The Royalty of Poker: A No-Limit Hold'em Tournament Quiz - Test your skill in playing big pairs

Paparazzi are drawn to members of the royal family like bees to honey. It's no different for us poker players – except that the royalty we most anticipate sighting is at the green felt. Take a look at these situations in which you're dealt pocket pairs of aces, kings, queens, or jacks and decide if you agree with the way I suggest playing them.



No. 1: In a $1,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em tournament at The Bicycle Casino, you are in an early position and are dealt two black aces. You raise, two players call, and both blinds fold. The flop comes J 10 9. You have an overpair and a backdoor-flush draw. You bet about two-thirds the size of the pot. The first player calls, and your second opponent raises about triple the size of your bet. What is your best play? (A) Call. (B) Fold. © Raise.



The answer is (B). I know what you're thinking: Fold pocket aces?! I realize that it's very tough to fold pocket rockets after the flop, but sometimes you have to. This is a coordinated board. You could be up against two pair, a made straight, a pair with a straight draw, or a flush draw. Even if you're up against an opponent with a drawing hand, you still are not a very big favorite. And if you're up against two pair or better, you're a big underdog.



No. 2: You're still in action at the Bike when you look down at pocket jacks in middle position. One player has limped into the pot. You make it about five times the size of the big blind, and a player behind you doubles your raise. Everyone else folds, including the original limper. What's your best play? (A) Fold.(B) Call. © Raise.



The answer is (A). "What? Another fold with a big pair? You must be kidding!" Folding is your best option because, at best, you are probably up against an A-K, but more likely, a bigger pair. You showed considerable strength by raising an early limper from middle position, yet you still got reraised. Jacks are definitely a trouble hand in this situation.



No. 3: You've come to Las Vegas to play in a weekly $500 buy-in Bellagio tournament. You're in the cutoff seat with pocket queens. Nobody has entered the pot yet, so you bring it in for three times the size of the big blind. The player on the button is loose as a goose, and has been raising with lots of marginal hands. And, he is losing. He comes over the top of you with an all-in raise that is about 10 times the size of your bet. You are concerned that he might have caught a real hand this time – aces or kings, or possibly A-K. What's your best play? (A) Fold. (B) Call.



The answer is (B). You have to play the player, not just your cards. Your opponent could have you beat, but he is also capable of raising with much weaker hands than yours. He knows you raised from late position, so he might think your cards are a lot weaker than they are. Sometimes you have to gamble, realizing that if you lose, it's all part of the game.



No. 4: You won the Bellagio tournament, so now you've decided to take a shot at a World Series of Poker $2,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em event. Early on, you're dealt pocket aces under the gun. You raise and a player with a small stack of chips moves all in. As soon as he pushes his checks to the center, another player also moves all in. You're amazed when a third opponent follows suit by also moving all in – and he has you covered. If you call and lose, you're broke, and on the rail. What's your best play? (A) Call. (B) Fold.



The answer is (A). Although you know that pocket aces won't win as often with several players in the pot, you also realize that if you fold aces in this situation, it shows that you have no heart. You also know that you have the best possible starting hand, no matter what your opponents have.



No. 5: You win the hand with aces, and about an hour later, you get the second-best pair you can be dealt, pocket kings. You are in middle position and raise. Everyone folds around to the big blind, who calls. The flop comes A-J-9. "The dreaded ace!" you're thinking. The big blind checks, and you also check. Then, another ace hits on the turn. Now, the big blind fires out a pot-sized bet. He is capable of betting with an ace in his hand, betting second or third pair, or trying a complete bluff. What's your best play? (A) Call. (B) Fold. © Raise.



The answer is (A). Two aces on the board are less dangerous than only one ace, as it is less likely that your opponent has one of the two remaining aces in the deck. Since he is known to bluff or bet a lesser hand, I would also call him on the river if he bets again.

Tom McEvoy is the co-author with T.J. Cloutier of Championship No-Limit & Pot-Limit Hold'em. His newest book, How to Win No-Limit Hold'em Tournaments (with co-author Don Vines), is now available through Card Player. You will often find McEvoy in action at the poker table at www.pokerstars.com, where he is a spokesperson.