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  In Holdem, there is nothing more painful then folding pocket aces. It almost feels like a dentist giving you a root canal using a dessert fork and nothing but root beer for anesthetic. The problem is that these are truly powerful cards, that we hang on to like Linus's blanket when they come our way. The problem is that a lot of people get these cards, swing for the fences with their bets, and find themselves on the wrong end of the pot when it comes to the river. Regardless of how painful, there is a time and a place to fold pocket aces.



  Betting before the flop is always a good idea. You don't want people to hang out in the hand long enough to catch a lucky card at the river and deliver the sort of bad beat that most associate with a street mugging. Sometimes though, you are not beat at the river. There are times when your aces are almost immediately outclassed. You will need to recognize the signs of outclassed aces and deal with them by courageously folding your hand.



  Let's say you have your two aces, and are feeling pretty good about your chances. A few people hang around in the hand to see the flop. The next three cards are a rather benign 2-7-8. Everyone before you checks, and you decide to press your advantage, and bet. The player under the gun unexpectedly employs the check/raise strategy.



  If there was a scare card on the board, you could reason that somebody was trying to bluff you out of your socks, in blissful ignorance of what you are holding. There's no Ace, King, or Queen on the board though, and the check/raise would be a risky move for somebody who is only building toward a straight.



  Chances are the player who is acting aggressively has a pair that matches one of the cards on the board. Three twos still beat your pocket aces, and you are out of luck.



  The smart thing to do in this situation is fold, and blame the game for allowing your Gulliver sized giant hand to be taken down by the tiny Lilliputians.