Quick facts by PokerStrategy
- Poker Coolers happen when two or more players clash with hands that they cannot be expected to fold.
- Coolers often result in big pots because the correct strategy for both players is to bet and raise for value.
- There’s nothing that can be done to avoid a true Cooler in poker. If you are “coolered” then by definition it means you made the right play.
- Managing your mindset is important so that Coolers don’t put you on Tilt.
What Is a Cooler in Poker?
A Cooler in poker is the situation when two or more players clash with very strong hands, for example, a set vs a higher set or pocket aces against kings. This results in an unavoidable situation that typically involves a significant number of chips being transferred from one player to another.
This will often result in huge pots, either preflop or when the action continues postflop. When the hands go to showdown, the cooler will be revealed – the key factor is that nothing could have been done by the losing player to avoid the loss of chips. The losing player can be said to have been “coolered.”
Coolers are a natural part of poker and demonstrate the chance element inherent in the game, even if you’re playing on some of the softest online poker sites, where the player pool tends to be less experienced.
The Most Classic Cooler in Poker
The most classic example of a cooler in poker is pocket aces versus pocket kings preflop.
- Player A: ♣K-♦K
- Player B: ♥A-♦A
If they are playing correctly, both players should be looking to pile chips in the pot preflop by raising and re-raising. This can and will often result in both players going all-in, especially in a tournament, given the typical stack depths.
Player A is going to be disappointed when Player B flips over their pocket aces. But they could never have known before this moment that their hand is behind.
Player B could have also feasibly had at least pocket queens and A-K, which Player A’s pocket kings would have been way ahead of. It just happens that this time they have run into Aces. They have experienced the ultimate poker Cooler.
Hopefully, this helped you to understand the concept of a Cooler in poker. It applies to any situation in which neither player can correctly fold their hand.
Why Do Coolers Happen?
Coolers are an inevitable part of poker, a statistical truth that comes from the randomness of the cards. If you play enough hands, it’s bound to happen that two or more players are dealt a very strong hand at the same time.
The chances of a cooler happening are much higher than you might think. When you’re dealt pocket kings in a nine-handed game, for example, you’ll run into pocket aces around once every 25 times.
That’s the extreme example, the ultimate poker Cooler. In reality, they can take many different forms. They can be close coinflip situations or devastating beats. They happen often at the poker tables, especially in online poker, where the fast pace means you see many more hands in a short time.
Impact of Coolers
The biggest potential impact of Coolers is the risk that they could put you on tilt. It’s never a nice feeling to finally pick up a strong hand and then get beaten when your opponent has an even stronger one. It can feel unfair and unjust.
Poker Coolers often result in big pots, too, as both players will have every reason to want to bet and raise. This causes large swings and shifts in momentum that can drastically impact your situation in a tournament or cost you a whole heap of chips in a cash game.
Given that true Coolers can’t be avoided, the emphasis when dealing with them is on handling the loss and maintaining a positive mindset.
Poker Cooler Examples
To understand poker Coolers better, let’s look at some examples, including Coolers that happen before the flop, after the flop, and one that is not a poker Cooller.
Example of Preflop Poker Cooler
- Player A: ♣Q-♥Q
- Player B: ♣A-♥K
Both players have around 20 big blind stacks in a tournament. Player A raises from the button. Player B has a huge hand and moves all in from the big blind. Player A snap-calls.
No matter how the board runs out, this is a classic poker Cooler for both players. With their stack size, positions, and hands, they are both looking to go all-in preflop.
Example of Postflop Poker Cooler
- Player A: ♣A-♥K
- Player B: ♠5-♣5
Player A raises from middle position, and Player B calls in the big blind. The flop runs out ♦A-♣K-♦5. Player A has hit the top two pair and has a value hand most of the time. Player B checks to the raiser, and Player A rightly decides to bet.
Player B has hit the jackpot with a set of fives on this board and call. The chips go in the middle on the turn as both players have hands that are way too strong to fold.
In this postflop poker Cooler, Player B made the correct move by flat calling with their small pair from the big blind. Once they hit a set against the top two pair, it was inevitable that Player A would lose chips, as their top two pair is too strong not to bet.
Not a Poker Cooler
Finally, here’s an example of a hand that is not a poker Cooler, so that you can better understand the difference between a Cooler and bad play:
- Player A: ♣A-♠A
- Player B: ♣Q-♠T
Following a middle position open-raise and call, Player A has decided to make a large three-bet with aces from late position. Player B calls in the small blind for a quarter of their stack.
The flop comes ♥Q-♠7-♣3, and after the betting and raising, both players are all-in. Player A holds on the turn and river to win the pot with their pocket aces.
In this example, Player B should not have called the three-bet in the first place out of position with such a weak hand. They could also have found a way to fold with their top pair-weak kicker once the action got too hot on the flop.
Whenever a pot is lost due to a player’s mistakes, this is not a poker Cooler.
Cooler Strategy
There is no poker strategy for combating Coolers. By definition, if you are experiencing a Cooler, it is because you have made the right play. You have simply run a very strong hand into an even stronger one, and there’s nothing you can do about that.
The correct poker Cooler strategy is actually not to play scared. If you start to slow down with your premium hands, “just in case” someone has you beat, you’ll start to lose a lot of value in situations where you should be betting.
If you run your pocket kings into aces, or you have to flip with A-K against a pair, then so be it. Sometimes you’ll be on the wrong side of it, other times the right side of it. As long as you are making the correct play, then you shouldn’t worry too much about Coolers.
Of course, that can be easier said than done…
How to Handle Coolers
Here are some tips for handling the emotional and psychological impact that Coolers can have on your poker game:
- Recognize that Coolers are Inevitable: Coolers are a part of poker. Statistically speaking, they are bound to happen from time to time. You’ll be on both the wrong and right side of Coolers if you play enough poker hands.
- Keep Calm: By understanding what a Cooler is and gaining enough experience to have seen it all before, you’ll learn to stay calm when they happen. If you feel like you’re on Tilt, take a break or develop strategies to manage your emotions.
- Bankroll Management: Bankroll management is one of the most important ways to deal with losing pots in poker. If you are playing with money you can afford to lose, at stakes that your bankroll allows, then the impact of each Cooler will immediately be lessened. By playing responsibly, you won’t have too much riding on the outcome of one hand or game.
Can You Avoid Coolers in Poker?
If a hand is truly a Cooler in poker, then it cannot be avoided. It might seem like a contradiction, but you should also avoid trying to avoid coolers. Doing so could end up costing you more chips in the long run when you miss value with strong hands.
Sometimes, though, a hand that initially seems like a Cooler turns out not to be. You may have a very strong hand, such as two pair, for example, but the board offers potential for straights and flushes.
Unless the stacks are hundreds of big blinds deep, you should never be folding pocket kings preflop. But you have to be careful not to start thinking that you have to go with every strong hand.
Hand strength is always relative to your opponent’s hand range, the board texture, and what the action so far is telling you. It’s important to exercise pot control by checking and calling when you could be behind, and to be prepared to fold when you are likely beaten.
Your aim is to make sure the “Coolers” you experience in poker are truly unavoidable and not just a result of bad play.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to get coolered in poker?
To get “coolered” in poker is to lose in a hand in an unavoidable situation, one in which neither player can be expected to fold. It happens when you have a very strong hand that loses to an even stronger one.
Why is a cooler called a cooler in poker?
A cooler refers to the moment that one of the players who holds a big hand gets cooled down as the other players reveal their own.