Texas Holdem Poker - How to Play Pocket Queens

Pocket Queens can be an extremely difficult hand to play in No Limit Texas Holdem poker because while it is the third best possible hand that you can be dealt.

It is also extremely vulnerable to pocket aces, kings and even ace-king.

The dilemma with pocket Queens at online poker rooms is that they are too pretty to fold but yet they can cause all kinds of problems. If you are going to play pocket Queens in No Limit Texas Holdem poker then you had best set your mind to the unavoidable fact that there will be times that you have fold Queens.

Otherwise you will learn the hard way that they can be too expensive to hold when up against the nuts.

There are certainly many online poker room scenarios when pocket queens are an outstanding power pair but also times in which they can get you into a mess if you don’t cut them loose.

From an early position you cannot play pocket Queens like you do with aces or kings. Slow playing is simply not an option with pocket queens because if an ace or king comes on the flop you have got yourself into serious trouble.

You need to raise from an early position with pocket queens.

This will bring money into the pot, keep limpers from getting in cheaply and give you the appearance of strength. Now if another player answers your raise with a substantial re-raise of his own, you are in trouble.

Reading the poker board is extremely important with pocket queens. They are a hand in which you have to protect with a level of aggressiveness by raising because if you allow a player free or inexpensive draws they will often sneak in through the backdoor with the nut hand.

You simply cannot let a player draw for free in No Limit Texas Holdem poker when holding your pocket queens; you must charge them a steep price.

From a middle position, if you face the scenario of a couple of players having limped in before you, you should sock them with a raise up to four times the amount of the big blind.

Again, you have to make it expensive and unprofitable (as well as intimidating) to hang around.

From a late position if players ahead of you just limped in, your pocket queens become more valuable and all you have to worry about is the blinds behind you. This is a good position to be in and you shouldn’t hesitate to raise with your queens.

If the flop comes with undercards you should try and seal the deal at that moment with a raise, as every potential draw is a threat and weakens the value of your hand.

Board and opponent reading are paramount with pocket queens in Texas Holdem poker, no matter where you sit. It is important to reiterate that pocket queens are a hand to play with strength, but not recklessness.

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