You look down at your hand and your heart begins to race as you see two red aces. The best possible starting hand. The granddaddy of the poker world. Thoughts of doubling up cloud your thinking as you try and decide how much to bet before the flop. All you know is someone is going to lose cash on this hand because they have no idea what they are up against. You don't really care what they have because you know you're at least a 4 to 1 favorite. There's an early limper in the pot when it's your turn to act. You don't want to chase everyone out of the hand, so you decide to bet four times the big blind. Both blinds fold and you are delighted to see Mr. Limper grab some chips and join you in the pot. The dealer burns a card and the flop comes 5-4-10 rainbow. You try to conceal your joy as you think "please please please bet into me." Mr. Limper taps the table and it's your turn to act. You try to appear concerned as you toss out a pot-size bet, really just hoping he caught some piece of the flop. With little delay, he pushes all of his chips into the center. Your only thought is "I got him" and you almost beat him into the pot. Just then, Mr. Limper turns over suited 5-4 and you stare in disbelief as you miss the turn and river. As your chips disappear, you shake your head in disgust and start working on your latest bad beat poker story.

Does that sound familiar? No doubt you have heard a similar story many many times before. Yet, when we see those Aces, all the past tales of woe seem to be quickly forgotten. I once heard a player say that he would rather have AQ than pocket Aces. When I asked why, he said that he wins so much more money with that hand. In reality, I think the facts would tell a different story. More than likely, it isn't the amount of the big victories he is remembering, but rather the amount of the big defeats. When you miss with AQ, it's easy to see. The flop comes 5-4-10 and you have nothing. Since you bet preflop you may take a stab at the pot, but when your opponent comes over the top for all his chips there's no real decision to make. You throw the hand away and all is forgotten by the time new cards are dealt.

While it's true that pocket aces, pocket kings, and AK are great starting hands, they are just that… starting hands. Texas Holdem is a game where the best five card hand wins. At the end of the hand, your pocket aces are nothing more than 1 pair if they don't improve.

That brings us to the hardest play in poker. The play that separates the greats from the not-so-greats. A play that many an amateur player would never considering doing. The play is looking at the community cards, analyzing the situation, realizing you are beaten, and tossing your AA into the muck pile. When you have the discipline to make that move, you have taken your game to the next level. Keep in mind, that this doesn't mean throwing the hand away anytime you face resistance. It means quieting the screaming in your head, remaining focused throughout the hand, understanding your competition, and always remembering that you only have 1 pair.

The day you fold pocket aces and see a higher winning hand as another player scoops the pot will be the day you realize you truly love this game.