We Two Kings

  Most players who have any sort of meaningful experience in the game of Holdem will agree that Pocket Aces should be played aggressively before the flop. The rationality behind the aggression is almost self-evident: nobody at the table can hope to get a bigger pair, regardless of what the board gives them, and the person with pocket rockets should be keen to get the drawing hands out of the hand.  So while we all know what to do when two Aces show up in our hand, it seems people are less committed to this same, overt, pre-flop aggression when they have been dealt a pair of Kings.  Players tend not to play their pocket Kings as aggressively for a couple of reasons. First of all they are afraid that somebody holding a single Ace will pair that Ace up on the flop and beat their hand. Secondly, they are wary of the possibility that somebody at the table has pocket Aces.  Neither of these circumstances is a reason to hold back when holding a pair of Kings. If you bet with the appropriate aggression (especially in No Limit games) the person who may be holding a single Ace will probably fold. So your energetic betting will eliminate that particular threat.  Secondly, the odds of getting a pocket pair of any type is 220 to 1. The chances of your pocket Kings being trumped by someone else's Pocket Aces are roughly equal to stepping out of your home and being run over by a clown car. This is not to say it doesn't happen; but the odds are squarely in your favor that the Kings are the highest pair at the table before the flop.  Pocket Kings, like a pair of Aces, is an excellent hand to steal the pot with. Go for the throat when you get these cards.  Good Luck!