How to Play Trouble Cards in Poker

No-limit Texas Hold'em poker, the granddaddy of all poker games. It has created fortunes and broken hearts, but most of all it shows how many people will jump into a game without understanding it. As with any game, there are times when making the wrong choices lead to losing. Most especially in poker, knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep is the most important aspect of the game.

Trouble hands

Trouble hands are quite common in Texas Hold'em. Since you get two pocket cards that never change, you are betting on the strength of those two cards. Everyone sitting at the table shares the community cards with you. An example of troubled cards would be A-Q. Many professional poker players will tell you that they stay away from these cards. They are high cards, sure, and the temptation to play them every time may be there. However, more often than not, these cars will lead to disaster. The first step is to learn what the trouble hands are. Most times, on the deal, these cards will look good. When the flop comes out is when you need to make a commitment to pursuing the hand or throwing away the cards.

Throw them away

This all depends on personal strategy and how well you play the game. As mentioned above, many professional poker players stay away from the A-Q because the temptation to bet large is there and too many things can go wrong. Again, A-Q can be profitable, so make your decision wisely. Pay attention to raises and opponents.

Playing in Position

If you like to play high cards with weaker kickers, then try to play from a certain position. Late position compared to Early position can make a huge difference in the outcome of the hand. You want to play trouble hands from late position, this way you can see what everyone else at the table is doing before you have to make decisions.

Limping In

The basic definition of this is following the crowd. You do not bet unless you have to and call if someone else bets. This is a wrong move. If you are going to play a trouble hand then go for it. Raise pre-flop and define your hand as being a big one. The key here is to get opponents to fold their hands, and quite possibly remove cards that could beat you. In effect, this strengthens your hand.

Control the Pot

This means just what it says. The larger the pot, the more committed to your hand you will be. If you can keep the pot small, you have a chance of still getting out of the hand if it goes south, with minimal losses.

Making wise decisions is the very basis of poker. Many newcomers that are caught with troubled hands gone south will just try the good 'ol bluff technique. Wrong Move Again. The more experienced players will already know you are bluffing. So learn the basics of poker, how to bet, which cards to bet with, and understand what each choice you make does to the game itself.