, there have to be several others who are losing money. That’s just how the poker economy works. If you are willing to sit down, work hard and study poker strategy on a regular basis, you too can make a profit playing poker online.

There are always casual players who are there simply to gamble. To them, poker is nothing more than an entertaining diversion. These people make their money in some other form and simply play poker for the thrill. Those people are the ones who tend to supply the rest of the poker economy.

Movies and TV shows make poker out to be some kind of mystical game where the players read each other’s souls and make ridiculous plays because of feelings or hunches – but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Poker is a normal strategy game just like chess; if you take the time to learn the proper strategy, you can become a winning player.

The Key is Poker Strategy

The key to making a profit playing poker online is to learn proper poker strategy for whatever variant you play. Whether it be poker tournaments, no limit cash games, sit-n-gos, heads-up tournaments, heads up cash games, fixed limit cash games or any one of dozens of non-Holdem variants, there is a ton of strategy involved in the game.

The difference between winning and losing players is that winning players are willing to work hard, study past hands, read poker strategy and participate in discussions and forums. This is no different than any other competitive game in the world; those who work hard reap the greatest benefits.

Some people may have an instinctive knack for poker, but anyone can learn how to become a winning player at small and medium stakes poker games. High stakes poker is quite challenging, but that is to be expected in a game where enough money to buy a house can change hands in a space of minutes.

Profiting with Poker Bonuses

Every poker site on the internet offers sign up  bonuses to new players. These bonuses can be used as a source of quick profits when first getting started. The average poker bonus is worth about $600 and there are dozens of poker sites that are offering these bonuses right now.

So even if you don’t know a ton of poker strategy, you can still make a profit playing poker online. As long as you can play well enough to break even at the tables, you can easily earn several thousand dollars relatively quickly while playing poker. The only thing you have to do to earn poker bonuses is sit at the tables and play poker.

Over the long term, though, poker bonuses will only take you so far. While clearing poker bonuses in the early stages of your poker career, it would be wise to study as much poker strategy as you can get your hands on. That way you will be ready to hit the tables and make a long time gig out of online poker.

The float play is one of the simplest ways to take advantage of all those unimaginative tight-aggressive poker players who have been invading the online poker tables lately. It works wonders against people who like to raise before the flop and place continuation bets every single time.

Float Play Example

Let’s say there’s a tight-aggressive player at your table who raises a little too often and bets on the flop every single time. You know that he can’t always have something, so you decide to use the float play against him.

That player raises from middle position and you decide to call from late position with a pair of deuces. The flop brings three random, useless cards and your opponent places his usual continuation bet. Instead of folding, though, you decide to call in order to set up a bluff on the next street.

You make the call and the turn brings a brick. Your opponent checks to you and you make a bet. Your opponent, who has nothing, has no option but to fold. You collect a nice little pot with minimal risk. Congratulations; you have just pulled a successful float.

When to Float the Flop

There are a few things that should be in place before you attempt a float on the flop. First of all, you have to be in late position relative to the original raiser. This is important because it is much easier to put pressure on your opponent when you have position. You also need to be in a heads-up pot against that one opponent.

Players who exhibit the following characteristics are the best for floating:

• Players who c-bet too often

Players who place too many continuation bets are a prime target for the float play because they often do not have anything.

• Players who are aware

The float play does not work against dull players and fish. You have to use it against players who are able to piece together different parts of a hand and who are capable of folding. Your call on the flop is all show, but your opponent has to be aware of the show and its implications.

• Players who are timid

It sounds contradictory, but players who raise pre-flop and place lots of c-bets can also be timid. These players like to win small pots with little trouble, but they do not like it to go past the flop. Unimaginative TAGs are the best target.

Why the Float Play Works

The float play works because it takes advantage of a certain type of opponent. These opponents make too many continuation bets because they are used to other players folding under pressure. It doesn’t matter to them if they hit or miss the flop because they know that you have probably also missed the flop.

