Risk Assessment
Every online poker hand carries some risk. Even the biggest poker online hands get cracked sometimes. Pocket Aces, the best starting hand in Texas Hold ‘Em, get beat about one in every five times they are played. The risk factor is real, and many poker online players conveniently forget it when they get a powerful starting hand like Aces, Kings, A-K, or other paired faces. They immediately focus on how much they will win, rather than the board texture or the actions of other players.
Never become so enamored of your cards that you lose the sense of the actual moment. You must still pay attention to the other players betting action and how the board is shaping up. If three to a suit, straightening cards or a paired board materializes, your monster pocket cards could easily get smashed.
When you are dealt a big hand, then play it that way pre-flop. Bet out big to eliminate as many players as possible. The fewer players you are up against, the more likely your strong hand is to win. With a strong starter hand you do want to keep one or two player in the pot. You do not want to go up against five players, especially when the flop brings suited or straightening cards. Do no become complacent because you have pocket Aces or Kings. Play them like winners right from the start.
