If you’re like most of the poker world then you spend a lot of time playing Texas Hold’em.  And like most of the poker world, you probably light up when you have pocket aces in a Hold’em game.  However, pocket aces don’t play as big of a part in other poker variations.  So it is definitely worth taking a look at how having two pocket aces plays in other poker games.

Texas Hold’em

Pocket aces are the best possible cards you can have in Hold’em since they give you the highest pre-flop hand.  In almost every scenario, you should try to jam the pot with as much money possible before the flop with pocket aces.

Seven Card Stud

Since a lot of hands can be won in Seven Card Stud with a high pair or two pair, having pocket aces is once again very beneficial.  A pair of aces already gives you one great pair, and you could easily hit another pair when the rest of your upcards are dealt.

Omaha

Since Omaha gives players four hole cards before the flop, pocket aces lose their value somewhat in this game.  That’s because the four hole cards give people a better shot at hitting huge hands like flushes and straights.  Even still, there are plenty of Omaha hands that are won on trips, and having 3 aces gives you the best set available.  Pocket aces are valuable in Omaha Hi-Lo too since they can be used in combination with the other two hole cards to scoop the pot.

Razz

If you think pocket aces lose value in Omaha, then you should see them in Razz.  That’s because aces don’t help much when you’re trying to build the worst possible hand.  About the only move you have with pocket aces in Razz is the always risky naked bluff.

The flush draw is one of the most exciting drawing hands you can get in Hold’em.  That’s because hitting a flush could potentially give you a nut hand, and allow you to take down a huge pot.  However, just because you’ve got a flush draw doesn’t mean you should play it every time.  You have to look at a number of factors first to determine if playing a flush draw is the right move for you.

Drawing Considerations

If the flop is two-suited and you’re holding a pair of the same suit then you will almost always want to draw.  The reason being is that your pot odds will be 2-1, and you will especially want to draw if you’ve got additional outs like overcards and/or a straight draw.  But there are also times when you’ll want to avoid drawing for the flush on a two-suited flop.

One of these situations is when you’re heads-up with only a flush draw to your credit.  In this case, the other player will most likely have better odds to win the hand.  Another situation is when there is a pair on the board and somebody is betting heavily.  Here someone probably has trips, and could hit a full house even if you get your flush.  One more time when you’ll want to fold your hand is if you have a small flush draw, and the flop sees a lot of action.  This scenario probably means your small flush will be beaten by a bigger one.

Playing 3-Suited Flops

Having 3 cards of the same suit on the board requires a little different strategy than having 2 suited cards.  In most cases, everyone will be a little more cautions unless they’re holding a suited ace so it’s hard to get any heavy action on the flop.  Unless your hand has additional value then you should avoid playing too aggressively on flops like this.