These players are prime candidates for the float play because they have complete air a good percentage of the time. They won’t always have air, of course, but they do often enough to make the float a good play.

The float also works well against these players because that initial flat call on the flop worries them. These players have been around long enough that they know what a slow play looks like. Your call does not give them any information but it is just enough to make them wonder what you could have.

Final Thoughts

The float play is a great way to shut down aggressive players. Just remember that you have to use it against players who are capable of folding. As an added benefit, the float play is quite frustrating for your opponents. Every once in a while, you will get under your opponent’s skin to such a point that he starts playing a weak game and handing over even more money.

The squeeze play is a powerful move that is most often found in poker tournaments. It’s a somewhat risky move, but with that risk comes the possibility of great rewards. The next time you find yourself stuck for chips in a poker tournament, look for an opportunity to use the squeeze play.

The nice thing about the squeeze play is that it does not require strong cards. The squeeze play is a purely situational play in which your goal is to win a big pot without a showdown. This is not a normal bluff, though, because it can only be used successfully in special situations.

Squeeze Play Example

The easiest way to describe the squeeze play in poker is to use an example. Let’s say that an aggressive player with a history of raising light raises once again in front of you. Another player flat calls and then you push all-in on top of both. Both players fold and you collect a nice pot.

Why this works:

1. The original raiser is recognized as being a light raiser. So his hand range is wide enough that he will have to fold most of the time.
2. The guy who called the raise most likely has a weak hand. Otherwise, he would have re-raised to get it heads up against the aggressive player.
3. Your all-in raise speaks of great strength because you just went over the top of two players in a raised pot.
4. The original raiser has now been “squeezed” between the player who called him and you. He has no idea which of you really has a hand or if you both have strong hands. There is a lot of pressure on him to fold.

Squeeze Play Conditions

A few conditions have to be present for the squeeze play to work. First of all, the original raiser would optimally be more aggressive than the average player. He doesn’t have to be an aggressive player, but it does make it more likely that he has a weak hand and is forced to fold.

Secondly, both of the other players in the hand must be able to fold. The squeeze play does not work against fish and calling stations. Try this move against fishy players and you’ll be looking for a new tournament before you know it.

Third, the stack sizes have to make sense. If you try this move against players with short stacks, they will be forced to call the raise because of the pot odds. You also have to make sure that your stack is large enough to make the other players nervous. If you have a pathetic five big-blind stack and try to push anyone around, you’re going to get looked up.

And last, you have to be in the right position to pull off this play. The aggressive player has to act first, one player has to call it and then you have to be the last to act. Anything else will not put enough pressure on the other players.

Final Thoughts

The squeeze play can be used to great success in poker tournaments, but it has to be used in the right situation. If you only use it when all the proper conditions are present, you will achieve a fairly high rate of success. But remember – the squeeze play will not always work. With high rewards also come high risks.

Middle pocket pairs in poker can be both profitable and troublesome. The key to playing middle pocket pairs (and most hands in general) is to adjust your play according to each situation. People often ask for all-in-one answers for hands like these, but there is no one way to play a hand.

The good news is that we do have a few tips for playing middle pocket pairs in poker. These tips will not walk you through every situation you’ll ever face, but they will explain how you should think while at the table. With these tips in mind, you will then be able to correctly adjust your play to each situation.

Middle Pocket Pairs Before the Flop

The correct play before the flop depends on your position, the number of opponents in the hand, the playing styles of your opponents and stack sizes. This may sound like a lot to consider, but that’s how winning poker players analyze each situation. Let’s break it down and explain how to play in each situation.

Position

I like to raise middle pocket pairs from every position in an average 6-max no limit game. In early position, it helps thin the field and mix up my early position raising range. In middle and late position, it helps to take control of the hand and will often set me up to have position on the remaining players.

Number of Opponents in the Hand

This plays a big role in my decision to raise or limp in. If there are several people already in the pot, I will often limp in and see if I can hit a big hand in a multi-way pot. If there are only one or two people in the pot, I will often raise to either knock them out or get it heads up and to take control of the hand.

