A - Z of Poker: Day 24

From London to Vegas in 26 Letters

Day 24: X is for ...

X is for x. As in "I put him on A-x", or "raise to get rid of players limping with A-x or K-x".

x is the generic "unknown" of course and oftentimes we are involved in a "battle of the x's". How big is your kicker ? x marks the spot and the more spots the better, of course, where our side card is concerned.

I often find that in post-mortem, x gets an upgrade. If we held A7 and were out-x'd by AK or AQ then our 7 may suddenly become and 8 or a 9, perhaps a ten so that our play sounds a little better in the glare of public discussion. Where's the harm in a little license ?

For tournament success, we probably need to have a little of the x-factor going for us. Win a few of those AK vs Ax races (in both directions) and all will be well. If not, we soon have an "X" next to our name.


X is for XX. As someone who likes to play random cards at the slightest excuse, I especially enjoy those situations where it is actually correct to play any holding. Best of all are the tournament scenarios where it becomes optimal to open-shove with ATC (any two cards). Those positions are often fairly clear-cut. The main consideration is the stack sizes, the lateness of our position in the betting round and, vitally, the action being folded to us.

Braver still are the re-raises with any two cards. These are the real high-octane plays. It's hard to spot these opportunities and harder still to pull the trigger with 92o. But the thrill of success is hard to beat. If you're caught out, then seeing your 9 high beat Aces is of course something of a guilty pleasure all of it's own.