Check/Folding a Big Hand - Laying Down QQ/KK Post-Flop? PokerLaws.Org

In poker, there is a time and a situation for almost every kind of a play. An argument that has gone on for a long time is whether there is ever a time when you should fold big hands such as pocket Queens or Kings pre-flop. And while it is a very rare situation indeed when you should fold pocket hands like these pre-flop, there are always situations where this move is appropriate.

Now laying down a big hand on the flop is a completely different matter. There are many more times that you would want to lay a big hand down on the flop than you would want to do it pre-flop. Before the flop, hands like Jacks, Queens or Kings are the best possible hands that you can have besides holding pocket rockets (Aces). If you have hands like these pre-flop then you can very comfortably say that, at that point in time, you normally have the best hand.

The problem is that after the flop, even an opponent holding something like 7 2 off-suit, the worst starting hand in the game of Texas Hold Em, is capable of dominating big hands like the aforementioned above – especially if the flop is deceptively ugly and uncoordinated with low cards that can hide the strength in another opponents “garbage” hand.

Don’t Get Too Attached to a Hand

You must be able to allow your feelings about a hand to change as the streets change. Some flops may appear safer to you big pocket pair than others but you can still be beaten if your hand did not improve on the flop. Now if you have a large pocket pair you have probably raised before the flop. If the board comes out without any over cards and there are no pairs or straight of flush draws then you will probably be leading out with a bet.

However, if the flop is a scary board and you decide to check, and I probably still might put in a continuation bet, and after you have checked there is a bet and a big raise. Now what to you do with your big pre flop hand? It all of a sudden doesn’t look so big on the flop with all of the action that you are facing and the scary texture of the board. A disciplined poker player would be able to fold this hand.

This Isn’t Kansas Anymore

As Dorothy said to here little dog Toto, this isn’t Kansas anymore. And what Dorothy was trying to say to her tiny little dog was that they were in a much different place than they used to be in. And when you have A♥ A♦ you may be in Kansas before the flop but when the flop comes out as 7♣ 8♣ 9♣, then you are definitely not in Kansas any longer. This flop can give another player a straight, a flush, or even a straight flush.

Now suppose you check the flop and the pot is subsequently bet and then another player shoves all in, what do you think that you should do with your hand? Here are some clues. The answer is not re-raise. The answer is also not call. And since the rules will not allow you to check at this point, you can figure out the option that remains for you. Depending on the situation, you’re easily folding your big hand or making a stand against other players with it.

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