Which one's better in SH? A3! KJ! A3! KJ! Tastes great! Less filling!

[durrrr]

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Against weak players KJ can hit K-better-kicker and J-better-kicker and get lots of value. Even weak players may occasionally have a 3 kicker beaten. When you're deepstacked vs decent players, A3 is better because you can hit top trips and wheel (although KJ can hit Broadway, which is often great action). A3 can hit nut one-card-flush too. More strong hands than KJ.

I'm awesome. I just saw the labels on the forums. Looks pretty cool.

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I still take KJ by a mile after this explanation...

openminded,
durrrr

[edge]

Yeah, I take KJ even against decent players up to 200 BB stacks. I don't really play deeper than that. Just tossing out some reasons why others may prefer A3.

[Rococo]

KJ by a wide margin in my view. Semi-bluff opportunites are much better. Two chances to make top pair and win a small/medium pot from a middle pair like 99. If the game were SUPER aggressive, the pendulum might swing to A3, but I doubt it.

[turnipmonster]

I like KJ but disagree w/the domination argument against A3.

[mgsimpleton]

i have nothing really new to add. just wanted to throw in a very very strong vote for KJ, and to highlight Jeff's limit point about the A being a bluff out, which i think does apply to no limit holdem.

This also helps in situations where people think they potentially have fewer outs on a draw and will play more p assively out of position if there is a draw on board. For instance, if they hold J [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 9 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] and the flop brings A [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] 6 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] 2 [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] in my experience the J9s is less likely to check/raise their draw or play it very aggressively than if they also had an overcard to the J. since KJ on this board is still very much ahead but cannot take any heat, it can only win when the draw plays more passively due to the A.

change that situation to a J high board with A3, and all of a sudden Q9s (let's not give him top pair) goes nuts, having an overcard AND a flush draw, and KJ gets a ton of action going as a pretty decent favorite.

this o nly is compounded to the kicker argument, which is very important because people do love playing hands like KTs, QJ, J9s, JT, especially HU when there is less of a dange rin general of being outkicked.