In poker, sometimes the hand you hold has differing capabilities depending upon the game that you’re playing. What would be a great hand in one form of poker can, in essence, be total junk in another discipline.
Big Aces – A Dilemma in All Games
For the most part, the Big Ace, which means A-K through A-10, is one of the most difficult hands to play in any poker game. The reason for this is that in some disciplines, the Big Ace can be a very wieldable weapon. Some top professionals, including Daniel Negreanu, have said that they prefer having a Big Ace instead of a premium pair because there are more outs to hit (six versus two) to making a better hand and it has more workability into straights. In other facets of the game, however, the Big Ace is completely worthless.
Texas Hold’em
Whether playing Limit or No Limit Hold’em, the Big Ace must be played judiciously. An A-K or A-Q can be played with a raise in front of you but, more often than not, it is a good idea to let A-J or A-10 go when there is a raise. It is important to remember, however, that you need to hit the ace when you are playing your hand; if you hit your kicker, you could be setting yourself up for disappointment, as your opponent could turn up a bigger pair than you have. Many players have watched their stacks disappear after pushing top pair-top kicker into a bigger pair.
If you hold a suited Big Ace, you need to hit two of your suit on the flop to continue playing if you don’t hit either your ace or your kicker. With a draw to the nut flush, most of the time there will be the pot odds to make the attempt at the draw or see the turn.
When there is a raise and a re-raise in front of you, the tactic to use depends on the form of Hold’em you are playing. In a No Limit game, the Big Ace should hit the muck immediately, as at minimum, you are taking on another Big Ace or a pocket pair. In a Limit game, though, you might want to take a look at a flop and see what develops. One of the bonuses of the Big Ace is that occasionally it can turn into a Broadway straight or, if suited, can turn into the nut flush.
Omaha
The Big Ace can be a useful tool in Omaha, especially when it is played in its Pot Limit format. When it comes to High-Low, however, the Big Ace can lose a bit of its allure.
One of the most useful holdings in Pot Limit Omaha is A-A-K-Q double-suited. Because of the paired aces and the draw potential of the A-K and the A-Q (two Big Aces), this hand can be played aggressively pre-flop. The key to playing the hand successfully, as is the charm of Pot Limit games, is in what is done on the flop, turn, and river.
If the board comes with no aces or paint, a player is left pushing his pair of aces with no chance to draw into a straight (the flush is still a possibility, depending on the flop texture). This is, at best, a tenuous situation since Omaha is a drawing game; a singular pair will seldom win a hand. Consideration would have to be given to mucking if the action gets hectic.
In High-Low, the Big Ace can be pursued if it meets two criteria: 1) the Big Ace is suited, and 2) the ace has a low card to play with it. In this instance, something along the lines of A-K-J-2 might be worth seeing a flop with.
Because you want to gather the entirety of the pot, you actually are looking for the board to provide you with a Broadway straight and no flush or full house possibilities. Anything other than this is a risky option and needs to be analyzed fully before proceeding. Beware also the draw at the low pot; other players may also be there for that hand and you could end up quartering that, making it a losing proposition overall.
Razz
The object of Razz is to build the worst hand possible. As such, the Big Ace is pretty much useless in this game. The only possible way to think about playing the Big Ace in this situation is if the door card of your hand is a deuce or trey. Something along the lines of (A-Q) 3 might be playable, dependent on your opponents’ up cards, and a player may actually be able to steal a pot on occasion. Remember, though, that for this hand to be successful, three of the next four cards drawn must make the best low hand.
Be prepared to drop any bluffs that you are running if there are several competitors for the pot and/or solid hands developing through the up cards. With non-community card games, the information that is given through the up cards needs to be processed along with the capabilities of your hand to determine whether heading to Seventh Street is a profitable move.
Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Stud High-Low
In the Seven Card game, the Big Ace’s potential for outright larceny is at its best. With the Ace in the door on a hand such as (K-J) A, the Big Ace can steal hands because players are fearful of the potential for a gated pair. Even if someone decides to come along for the ride, the hand can quickly end if another ace or a paint card falls on Fourth Street. Most logical players will not risk spewing chips against something like (K-J) A-A or A-Q unless they are rolled up and, even then, may not want to take the chance.
The Big Ace also has potential to draw at several big hands. Using the (K-J) A-Q example from above, a player is four-fifths of the way to a Broadway straight and has a good shot at winning the hand. If the Big Ace is suited and catches a couple of likewise suited cards, it is possible that the player will win the hand without showdown because of the likelihood of catching that fifth suited card. As always, however, attention must be paid to the hands an opponent is building.
In High-Low, the same theory works from Omaha. At minimum, you want to have a Big Ace with a deuce or trey to give you options to play the hand. Of course, your object is to scoop the pot, not split it. Thus, you always want to build to that Broadway straight with the backup plan being to make the low draw and halve the pot. If you fail to have any chances at either with the card that hits on Fourth Street, your cards should hit the muck at lightning speed.
