Tip #11 - Don't play weak aces from early position

Hands like A-7, A-6, A-5, or A-4 (especially when unsuited) are very dangerous to play from early position. While having an ace in your hand is always nice, these hands can get you into a lot of trouble, particularly when played out of position.

Here are the main problems with playing weak aces from early position:

• You're often dominated by better aces (A-K, A-Q, A-J, A-T)
• When you hit your ace, you can't be confident about your kicker
• Players behind you who also have an ace are likely to have a better kicker
• Without position, it's hard to control the size of the pot
• You'll often face difficult decisions on later streets

For example, suppose you play A-6 from early position and the flop comes A-T-4. You've hit your ace, but now what? If you bet and get raised, you're probably behind. If you check and face a bet, you don't know where you stand. These situations often result in either losing a big pot when you're behind or winning a small pot when you're ahead.

The exception to this rule is small suited aces (A-5 suited, A-4 suited, A-3 suited, A-2 suited) which can be played from late position or in certain other specific situations. These hands have additional value because:

• They can make the nut flush
• They can make a wheel straight (A-2-3-4-5)
• They play better in multiway pots due to their straight and flush potential
• They're less likely to be dominated when they do make a pair

When playing from early position, stick to premium hands like big pairs and strong aces (AK, AQ). Save the weaker aces for late position where you can better control the pot size and make more informed decisions based on your opponents' actions.