Playing Styles of Your Opponents

You can use the playing styles of your opponents as an indication of how easy it will be to win the pot after the flop. If you’re up against a bunch of calling stations, raising may show some value, but it is much easier to just limp in and hit big hands for cheap. If the opponents are tight and willing to fold, I put in a preflop raise because I know there is a good chance I can win the pot later by betting.

Stack Sizes

Stack sizes mostly come into play when someone else has raised or re-raised and you are deciding between calling and folding. Middle pocket pairs do not play well against aggression because so many scare cards can come on the flop. But one thing they have going for them is the ability to hit sneaky sets.

If both stacks are deep, it is OK to call with a middle pocket pair and hope for a set. But if the stacks are shallow or the raise is especially large, there is no good reason to call. You will not hit your set and win a big pot often enough to make up for all the money you spend calling large raises with middle pocket pairs.

After the Flop

If you play correctly before the flop, middle pocket pairs are pretty easy to play after the flop. Much of how you play depends on your opponents, but it also depends on how you played the hand before the flop. Here are two basic scenarios:

You Were the Aggressor

If you were the aggressor before the flop, the correct play is to bet out on every flop when up against one or two opponents. If there are more than two opponents, you should only bet if you hit a legitimate hand.

You Were the Caller

If someone else raised or you simply limped in, a more straightforward approach is recommended. You do not have control of the hand and do not look strong, so bluffing is harder to pull off. The best play here is to bet if you hit something and get out of the way if you miss.

Finding yourself sitting on a flush draw can be one of the most frustrating places to be at a poker table. Players regularly lose large amounts of chips simply by not knowing how best to handle such a situation.

This article is designed to look at some of the most common situations you might find yourself in when faced with a flush draw and suggests the best ways to play.

The first scenario we’ll look at is when you’re faced with a raise. You need to understand that if you’re being asked to call a previous bet that you’re very unlikely to be the favorite for the pot. With that in mind, you need to calculate your pot odds to give you an idea of how sensible it would be for you to throw some chips into the middle of the table.

If the pot odds are in your favor, then it’s an automatic call. The only exception to this rule is if you’re running low on chips. In this case, I’d suggest that calling shouldn’t be an option – instead, either fold or go all in.

When deciding which of these two options to follow, you might want to consider various factors such as the players still due to play and how they acted pre-flop. If you decide to push all your chips into the middle of the table, you’re ideally hoping that everyone else will fold … but should you find yourself getting a call, then all is not loss.

When the pot odds aren’t in your favor, then it’s a simple decision – fold. You may want to take a moment to think about your implied odds which will take into account the likely future actions of your opponents. Most of the time the implied odds won’t be in your favour either, and in that case, much your cards.

If you expect a large number of players after you to match your call, then you may occasionally find your pot odds improving. However, if this is a pretty risk strategy that should only be employed occasionally and only then if you have a large stack of chips. If you come up against a re-raise, get rid of your cards sharpish.

The third and final strategy to consider is the large raise. Generally speaking, this is only a good idea if there are very few players left in the hand.

In these instances, it’s important to remember that you may well not be the only player looking to complete a flush so a large raise is sometimes the most effective way of convincing your opponents to lay down their hand. This kind of strategy won’t win you huge pots, but sometimes when you play poker that doesn’t matter as long as you get your hands on some chips.

Being able to read your opponents is central to all three of the strategies mentioned above. Too often, players commit far too many chips chasing their flush when the pot odds aren’t in their favor at all. It goes without saying that to improve your game, you must avoid this at all costs.

Often with flush draws, the best option is to fold your hand … especially when sitting in an early position. Sitting in last position is a huge advantage in these situations as you can react to your opponents’ actions and close the betting on your own terms.

The best of luck!

Jennifer Harman is an American professional poker player. Born and raised in Reno, she became hooked with the game of poker at the young age of eight. After graduating from the University of Nevada, she went on to practice as a pro player.

