Slowplaying AA
Nov 14, 2008 7:40 pm
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Limping in UTG with AA has become one of the most common mistakes I see in the game today. The thinking behind this play is that with the best possible hand the player wants to ensure they get action. Seems like a good idea on the surface.
Heres how I see the hand play out from there. If a player raises behind them they then re-raise, this play sends up a red flag to any experienced player. One of the only times I've folded KK to AA preflop was to this move. I said "it sucks to pick up this hand against aces" and mucked it face up, then the guy showed his aces. The player with aces then wins a small pot . If no one raises behind them, which is often the case because as we all know limping is contagious, then they have to go to the flop out of position against unknown, likely drawing hands. Aces are pretty preflop but by the river you will rarely improve.
So the first mistake is that you will give good opponents insight into your holdings. Poker is a game of incomplete information. If you give information to your opponents, you have lost. The second mistake is that whichever way the hand plays out( if someone raises and you can spring your "trap", or you receive too much action from unknown hands) its the opposite of what you want. You want to play a big pot against one or two other big hands. You do not want to play a pot with several drawing hands that are more likely to make a hand that beats top pair often at the expense of your stack.
So remember, disguise and vary your play. But don't set a trap that you could catch either nothing with, or yourself in.
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29 comments
As for knowing that the other guy had aces, You are just a good player : ) i dont seem to run into alot of them cause i play micro limits
Good stuff i agree with you totally
i know this is gonna sound ridiculous i should know this, but what is "UTG" everyone is sayin what does it stand for?
It really depends on the situation for me.
When you get those lovely Aces, you just have to bet them ! UTG especially ! You really only want to play them against 1 or 2 opponents at best, if you let a lot of people into the hand cheap, you are asking to be outdrawn ! Bet them just like every other hand, no more, and no less, that way nobody will recognize the strength of your hand.
....play on ...Tc....
I never say "never" when discussing ***** for a boatload of reasons.
It DEPENDS...
I think slowplaying AA in holdem is a situational play that is best left to advanced or experienced players who understand the subtleties of the game and ACCEPT that it is a calculated risk and they will get burned from time to time.
For me, it comes down to how much gamble you have in you? Are you willing to take the chance of creating multi-way action and getting crafty post flop? You can always get out of the hand after a bad flop with a strong bet or raise in front of you.
I will slowplay AA if I feel the table is right, my position is good, and I have good reads on my likely opponents in that PARTICULAR SITUATION.
I have a great success to fail ratio when slowplaying ANY hands from any position, especially in EP. Of course I've been burned a few times, but I knew going in, it was a risky play. And I took the risk and deal with the results.
Most of the time it is a risk vs reward thing for me and it depends on the countless scenarios that can occur in any tournament or ring game.
I see alot of beginners say they will "NEVER" do something again after they bust out of a tourney because of it. IMO, you play the game the way you want to play the game...
I really hate to play AA, one of the hardest hand to play? hehe, just push allin and you dont be sad, maybe...
About the only time I limp with aces is if there's a player to my left somewhere who's been betting maniacally on every hand, seemingly to steal early bets and blinds. In that case, I'd rather his money go into the pot before mine, with no warning that this time he's probably throwing it away.
Otherwise, as others before me said, I always raise them from early position, because I want all my competition to come from players with lesser pairs or other aces that I will dominate. In late position, I might smooth call if only one player has called before me, because then the risk of losing to a straight or flush is worth the potential gain from deceiving that player about my strength if he doesn't connect but thinks I'm weak and bluffable.
I really hate to play AA, one of the hardest hand to play? hehe, just push allin and you dont be sad, maybe...
Well, now, not to be too hard on you, but that's a losing attitude. There is no preflop hand in hold'em that's a guaranteed winner, thus there is no "easy" hand to play. AA has the most favorable odds, but as all the bad-beat stories on Railbirds tell us, it's no sure thing. I'd definitely rather have AA than JJ or TT, where any of several higher cards on the board can torpedo you in short order, especially against a good bluffer. Sure, a board card that gives an opponent a small set against your AA is also a tragedy, but let's go back to the percentages.
I laugh every time I'm at a table where somebody shoves their stack, everyone else folds, and they flash AA. What, they're proud of that?