5CD, always 3 to a pair?

[F8thless]

I know "it depends" but when do I keep a high kicker?

AAK
KKA
QQA
QQK
JJA
JJK
JJQ

Should I be more inclined to keep a kicker HU?

What about lower pairs and an Ace kicker HU when I am stealing?

Thanks, and sorry if this has been recently discussed, I haven't been able to read all the recent posts yet.

[Matt Ruff]

The short version, as I understand it, is that you only keep a kicker to confuse the opposition: to make a weak player think you have trips and check to you post-draw, or to set up a more observant player so they'll give you action when you do have trips & draw 2. Generally, though -- especially in a raised pot, or against multiple opponents -- you want to draw 3 to maximize your chance of actually making trips.

As for which kicker to keep, I'd generally keep an ace. You'd like your kicker to be live, and in an unraised pot you are more likely to be up against someone limping a lesser pair.

[flafishy]

Rarely ever hold onto a kicker unless there's some specific reason for it, as Matt alludes to, and then usually only an A. Your main concern when drawing with a pair is to maximize your chances of catching trips. Pairing up your high kicker is a secondary and unlikely objective, and there's not many times when the deception of holding a kicker is necessary or even works.

Leave that fancy-play lunacy to the many fish you'll encounter.

[SoCalPat]

With position and calling a raise with AAKxx, if your opponent draws 3, keep the K. If you're in the BB with JJ or better and you're heads-up vs. the open-raising SB, keeping an A kicker is also wise.

I really can't find a scenario when you're out of position where you'd false-card one pair.

[discopro]

[ QUOTE ]
With position and calling a raise with AAKxx, if your opponent draws 3, keep the K.

[/ QUOTE ]
Is this because your opponent very often has the other two aces? Otherwise I don't get it and need more explanation plz.

[SoCalPat]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
With position and calling a raise with AAKxx, if your opponent draws 3, keep the K.

[/ QUOTE ]
Is this because your opponent very often has the other two aces? Otherwise I don't get it and need more explanation plz.

[/ QUOTE ]

I can't say if your opponent "very often" will have the other two aces, but you'll almost assuredly win if he does, and doesn't improve.

If he doesn't have the other two aces, you already have him beaten. Since he's 3-to-1 against improving (slightly less so if he's raising with KKxxx, because you have one of the two Ks), you're not nearly as worried about improving as your opponent is.

You're 4-to-1 against improving to aces up (or better) here, slightly worse than what your trailing opponent is getting to improve. With position, plus the knowledge you're ahead pre-draw, you can take some liberties here with your play and mix it up by drawing 2 or 3.

[discopro]

Good explanation, thx.

[flafishy]

I can't say I agree with keeping the K here. Why? If he's drawing three, you're a big favorite with your AA only, so why do you feel the need to hedge? If he misses, he's not going to bet into you. If he hits, he is going to bet. Keeping the K changes nothing, only reduces your chances of improving.

It really is not a smart play.

[Fiasco]

you basically want to keep a K kicker with AA those times that you can put your opponent on exactly AA. I dont think that its worth doing every time that your opponent opens for a raise and takes three, unless they will only do that with AA.

Ex: You raise first in on the button with AAKxx. The SB threebets, BB folds, you call. The SB takes three, you would take 2 to AAK.

[SoCalPat]

[ QUOTE ]
I can't say I agree with keeping the K here. Why? If he's drawing three, you're a big favorite with your AA only, so why do you feel the need to hedge? If he misses, he's not going to bet into you. If he hits, he is going to bet. Keeping the K changes nothing, only reduces your chances of improving.

It really is not a smart play.

[/ QUOTE ]

Disagree. If I've got AAKxx, I know my opponent is drawing three and he almost always open-raises with a minimum of AAxxx, why should I toss my edge with my kicker? You say I'm a "huge" favorite with my aces alone, but I'm not that big of one if my opponent has AA and I toss my K.