A pair of Aces in No Limit Texas Holdem is the best possible starting hand. Before the flop you are 80% favorite against the individual holdings of your opponents.

So why do so many new players get into trouble playing Ace / Ace? This article looks at three important factors in playing any poker hand and highlights ways of thinking about the situation to avoid going broke with that pair of aces.

While there is a place in poker for big bluffs when you hold no hand at all, most expert poker players make sure that their bluffing has a little insurance. The 'Semi-bluff' is a big bet with the worst hand - just like a pure bluff. However, when you semi-bluff you make sure you have 'outs', that is to say cards that can come to give you the best hand.

The most common hand used to semi-bluff in no limit Hold'em poker is a draw to a flush or s straight. The central idea is that your big bet with 4-flush cards will make your opponents fold a good proportion of the time. Those times that your bet is called then you have the possibility to make your flush on the turn and river.