How Bad Is Being Dominated in Poker?

Indra55

The term ""dominating"" in poker refers to a situation where one player's hole cards have a higher card rank than another player's hole cards, and one of the cards in both players' hands shares the same rank. In this case, the player with the higher-ranking card effectively ""dominates"" the other player. Being dominated means having a significantly lower chance of winning the hand.

For example, consider the following situation:

Player A: AdKd (Ace of Diamonds and King of Diamonds)
Player B: AsQs (Ace of Spades and Queen of Spades)

If both players go all-in before the flop, Player A dominates Player B. Even if the community cards come up with an Ace, Player B's best chance of winning is drawing one of the remaining three Queens. The odds of this happening are about 30%. In this scenario, Player B is considered to be dominated by Player A.

AK is considered a strong hand in poker because it doesn't get dominated by many other hands. However, AK can dominate other hands like AQ, KQ, and lower-ranking pairs, giving it a significant advantage. While AK has lower winning odds against AA and KK, it still has some chance to win.

The concept of ""trouble hands"" refers to starting hands like KQ, KJ, KT, QJ, and QT. These hands may seem strong to beginners but can be in trouble when facing stronger hands. For example, KQ can be dominated by AK and AQ, which makes it a challenging hand to play. Trouble hands are best played cautiously, and the strategy can vary depending on your position, the number of opponents, and the skill level of your opponents.

When playing these hands in cash games, consider your position, the number of players in the pot, and whether there have been pre-flop raises. In tournaments, your strategy might differ based on various factors, including your chip stack, the blind levels, and your opponents' tendencies.

Ultimately, the key is to be aware of the potential trouble these hands can get you into, especially when playing against strong opponents, and to adjust your strategy accordingly.

Iti9

"I've never heard of the term 'dominated hole cards' before."