Whenever you are dealt pocket Aces pre-flop in Texas Hold’em, it is really easy to end up being too confident. The statistics show that the winning percentage of pocket Aces when heads up is really good and it will be quite rare that you get beaten. That is why most tutorials online are going to tell you that you should try to get the opponent all in pre-flop when you have the aces. Unfortunately, this is one pair that can easily make you lose a lot of money.
The most important part of poker when you have the best starting hand in Texas Hold’em is to analyze your table. If you are faced with a really loose table where a pre-flop all in would be paid by 3 to 5 players, it is not actually a really good idea to gamble the money. This is due to the fact that the chances that you are going to win the hand will be a lot smaller.
There is no 100% correct way to play any pocket pair. You will need to adapt to the table and to the other players. A strong pair pre-flop is great against a lose opponent but you need to try and learn as much as possible about how the other people are playing. Try to pick up as many tells as possible. The truth is that it is really easy to end up scaring the other players when you raise too much and it is risky to not raise at times as your opponents might get there.
It should also be noted that playing pocket Aces is different when comparing cash games with tournament play. While in a cash game you will be able to rebuy and losing a hand with pocket Aces is not a tragedy, when in a tournament, this might mean that you will lose all your chips. You cannot rebuy in a tournament so it is highly recommended that you play your pockets carefully. You will want to get all in pre-flop when you have your opponent covered but not when also dealing with other people that can hurt you.
Make sure that you are going to vary your play and that you try to see what the opponent has. Pocket Aces are really strong but you need to vary your game and be careful. Take into account the tells that you gained from the past hands and minimize the chances of losing as much as possible.