Conclusion before the flop
A pair of nines is dangerous to play because it has many over cards and lots of pairs. You don't want to raise because one of the other players might be having a big poker pair than yours. As you are last to act, it is unlikely that no one will raise if you just call.
Therefore the correct play before the flop with a pair of nines is the second option.
If the flop comes
Now the pot contains $310.
How will you play now?
• You can bet $300.
• You can move all-in.
• You can check.
Conclusion after the flop - First Move
You have flopped three of a kind (nines). Only one hand can beat you at this time, three aces. There is no flush draw on the flop, but if there is any gut-shot (inside) straight draw. For example if someone has 3-4 in his hand thus he needs a deuce to make his straight. But there is less possibility as the pot was raised before the flop.
Since there aren't any good draws out against you, you are going to slow-play your set of nines in the expectation that the other players may put their maximum chips in the pot after you check so that you can check-raise.
Novice Noreen checks to you. Tight Tom bets $300 and Reckless Ricky folds. Again it's your turn to act.
How will you act?
• You can raise all-in.
• You can raise to $900.
• You can call.
• You can fold.
The Second Move Conclusion
You are content with your hand and want to put maximum money in the pot. Tight Tom has an ace with a big kicker. If he does then he is drawing very weak against your trips. You are going to smooth call (i.e. the third option). You expect that Novice Noreen should also call behind you. Your play is to wait until the turn (the fourth street) to try to trap Tom and Noreen for their rest of chips.
Playing Small Pairs
Playing 5-5 through 2-2
When you have a small pair, you have even more over cards to worry about. With these s
mall pairs, you should see the flop as cheaply as possible. After you see the flop, you will only play a large pot if you flop a set. Otherwise, you don't want to put any more money in the pot. You might not often win the pot with the small pairs but with any one poker card on the flop which suits your rank is likely to be profitable.
Situation 24
You are in the big blind holding
Novice Noreen opens in second position for $50. Loose Levin calls her left, action Arnold calls on the button and Authority Austin calls from the small blind.
How will play your two fours?
• You can raise to $150.
• You can call.
• You can fold.
Conclusion - First Move
You have a pair of fours which is not the pair you want lot of chips in the pot with before the flop, although you can call a small amount to try to hit trips on the flop. Therefore the preferred play is to call, i.e. the second option.
The flop comes
Now you check, authority Austin also checks but Noreen bets $100. Levin folded. Arnold calls on the button and Austin folds in the small blind.
What will be your play?
• You can call.
• You can raise.
• You can fold.
Conclusion - Second Move
You haven't flop any set. It is also likely that your rival might be raising with a pair of kings, nines or sixes. Therefore your best move is to fold, i.e. the third option.
Playing Big Connected Cards
How to play A-K
A-K is a poker hand that plays a lot of big pots. You raise with A-K thus putting pressure on your rivals. It isn't unusual to see a player raise before the flop with a pair only to have a rival re-raise all-in behind him with an A-K.
You might think that why would something go all-in with this hand. A-K is basically drawing hand and any pair is a favorite to it before the flop. It is just because of the pressure that you put on players when you move in on them with A-K. For example a rival raises the pot with J-J and you move all-in with enough chips to cover his stack. Your rival is pressurized because if he losses the pot, he will be out of the tournament. He is at disadvantage because he doesn't know what cards you are holding. Unless he has aces, he knows that if you a larger pair than his jacks you are a big favorite to win the pot.
A classic confrontation that seems to inevitably occur in tournaments is A-K against Q-Q in which queens are a small favorite against A-K. Unless the rival has pocket aces or kings, the A-K is a small underdog in the pot. For that simple reason, A-K is a hand that players try to bully the table with.
The higher the blinds get in the tournament the more you can put pressure on your rivals when you have an A-K. In an early round of poker tournament, there isn't much money to fight over, but in the later rounds just winning the blinds and antes will help you to maintain your stack-size.
In the later rounds of tournament, a lot of players will play any kind of ace-hand regardless of the second card in their hand.
Of course if your A-K is suited you can make a flush (the nut flush) or you can make the nut straight if the board is showing a Q-J-T. The advantage of A-K suited is that when you flop a flush or straight draw, you are always drawing to the best hand.
Situation 25
The blinds are $10-$25. You are on the button. And you have
Action Arnold brings it in for a raise of $100 from first position. Loose Levin calls behind him and everyone else folds to you.
What will be your play?
• You can call.
• You can fold.
• You can raise to $300.
Conclusion
It seems that you're A-K is better because neither Action Arnold nor Loose Levin have big hands to enter the pot. However, either of them could have a big hand, but you know that they are competent enough to play cards lower than your A-K. You have seen your rivals playing hands like A-J, A-Q and K-Q in the similar situations. If the flop comes with an ace, they will be in a trouble if they are holding an ace with a lower kicker.
Therefore the correct play is to call and see what the flop comes (the first option).
Situation 26
The blinds are $10-$25. You are on the button having
Solid Sammy brings it in for a raise of $100. Tight Tom calls behind him and everyone else folds to you on the button.
What will be your play?
• You can call.
• You can fold.
• You can raise to $300.
Conclusion
A-K is a playable hand which can be played in many situations but this time two of your rivals have already entered the pot with the raise. You know that these two players will never raise unless they have the premium poker hand. If one of them has A-A or K-K, you would be a big underdog.
Therefore your correct play would be to fold your A-K.