Can you play Kxs like a small pair?

[ChuckyB]

This is...play it for cheap and if you don't nail it on the flop (two pair, flush, 4-flush)...dump it? Or, from your experience, is it just too unprofitable?

[Pepsquad]

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This is...play it for cheap and if you don't nail it on the flop (two pair, flush, 4-flush)...dump it? Or, from your experience, is it just too unprofitable?

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No. For the most part, this hand is crap and should be mucked. Obviously, there are situations where you can play it profitably, but those situations generally do NOT include limping with it and trying to hit a huge flop.
It's in the upper-echelon of "any-two". Treat it that way.

Pep.

[AaronBrown]

I agree with pepsquad, but I would say it differently. Both small pairs and suited Kx are medium hands. Since you don't play 50% of your hands (I hope), you normally fold them unless this is one of those rare situations in which you want to play a weak hand.

However, it's important to mix up your play, so occasionally playing a small pair and hoping for a match on the board can be good poker. If you do it right, and seldom enough, you can make enough money when you hit to pay for all the lost bets when you fold. You give your opponents something to think about, both because you occasionally win with a hand from nowhere, and because you see more flops and fold.

What makes this play work is there are two cards that could appear on the flop and give you a very strong hand, and they're cards that probably won't help your opponents. You'll only get one of these cards one time in 8.5 (and both of them only one time in 408), but if you do you are in a good position to win a large pot.

Suited Kx has lots of cards that can help it, three K's, three x's, 11 suited cards; but you need them in combination to make a really good hand. That means you're likely to get some encouragement from the flop, but not a really good hand. That means you'll either fold away opportunities (in which case you should save your preflop bet) or pay extra to see more cards (in which case you should wait for a strong hand to do this).

When you get them in combination, other people notice. You have a pretty standard hand, so you won't make as much money when you make your hand. The exceptions are when you get a pair of x's on the board, or K and all small cards including x. But these require seeing the entire board to evaluate and they don't happen often enough to bet on.

[cdy]

Flopping two pair kings and twos or a flush draw are both much, much weaker than connecting with a set.

[vexvelour]

Hmm, interesting question.

I play this if I'm in a loose mood. I choose my times to play this, and usually just make it 2 or 3 bets to go. That alone will get a few players out which gives you a better chance. Most of the time I win with this hand, but its very important to know when to fold it! If you have no business in the pot, get the hell out.

[wildwood]

This hand is easy to play if you flop a 4 flush, two pair, or anything better. A much more common situation with Kx suited is when you flop a king no kicker. Now you're in great danger of making the second best hand; the most expensive hand in poker. That why I like to play this hand with position because I want to see the action in front of me before I commit $ to the pot. fwiw

[Kevin K.]

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I choose my times to play this, and usually just make it 2 or 3 bets to go. That alone will get a few players out which gives you a better chance.

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This is horrible advice. You raise with Kxs? Why do you want to push players out preflop with this hand?

[vexvelour]

why wouldn't you?

[DemonDeac]

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why wouldn't you?

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cuz its stupid
unless u flop a monster, u really have no idea where you are in a hand. two pair can get counterfeited easily, ur single pairs suck, etc. etc.

[Kevin K.]

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why wouldn't you?

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I wouldn't want to drive people out of the pot because Kxs plays better multiway. You do not want to go 2 or 3 handed with it.

Why would you ever 3-bet with Kxs???