Danger Hands in Poker – Why They Are Risky And How To Play Them!

Speak to any poker player and they will likely be able to tell you of their own personal ‘danger’ hands when playing the game. These hands can be similar across many poker players, but some poker players may have their own particular nemesis when it comes to danger hands.

For example, I have a poker friend who constantly complains about losing when holding pocket aces, so much so that he prefers landing a pair of kings or queens instead. For him, those two aces don’t represent the strongest possible hand pre-flop, but more an accident waiting to happen.

Now outside of these curious foibles, there are some universally recognised hands that should flash a red ‘danger’ warning when you are dealt them in a game.

However, the real reason that these hands are viewed as dangerous, is not so much that they are more inclined to lose you money, but more that a player doesn’t really know how to approach playing a danger hand when they occur in the game.

So if you have been playing at the bet365 Poker tables, or in your home game, and have been having a worrying lack of success with a hand that, on the face of it, looks pretty strong, then it may well be the case that you are playing danger hands not to the optimum.

So let’s begin with a look at what actually makes a danger hand in Texas Hold’em.

What Is A Danger Hand?

A danger hand in poker is one that appears, on the face of it, to put the hero in a strong position, but which as the hand develops with the flop, turn and river, could lead to the hero losing a lot of chips if they don’t recognise that their hand is no longer the strongest at the table.

The truth is, any hand in poker could be a danger hand if you are not able to play the hand optimally, but there are some hands that are more recognised as danger hands than others you will come across in the game.

Of course, the more range you play, the more you put yourself at risk of danger hands. Play tight and aggressive and you avoid the pitfalls of playing too many danger hands (but even then, you are still not immune).

Can You Show Me Some Examples of Danger Hands in Poker?

As we mentioned above, any hand has the potential to be a danger hand in poker but some of the most commonly recognised hands that are viewed as danger hands are as follows:

• Ace-King – Unsuited
• Ace-Queen – Unsuited
• Ace-King – Suited
• Ace-Queen – Suited
• Pair of Jacks
• Middle Pairs (7-7 to 10-10)
• Ace-Jack – Suited
• Ace-Jack – Unsuited
• Suited Connectors
• King/Queen – Jack – Suited
• King/Queen – Jack – Unsuited
• Low Pairs (2-2 to 6-6)
• Ace – Rag

However, the three strongest pre-flop hands in Poker, namely A-A, K-K or Q-Q can also be danger hands if the player doesn’t play the hand the right way, or fails to recognise that their strong position pre-flop, has been beaten by one or more opponents post-flop.

So what makes these seemingly strong hands a danger to players? Let’s take a closer look and find out.

Why Are These Hands Dangerous In Poker?

There are a number of reasons why the hands I’ve listed above can be danger hands in poker and these main reasons are summarised below:

• Top Non-Pair Hands (A-K, A-Q, K-Q, A-J)

In these cases, when you hold these cards pre-flop, the chances you are ahead in the hand depend on how other players have bet, and how many of them have remained in the hand to see the flop at least.

Should an opponent limp into the hand, say if they have called when paying the small blind, and other players have folded, or just flat called, then there is a solid chance they may have weak hands.

But if players have been raising and re-raising, then it is likely that they will hold at least a solid pair, which at present has you beaten.

Of course, you should not always lay down a good non-pair hand in the face of an aggressive player, but your play post-flop then becomes key in assessing where you stand.

If you hit top pair, or a stronger hand, then that’s great news. You’ve improved your position and depending on how the others in the hand play, you can play with more aggression and from a stronger position.

But if you miss on the flop then you are likely to be beaten by other players. Sure, you can limp in with small calls if you wish, but if some serious money starts going into the pot, then you need to consider whether your non-pair hand is strong.

The obvious thing to watch for here, is if you have suited cards, then the flush draw is always an option on the flop and turn and that could well be something to factor in to your decision making.

• Middle & Low Pairs (10-10 to 2-2)

Obviously, the lower ranked your pair of cards are, the more danger you could find yourself in if you don’t play the hand well enough. A middle or low pair can make players believe that they are in a stronger position than they actually are, especially pre-flop.

Remember, if you are holding a mid to low pair and several players call to see the flop, then the likelihood is they will be holding higher value cards, or a similar mid-pair, in the hope of hitting a higher value pair, or even trips.

In fact, you should always be looking to land trips, or ideally quads, when playing lower value pairs, as if you don’t improve your hand, then you are likely to be easily beaten by one of the other players at the table.

• Ace-Rag and Suited Connectors

An ace with a low value kicker is a deceptive hand. While landing a top pair on the flop will improve your position, the likelihood is that your low value kicker could be the reason why even if you land top pair, you could lose the hand to another player that has a better kicker.

This is even the case if you land trips on the flop, turn or river, as an opponent could be sitting with the other ace and a better kicker.

A full house is a safer option, while if you have the two cards of the same suit, then a flush draw could be your saviour in these situations.

Just remember a pair of aces, or hitting a lower pair with an ace kicker, is not as strong a position as you would think.

The same is true of suited connectors, which are probably even more dangerous to players who overuse them in hands. It is easy to feel suited connectors put you in a strong position, but that is only the case if you manage to hit your straight, flush or ideally a straight flush and that is a rarity.

Position is key to playing suited connectors and being able to act after everyone else has played, makes it easier to judge how effective this hand will be and the kind of hands you may well be up against if you decide to stay in the hand post-flop.

How Can I Play A Danger Hand More Successfully?

One of these hands always puts me in danger when I play tournament poker! 🙄

— PokerStars India (@PokerStarsIN) July 30, 2019

Here are some broad tips to help you play Danger Hands more successfully. Remember though, these are only general tips and there is no guarantee that they are the right option in every situation.

• Get better at recognising danger hands when you land one.
• As a general rule of thumb, with higher value danger hands, you want to raise pre-flop when you are in the strongest position and try and cut the number of players down you need to beat post-flop.
• With lower value danger hands, you want to try and limp into as many pots as is feasible to try and hit the value when the five community cards are shown.
• Remember, even with a pair, you are always trying to improve your hand. If you have a solid to middle pair (say J-J to 7-7) and the flop comes and you don’t improve, there’s a solid chance you could be well behind in the hand.
• Always try to play suited connectors when you are in position at the table as they are much more difficult to play when out of position.
• Recognise that the actions of other players can inform you as to how strong or not your danger hand is at any position in the round.
• Lastly, don’t play too many of them once the chips start going into the pot. It’s tempting if you have raised once to get players to fold, only to see several raises forthcoming, to think that you could land a big win here if you land the cards you need. However, in this situation, one or more opponents is likely to have you beat.

Remember too, that A-A is only the top hand pre-flop. Don’t get too attached to it as there are so many examples of pocket aces being cracked. Understanding your opponents and what their bet means is the best way to avoid Danger Hand disaster.