How to Play Pocket Queens in Hold 'Em

by Dougie Goguen | Nov 29 2011

Find out how to get the most out of your pocket queens when you're playing hold 'em poker!

If you've got pocket queens, you're set, right? Kind of. The odds say that it's unlikely that any other player will have KK or AA and be able to beat you directly, but you're going to want to ensure that you seize control and use it as much as possible early on. The two main problems with QQ are spelled out thusly: if you get into a raising war against another player, it's very likely they are holding AA or KK and even if they're not and you go to the flop, you're running against the greater likelihood that another player will be able to make a superior hand.

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With QQ, you want to make sure you get an accurate reading on the other players. For instance, if you raised before the flop and you get re-raised by another opponent, then you need to look at how they played in the hands previous to get an accurate reading on what they're holding. A little math lets you know that there are sixteen ways of someone getting AK preflop and 6 ways of being dealt either pair. If they are a tight player and they're raising, then the odds are 57% AK, 43% for either AA or KK.

Let say, though that you might be playing against a looser opponent. Some people feel like JJ, AQ and TT are all really good reasons to raise before the flop and this is when you have to start looking at table position and your effective stack size. If this particular raiser is to your right and they've seen your play, then you'll want to consider a re-raise, which will kick out additional callers and ensure that you're going to heads-up in position. In a case where you're in this position, you want to avoid callers in order to push out any players that can dilute your hand strength. (For instance, someone holding A9 and for whom an Ace on the flop can make a superior hand.)

The other big factor in how you play pocket queens is the size of your stack. If you've got a deep stack, other players are likely to think that you're bluffing or playing a bit loose. You should be more aggressive in this case, but if you're running a bit low, this can actually work for you. If players see that you're willing to play with 10% of your stack on the line, they might think you have cards that are even stronger than what you've got.

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To play QQ effectively, you're going to want to control the number of players in the flop whenever possible and be willing to walk away if you're facing what you suspect may be a stronger hand. These two moves help you minimize your losses and help grow your chipstack.

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