When to Race or take the Coin Flip
Sooner or later you have got to make that big decision. You have AK and you know your opponent has a pair of Queens or less. What do I do now? Well, it all depends on where you are in the poker tournament. Most times with a hand like AK you are going to raise and see a flop. However, if you are midway or further through the tournament you may decide to push all of your chips in the middle and race.
That would not be a bad play as it would put your opponent to a major decision for all of his chips. Obviously if you are short stacked you really have no choice in the matter. However, in fast structure tournaments I have noticed that many online players are more than happy to race with any small pair hoping their opponent is holding Ace King early in the poker tournament before the first break. I think this is a horrible play for a few reasons.
- It's way too early to jeapardize your entire stack on a coin flip or race
- You can outplay your opponent at a later time when faced with this kind of decision unless you are pot committed
- You expose yourself to other players and make yourself an easy target for big hands later
Good players do not put their entire stack on the line with a race or coin flip early in poker tournaments. So, consider this the next time your Ace King gets re-raised all-in fifteen minutes into the first level. Remember, discretion is the better part of valor.
Good luck at the tables!
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