Jennifer won her first World Series of Poker bracelet in 2000, in a game of Deuce to Seven Lowball. What’s even more impressive, apart from beating more experienced players, such as Lyle Berman and Steve Zolotow, is that she had never played the game before. She was briefly shown the ropes beforehand by Howard Lederer. She won her second WSOP bracelet two years later, becoming the only woman with two bracelets in open events.

Jennifer Harman is currently an online poker player, and she plays exclusively on Full Tilt Poker. Apart from this, she is also a member of the “Full Tilt Team”, a dream team composed of some of the finest poker players in the world: herself, Mike Matusow, Allen Cunningham, Annette Obrestad, Patrik Antonius, Tom Dwan, John Juanda, Gus Hansen, Andy Bloch, Chris Ferguson, Erik Seidel, Howard Lederer, Erick Lindgren, Phil Ivey and Phil Gordon.

As many other poker players do, Jennifer Harman posts articles on her website, www.jenniferharman.com (no closed down), in which she tries to share her own experience with amateurs and professional players alike. Also on her site you can find her blog, where she posts  Twitter updates and other thoughts.

Jennifer is cursed with a condition that affects her kidneys (a genetical illness that she got from her mother), which forced her to take time off from poker. In 2006, while she took another year of from playing, she wrote a book that is now vital to all beginners – “Limit Hold ‘em chapter for Super System 2”. In an interview, she even declared she was thinking about writing another book – about the psychology of poker.

In conclusion, let’s hear from Jennifer herself. Asked what advice she could give amateurs, she replied: “Get plenty of rest, eat well and stay focused”. In no limit, the biggest mistake I see is a player going all in instead of making a big raise that would be just as effective. They’ll risk all their chips instead of some of them. I think TV has a lot to do with it; especially if you’re a beginner, you have nothing else to go by. The poker on TV is mostly highlights, so it’s hard to understand the whole game.” Join Jennifer at fulltiltpoker.com and get a $600 free welcome bonus.

Being the short stack in an Online Texas Hold’em game is a very tenuous position in which to find yourself. Depending on how short stacked you are and the other players at your table, it can be immensely difficult to extricate yourself from the short stack. It is very easy to go from the short stack and have to re-buy but climbing out of this position is possible. Getting yourself out of the short stack requires tight play, making the right moves at the right time, and a little bit of luck.

The first and most important thing when you are short stacked is to shut off all of the risky moves that you might take in another position and keep things tight. Do not take any unnecessary risks and do not make any bluffs in poker whatsoever. The biggest goal that you should have as a short stack is to stop the bleeding of chips and keep as many in your stack as possible. As such, playing much more conservatively than you would in any other position is a must. Everything except the best hands should be folded otherwise the likelihood that you are going to bust out is extremely high. Even while playing the most premium hands, recovering from a short stacked position is extremely difficult.

The next thing that you need to do in order to climb out of a short stacked position is choose where to take your stands and take them. Going all in when you are short stacked is an almost unavoidable scenario but you can choose a good position to make your stand. Ideally, you should wait for a large pocket pair or set of suited connectors to make your stand and hopefully in a late position but this cannot happen all the time. You have to make a strong move when the opportunity presents itself and not wait for the perfect chance that may never come.

Another way that you can play the short stack which will work particularly well if there is an aggressive deep stack at the table is to soft play your big hand where you intend to make a stand. Especially if you are in an early position, making a raise that will pot commit you, will often result in a deep stack who acts after you to push you all in which is exactly what you want. Getting a caller with your big hand is the best that you can hope for and hope to double up and get back into the action. At this point, it is really up to the poker gods and, while it will not work out every time, it works quite a lot.

Taking a short stack and turning it around can be a difficult challenge but it is a position that every poker player finds himself or herself in from time to time. Being able to extricate yourself from difficult situations is the difference between a good poker player and a great poker player.