Do you ever fold this hand in cash game? -

Do you ever fold this hand in cash game?

Here's a question posted by Gordy7 in the poker forum:

CAN YOU FOLD KK??? TO RE RAISE....In a cash game...Knowing you can just pull up again?

Answer please....cuz i had a long debate about it ....and in my 4 years of Poker ...i dont think i have ever folded KK preflop...Im either all in....or i fold if an ace hits flop!

Cheers, Gordy7

Our expert assessment

Hi Gordy7,

That's a real interesting issue you are raising. To fold or not to fold to a re-raise pre-flop with KK is a controversial question. But I have to agree with you that it should rarely (if ever) be done in cash games. Tournaments are a different story where you risk getting knocked out in an all-in situation.

Cash games are often regarded as a purer form of poker than tournaments. If you play at a comfortable level you can always reach in your pocket for more money (as you pointed out). This means that your only concern should be your expected value (EV) when you play your kings pre-flop.

The range of hands that most players re-raise with pre-flop with in no-limit holdem is usually pretty wide. I would usually argue for a push rather than a fold when someone re-raises your cowboys pre-flop, you are rarely up against AA in this situation. Off course it will happen occasionally, but so be it. To get KK pre-flop in holdem can be compared to flopping a set. Dan Harrington ha said that he often hear people brag about folding sets on the flop and usually think to himself that they are idiots, because you should hardly ever fold sets on the flop and the same goes for pocket kings pre-flop.

So keep hanging on to your kings!
Hank, Team Poker Junkie

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