How to play 3 4 off

When an ace hits the flop, players tend to focus on the immediate danger it poses and forget that the ace can play as a low card as well. For example if you see a flop like: Ah 9c 2s you immediately wonder if someone is holding an ace. You don't see a straight draw or a flush draw. If you have an ace yourself you wonder if you kicker is good. If you are lucky enough to have pocket 9's, you are praying someone else has AK and will pay you off. If the turn brings a 5, many players, particularly if they are holding a set or two pair, may not realize that anyone holding 3 4 has just made a straight. They bet pocket aces as if it is the nuts - and if the board doesn't pair on the river you will get ALL of their chips.

The ace-to-five straight, commonly known as "the wheel" is one of the sneakiest hands to hold. people just don't always see it coming, and they are less likely to see it coming when they are excited about their own hand.

Play the wheel draw aggressively - particularly if you have a tight table image. People will not put you on this hand. The element of surprise will be on your side.

I like playing 2 3 and 3 4 and 2 5. If I am first to act, I will often enter with a raise. My tight image has won me several uncontested pots this way - everyone thinks I'm holding a big hand and folds to me. When I do get a caller, I can be pretty sure they have either a "strong" ace (that is an ace with a big kicker) or a pocket pair- the exact hands that can fall victim to the wheel.

If I am in late position, I might also call with 3 4 pre-flop, particularly if their are many players in the hand. The more people that see the flop, the more likely someone will catch a piece of it and, hopefully, pay me off if I get there.

2 3 is an easy hand to fold to flops like K Q 10. I like playing hands that are easy to fold. Remember: in no-limit the plan is to lose small pots and win big ones.