Don't Always put Your Opponent on Ace King

For the longest time I have witnessed player after player getting railed assuming their opponent is holding Ace King. This happens from the first hand of the poker tournament when everyone has the same amount of chips all the way to the end of the poker tournament. For some reason online players will not give credit to their opponent and that is a really bad spot to be in. I think we all can relate to being short stacked and having to call or push with just about any pocket pair.Those are not the scenarios I am referring to.I am referring to two entirely healthy stacks that get involved in a hand and then there is a re-raise, which indicates strength, and all of the sudden instead of folding [T][T],[J][J] or even [8][8] a player pushes their chips in the middle only to find he is a 4 to 1 dog against [A][A] or [K][K].

The fact of the matter is that if you plan on being a successful poker player you have to lay down the worst hand when you are supposed to.You might even have to lay down the best hand on occassion. But constantly getting your money in bad is not a recipe for success. Give your opponent credit for a hand when the situation dictates. Sure, evey now and then you will fold the best hand or get bluffed off the pot. If it can happen to the  pros then why should you be any different? Be smart, play smart.