[jscrons24]

High pocket pairs (QQ KK AA) are obviously the best starting hand and it is a great feeling to see these hands. However, It sometimes feels like I end up going out on one of these hands ( usually kings or aces) instead of winning a pot. No, Im not talking about a slowplay, but I'm talking about a standard pre flop raise and it always seems to take you out of a tournament or going broke in a ring game. I make this mistake less often after playing for a while, but I still run into the problem. I typically win bigger pots w/ suited connectors or by making a good read. This is a problem for people who get attached and excited about these hands(I'm obviously guilty too). My advice is to be cautious yet aggressive and make sure you put together proper evidence to find out your opponents hands instead of thinking about your great PRE FLOP hand.

[sunnypoker]

you have to realize that after the flop, all you have is still a pair unless your hand improves.
meaning that by the time you get to the turn/river and your hand doesn't improve, you should be playing small pot poker as all you have is a pair.

Aces are only aces because they are the strongest hand preflop.
when you get to the flop. the only way your opponents are going to put significat chips in the pot is if they have a stronger hand than just a pair (even if its pair of aces)

of course this is a generalization and it depends on play image, opponent's skill level, stage in the tournament etc

but generally you have to learn to keep the pot small when you have high PP especially on the turn/river.

[cemfredmd]

You definately have to be careful on how you play them, especially if the board shows a possible staright, flush, or pairs on its own. This leaves so many possible hands that can beat a high pocket pair. It is important to pay attention to how the players in the game are betting, and their relative strength of their bets. Another reason why I only play one table at a time, because you can pay attention to the hands that you arent in, and get a better idea how tight/loose/aggressive/weak your opponents are, it makes a lot of difference in the long run. Good luck to you though, I hope you pocket pairs hold up against stuf like

[dconnerii]

I have found that with high pocket pairs that you don't want to sit on them but make a pretty decent sixe raise so that you go heads up or at worse a three-way pot where you high pocket pair is going up against other high cards or a smaller pair if you have too many people in a pot those aces or kings can get beaten way too easily so you really can't expect to make alot of money on a high pair unless you go up against kings with you having aces. With suited connectors you limp in and hope to flop a straight or a open-ender or even two pair and that is where you make you money becuase people won't put you on those types of hands and someone with top pair or a high pocket pair will givve you a lot of chips becuase they think they have the best hand

[tbs89]

well jscrons, i can honestly say i run into very similar problems with these high pocket pairs, but i tend to change the way i play them. First time i see JJ QQ KK or AA in a long tournament, i like to come in for a nice steady raise, approximately 3 to 4 times the big blind. Usually this tends to weed out some people, but especially online you know a 67 suited or 89 suited is still in the hand. So when the flop comes you have to analyze what they could be holding, by paying attention in previous pots theyve been involved. Although its hard to get away from one of these hands like sunnypoker said it might just be Aces after the community cards are out there. its the same as having AJ and the flop comes A 5 9 then K and K, you have to remember youre beat by K2 or any K in this situation so be careful and try to not get married to these high pocket pairs, and i promise you wont lose as many chips.