The combination of Ace-King is sometimes referred to as "Big Slick." Years ago it was called Santa Barbara after an oil spill of the coast of California. When there was the big oil spill off the coast of Alaska, players were quick to note that AK is also the abbreviation for that state, making it even more appropriate. Regardless of why it is called this, I can tell you from what I have seen that the way some players play this hand is anything but "slick." Most experts agree that A-K, either suited or unsuited, is one of the most misplayed hands in limit Hold'em. An Ace and a King are two of the best cards you can hold when they are paired, but when you have a single of each you have a drawing hand.

Many players will play A-K as though they were holding a pair of Aces or Kings. You usually need to improve this hand to give it any value. If you do pair one of your cards on the flop, you will have top pair and top kicker. You will flop and Ace or a King about 30 percent of the time. Many people look at that statistic and think it's a high percentage, but look at the other side and you will realize that you won't flop either an Ace or King 70 percent of the time. This figure is the same for any two unpaired cards you hold before the flop.

In early position, you should raise with A-K suited and call with an unsuited combination. The suited cards will give you the potential of having the nut flush if you make a flush. If you feel that raising will limit the field, then you can raise with A-K unsuited as well. If the pot is raised ahead of you, re-raise with A-K suited and with A-K if you think it will limit the field.

If the flop does not help you out and there is a bet and a raise, your two overcards will not have much value. I have seen players play Ace-King all the way to the river when there is betting and raising going on. If there are several players in the hand betting and raising, you are probably going to be drawing dead if you do pair your Ace or King especially if the board cards show the possibility of a straight or flush. Players who refuse to abandon A-K, and play it to the end in hopes a catching a pair on the river, lose more money by doing so.

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When I first started playing Hold'em, I heard some players refer to "Paint" cards and had no idea what they were talking about. I soon found out that paint cards were the cards that I used to call picture cards, because they had a picture of the King, Queen, or Jack. I suppose they do resemble paintings more than they do pictures. Anyway the King is the big paint card and when you start with a pair of them you have the second best starting hand. Only a pair of Aces can beat you at this point. The probability of being dealt any pair is 220 to 1 (0.45 percent) or less than one-half of a percent, so the chances of one of your opponents holding a pair of Aces when you are dealt a pair of Kings is slim but it does happen. However, the probability of a player holding a single Ace before the flop is about 15 percent. If an Ace appears in the flop you could lose out to a player who will play any Ace. Because of this you want to play the Kings as aggressively as possible to narrow the field.

It is advisable to raise with Kings from any position. If the pot has been raised go ahead and reraise. Cap the betting if you can. If no Ace appears on the flop go ahead and raise again if a player bets before you. You want to make it very expensive for anyone holding a single Ace to stay in the pot. When I first started playing Hold'em, I would try to get fancy and slow play my Kings in hopes of maybe raising on the turn or river, when the betting limit went up. Quite a few times this backfired on me when an Ace would show up on the turn or the river. After losing to players holding hands like A-6 off suit I decided not to slow play my Kings. I later learned that you should never slow play a single pair as they are too vulnerable in a multiway pot.

If an Ace should flop or two high cards, such as J-10 or higher, you could be in trouble if someone raises. If there is a raise when an Ace flops it's more than likely that someone was playing a single Ace. Because it is correct strategy to play high cards in your starting hands, a flop containing two or three high cards may give your opponent two pairs, a straight or a straight draw. You shouldn't automatically fold when there is betting, but you do need to reassess the situation if there is raising going on. Many players, myself included, have been guilty of getting married to a pair of Kings or other high pairs when the flop brings two or more high cards. The reasoning is that it is possible to draw another King on the turn or river. This may hold up against two pairs but you might find that you are drawing dead against a straight. Because being dealt a pair of Kings doesn't happen that often, it's natural to want to play them to the end.

However, there are times when you just have to let it go and fold the big guys. A winning player is one who can do this.

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Pocket Rockets, Bullets, American Airlines, no matter what you call them a pair of Aces by any other name is still the best starting hand you can have. If this were two-card showdown, you would be a winner every time. But this is Hold'em and you still have a ways to go before you rake in the chips. With Aces, your hand will hold up against one or two players most of the time but will win about 35 percent of the time with five or more players in the pot. Getting your pair of Aces beaten is known as getting your Aces "cracked." It happens and is a fact of the game. Because of this, you want to thin the field if possible but you also want to get as much money in the pot for the times that your hand does win.

It's okay to raise from any position with Aces. When you raise from early position you will have a good shot at thinning the field. Players with marginal drawing hands will probably fold. But there are some considerations on how to maximize the money in the pot without giving your opponents the proper odds to draw out on you. Most players will not fold their hand to a raise once they have entered the pot. In middle position you want to raise to drive out any of the players acting after you who might hold marginal hands while getting more money from those already in the pot. If the pot has already been raised when it gets to you, go ahead and reraise. It's okay to cap the betting if you get re-raised again. Most of the time you will raise with Aces, but sometimes you may want to mix up your style of play.

In late position, if most of the players have entered the pot, you may want to just call when you are in the blinds with a pair of Aces. When you raise from the blind you are letting everyone know that you have a strong hand. Sometimes, you may be better off using a little deception. By not raising you can see the flop and, either bet if the field is large or try for a check raise if you are heads ups with a single aggressive player. You do not want to slow play a pair of aces that gets no help on the flop against a large number of players.

After the flop you must look at the board carefully. If the flop brings all little cards, your Aces may still be the best hand. If there has been a lot of action before the flop and the flop brings a King or two or more face cards, you might have a problem. If one of your opponents was raising with a pair of Kings they now have a set. If they were holding two face cards they could have flopped two pairs. If you bet and are raised, you will have to proceed with caution.

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