Weak aces - How to play them

Beginner Tips / Marcus Bateman / 07 May 2010 / Leave a Comment

One of the most dangerous sets of hands in Hold'em are weak aces. By 'weak aces' we are simply referring to pretty much any ace below around ace ten/ace nine. This is simply because these hands can get players into all types of trouble on certain flops, and thinking about when and where to play them is crucial to success in Hold'em.

The key problem with weak aces is that even if you hit an ace, frequently you will still be very far behind. This is because stronger aces are often out there, and once you have flopped top pair it is often hard to fold the hand without at least some kind of a struggle, and these little battles can quickly add up to a big leak in your game.

This is not to say that you should not ever play weak aces, more that it is critical to be able to identify situations where these hands are potentially very weak, and to try to lose as little as possible with them. With weak aces you should be looking for hands like two pair, flush draws or straights to put the money in - consistently getting it all in with just a pair with these hands is a recipe for disaster.

Despite their problems, weak aces do have one key thing going for them. Against every hand bar aces, they have at least 25% equity if you are all in pre flop. This makes them quite useful hands to be pushing with if very short, as even if called they usually have good equity against non paired hands without an ace in them, or pairs lower than the aces kicker, and 25% against everything else.

Make sure you approach these hands cautiously - weak aces can lose you a fortune if they over play them, and understanding when to hold'em and when to fold'em is crucial to building your bankroll.

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