We hate those moments in poker when our hole cards are neither particularly exciting nor bad enough to force us into an immediate fold. Here’s how to deal.

1. © MapleCasino.ca 2011

2. There is perhaps nothing quite as exhilarating as turning
over your hole cards in a game of Texas hold 'em to find a
neat pair of aces sitting in front of you. That's the single
strongest opening hand you could muster, and while
community poker by definition develops and changes as
the community cards are revealed, a pair of aces is
certainly a good starting block.
But what if you turn your hole cards over, only to discover
a thoroughly mediocre hand, one that neither inspires
you nor compels you to fold immediately?

3. Perhaps you'll find an eight and a jack. The cards are too
far apart to immediately consider forming a straight with
any amount of certainty (though of course you could get
really lucky and find at least three consecutive cards
comprising a 6, 7, 9, or 10) It's also fairly unwise to hope
for a flush unless each card is similarly suited, but even
then you’d proceed only if you’re feeling particularly
optimistic.
So what's a poker player to do?

4. • Firstly, assess how many players are still in the game.
The more players there are, the higher the likelihood
that your hand will be beaten.
• Secondly, consider how high or low the big blind
currently sits at. If the big blind is low enough, it may
be worthwhile to pay in and play on just so you can see
the flop to assess whether there’s any potential in
staying in the round.

5. • It's definitely ill-advised to stay in the game if the flop
gives you no joy. Don't be afraid to simply cut your
losses and fold. If you're determined to stay in the
round, then bet as conservatively as possible in order
to see the turn and the river.
• If the stakes become too high, you should probably just
bow out and wait for the next hand. If, however, your
investment in the pot is very large, then sometimes it's
essential to just keep playing and see how the round
pans out.

6. Once you're out of the hand, you have no opportunity to
win the pot. But even if you're in, even with a weak hand,
you possess at the very least a slim chance of having the
nuts.
The take-home message? Play long enough to see the
flop [if the blinds are not too high] but without getting
sucked in too far so that you’re staking too large a fortune
on an unlikely return.

7. A caveat: some poker players, whether wisely or unwisely,
will often make a call about a mediocre hand based on
their intuition and “gut feel” rather than on statistical
probability and mathematical odds.
You can't be too prescriptive when it comes to gambling,
but you should never ever feel that folding is tantamount
to giving up. Sometimes, it's just the opposite.