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by Al Sousa (site owner)

You see many players in low limit games playing Ax offsuit or "any ace", as many players call it. The ace is the best card to have in your hand but when you play Ax, low kicker, you are limiting yourself to certain kind of flops. Only a few Ax off suit cards should be played.

Great Offsuit Ace Hands:
AK: The best ace to have, you got the best ace kicker and the best king kicker.
AQ: Close to the best ace and when you have this hand it is rare for someone else to have AK.

Good Offsuit Ace Hands:
AJ-AT: These hands are usually the best ace in an unraised pot. AJ being prefered because of its kicker. Another small advantage is that these hands can make the nut straight which adds some value to them. AK and AQ also have this advantage.

Iffy Offsuit Ace Hands:
A9-A8: These hands can only get you in trouble. Basically they should be played selectively when you feel you can steal the blinds. On the button, with a single middle position limper, I might raise with these hands to isolate the limper and get it heads up. But also consider the blinds and how willing they are to call a raise. If they tend to call a lot then this play is not as profitable and you could be facing as many as 3 player with an Axo.

Why is this play possible? Consider what the middle position limper is coming in with. If he holds 77-AA or AK-AT he is raising coming 1st in, so almost all his hands he is limping there you have the best hand. Even if he has 22-66 you still are around 43/57. Most bad players will limp in with anything not realizing their position. A good player being 1st in from middle position will usually raise or fold. If he limps he will have a hand that is at worst 45% to yours like JTs vs A9o.

Bad Offsuit Ace Hands:
A7-A2: These are only made for stealing blinds from the button, thats all. If you look at the hand all you really have is one card, the ace. If someone shares an ace with you most likely it won't flop and you have to muck it. If it does flop you have kicker problems. Flopping the kicker is also problems as overcards can beat it. The only hands you can hope to catch are a nut flush draw, 2 pair, or trips with the lower card which is a whopping 3.8% chance or 1:26. Even if you do hit an ace with a weak kicker there will be quite a few times the pot will be tied.

Compare Aces:
This shows you how having an ace with a low kicker is even worse than most players imagine.

AK vs A4 is 73.23% to win the hand seeing all 5 cards.

A5 vs A4 is 55% to win the hand seeing all 5 cards.

With a board of A8J

AK vs A4 is 89.1% to win the hand seeing the remaining 2 cards. There is only a 2% chance to tie with the board pairing twice or pairing and the case ace coming.

A5 vs A4 is 51.25% to win the hand seeing the remaining 2 cards. There is at least a 1/3 chance that the hand will be tied if the board pairs.

Why steal the blinds with Axo if its so bad?
In this case you are facing one opponent usually, maybe two. In most cases they will not have an ace so when one flops you should have the best hand. There is a 77.45% chance with both blinds left to act that they will have an ace in there hand when you already have one. This assumes you are 1st in the pot.

Final Note:
This ace comparison also applies to any hand that is a face card and a low card. Kx, Qx, Jx even suited run into trouble so don't play them. Kxs is the only playable hand, on the button, with tons of callers. You are looking for the flush draw, 11.8% chance to hit the flop.