Texas Holdem is very nearly the perfect game. It can be exhilarating. It can be frustrating. It can lead to moments of shear terror. It can have moments of extreme jubilation. Or, it can lead to moments of gut wrenching disappointment. But, in the end, you can't wait to do it again. No doubt you have heard many times before that "Texas Hold'em is a game of skill." On the reverse, you have heard players say, as they toss their last chips in the pot, "let's gamble." So who's right? Is Texas Holdem a game of skill or are you just gambling when you sit down at the table. Actually, both are correct. Texas Hold'em is a game where skill tends to win money in the long run, but with each hand you are taking a risk in hopes that your odds hold up. Even a hand that is a 99% favorite will run into a heart breaker now and again. Otherwise, the odds would have been 100%. The key to Texas Holdem is to get your money in when you have the best of it, and save your money when you don't.

I was recently playing in a no-limit Texas Hold'em tournament. We were still in the early stages when a player had their pocket aces cracked. By the end of the hand, he was all-in only to find himself coming up empty. As he stood to walk away, another player at the table mentioned how he hated pocket aces because he always seemed to lose with them. He went as far as to say that he would rather have A-Q than pocket aces because he wins so much more money with that hand. What does this tell you? Does it say that maybe aces are overrated? Or, that maybe A-Q is generally undervalued? Actually, it says that the player doesn't really understand how to play the hand correctly.

Let's take the example from the tournament where the player was eliminated with pocket aces. Often in the early rounds of a tournament, it is not uncommon to have 5 or 6 players limping in to see the flop. This may work well if you are in late position with 9-10 suited, but not pocket aces. With strong cards like pocket aces, pocket kings, or A-K, you don't want a lot of opponents seeing the flop. Although Aces are the most powerful preflop hand, what do you really have in a 6-way pot with a flop of 10c9c8c? Players may have already made a straight, 2 pair, or a flush. What often happens is players slow-play the aces preflop, then they start making big bets after the flop when other players have had a chance to make a real hand. Then, when they lose all their money by the river, they think they got one more bad beat with their aces. This is exactly what happened in this case. The player with aces limped in on the button and lost to a player that made 2-pair (Qs and 8s). A hand that would have been folded preflop if faced with a raise.

The player that commented about how he loses more money with aces than A-Q may have some logic behind that statement. That's because he knows where he stands after the flop if he doesn't hit with A-Q. Someone makes a bet and he tosses the hand away. With aces, he already thinks he has a hand that should hold up against any number of players and isn't willing to lay it down at any cost.

Here are some basic strategies for playing pocket aces. Keep these in mind and you will maximize your earning potential. Very soon you will realize that you don't win more with A-Q, you just needed to understand how to play aces correctly.

• You want to play aces against only 1 or 2 players, preferably heads-up.



• Aces are a great starting hand, but remember they are only 1 pair after the flop if your hand doesn't improve. Don't be afraid to lay them down if you don't think you have the best hand.



• If you are in late position and there are several limpers, you must raise to limit the number of players in the hand or to win the pot right there.



• If you are in late position and there are no other players in the hand, you should consider raising so the blinds do not get a free look at the flop. If you do limp to try and get more money from the blinds, be aware of the warning signs that say your hand is beaten.



• If you are in early position, the only way you should consider limping is if you are certain that an aggressive player will raise after you act. When it's your turn, you can decide if you want to call or reraise. If there will be more than 1 other player in the hand, you should reraise.



• If you are in early position in a tight game with limited raising, you should raise.



• If you are in middle position, you should raise.