A2, A3 and A4

What are your thoughts on these hands?
When i get these i might limp in if no one raises, but if there is a raise, i will fold them.

Do you think this is wise?
Also, how do you guys play them? Ive been gettin em a lot recently, and my peers have criticised me for this move.

I would never play these in an early position, but there is nothing wrong with playing them in the late position if you can limp in. It definitely isn't a strong hand, but A-rag always has a good potential to win if there are no other As dealt down.

I usually don't call a raise with these unless they are suited. If they are not suited, it's either limp/fold.

If you are in late position and there's nobody in the pot yet, then it can be worth playing. They're more valuable when they're suited, because there's the better chance of flopping a nut flush draw. One way of looking at it is that if you're playing heads-up, it's a reasonable starting hand, but in a full ring it's generally going to be dominated.
They're definitely danger hands though - if you are against a number of opponents then you are likely to be in trouble, so generally you should throw them away unless you think you're the only one with an Ace.

i would usaully fold them for sure preflop, escpeially after a raise. i like to play ace-2,3,4,5 suited because of the flush and straight possibilities. I like them more then ace 7, or 8 suited just because of the str8 possiblity. i guess, i often have limped in with ace 4 offsuit in late position, only if everyone else foldes, or even throw in a raise, try to take it down right then.

another thing i just thought of. With a hand like Ace 5 suited. in a tourny, with a meduim stack, not really close to payout yet. how much of your stack can you call a raise with. and when can you call a short stacked all-in with the hand???

Default play: Fold.

Exception 1: If it's folded to me on the button, I may attempt to steal the blinds with them.

Exception 2: If they're suited, I may limp in if I'm in late position and there are many limpers before me and the remaining players aren't that prone to raising.

I hate ace-rag.

I like playing these from the big stack because you can hit you aces and bet big and take the pot to add to your stack, unless there is a big raise from the big stack i would call.

let me put it this way...

A2/A3/A4/A5 that flops an Ace have no kicker. You're counting on no one else having an ace if one is flopped OR you're hoping for a wheel (which will always be an ignorant straight IE 345 flopped can be beaten by 67. 245 is beaten by 36. 235 is beaten by 46 and 234 is beaten by 56.) or flopping two 2s or 3s or 4s or 5s giving you trips with top kicker. There is a little value added by them being suited, but VERY little.

Consensus: Fold these untill you become short handed (5 people or less at the table), or Limp in late position. I generally even fold the suited ones.

Just for the sake of showing it... A6 only has a kicker if the board flops an ace by seeing A2234, A2235 or some variant thereof, and as such, its generaly the lowest kicker you can have, and you're almost certainly going to lose on the strength of your kicker (the best you'll do is split this pot, unless someone has their two pair counterfeited)

I hear alot about A8 being the cut off for calling because there are 6 cards below 8 (2,3,4,5,6,7) and only 5 cards above 8 (9,10,J,Q,K. Not counting Ace of course, since you we're talking about Ax here) Personally, i don't even like seeing A9 and sometimes A/To. I'll fold these in early position and fold to a raise in MP, and limp if there other callers in LP.

2 ways I play Ace-rag.

1) Short-handed, I will play them hard.
2) Suited in late position, I'll limp in hopes of hitting two-pair/flush-draw on the flop.

I play em just like i play small pocket pairs.
Limp in multiway pots in hopes that someone overvalues their ace when hit top pair, and shorthanded i'll raise them to represent something bigger, but obviously play cautious when ppl call.
I also value Ax suited because of it's nut flush possibilities - obviously not a reason to change your mind in playing it (hitting even a draw is rare) but something to keep in mind.
The one thing that's different in how i play them is when i actually hit my ace. I have to be very careful that noone else has an ace, as their kicker is probably bigger than mine.

I only play these hands in certain situations.

1) They are suited, so I have a chance at nut flush.
2) If I am the BB and the pot has not been raised. In this case though, I always fold unless I hit 2 pair on the flop, because if I hit my ace I am still beat.

Just got beaten by A4 lol
I had A7s and raised 3xBB (only 2 other guys in)
A4 guy called and hit a straight on the flop

\

that sucks, but it happens. A7 is only a marginal hand to begin with, but know that donks call with Ax all the time. Just get used to it

Not generally nice to play unless as everyone seems to agree - there are only the blinds left or your trying a little move.

Although i do have a soft spot for A3 as it was calling with this i won my first ever tourney

99 v A3 - flop 2,4,5

Nice

Enjoy and Peace

IanT

Fold or raise as a steal. I never limp with AXo (apart from rare occasions in the SB in unraised pots with good pot odds at a table of donks), it's a horrible play.

I do not play any of these 3 hands with just a couple of exceptions..

1. I'm in the SB or BB and the pot hasn't been raised
2. They have to be suited

I just refuse to play any of these hands in any position other than the SB or BB because if an ace hits how the hell do you know where you are in the hand?.. Great you hit your ace but you're probably outkicked.. Possibly you flop a wheel but then you've got the idiot end of the straight.. Why bother?.. It's just a losing situation overall.. Now if you're suited and the pot isn't raised go ahead and see a flop..If you hit four to a flush you've got the nuts with the ace if it hits on the turn or the river.. If you don't hit your suit you fold cheaply when someone bets.. I'm not saying this is the be all end all, of course there are certain circumstances, i.e. your chip stack relative to the rest of the table, number of players involved in the pot, position of course, etc. But overall if you consistently played ace deuce, ace trey, and ace four it's a loser in the long run..

simple... in early position FOLD
late position call blinds and if suited is up to you to call or not a small raise

this cards are very dangerous, and I've wasted too much money. I usually fold them nowadays

Ace rag you ask??? Depending on my position and if I'm first to bring it in I will almost always fold the hand online. It just doesn't play well against most hands. I mean are you hoping to flop a straight? Well we know how slim the chances of that happening are. So If middle late/ late position raise it, if others in the pot already or in early position fold.

I detest ace-rag hands. At a full or close to full table I don't even consider them much of an option in 90% of the cases.

If an A hits you're generally either going to win a very tiny pot (if no one else has an A) or be outkicked and lose a larger pot. The straights or trips are just not going to come along often enough to make it worth it, in my mind. In the case of them being suited, I think they're pretty overrated but can be worth seeing a flop cheaply for the nut flush possibilities.

Basically I almost never play them at tables of 7 or more.

I'd rather call with them on the button behind limpers than in the SB or BB to a raise.

I mean the way people play poker these days, limpers can have almost any two cards (esp. suited). In EP, no way.

Those times that you hit your flush are rare but, as I said, it's nice to be in against limpers with suited cards because you will often have tiny suited connectors chasing a hand they can't win.

A3 A2 A4 suited cards. I raise with them in early position on full table. In sh table raise everytime.

Why? If you're lucky, you have some equity surplus. If you're unlucky, you're dominated and your worst case scenario is spiking an ace.

What's worse, you have reverse implied odds; if you hit an ace you will only get action from hands that beat you.

Or?

My opinion is better is a low kicker because i hit a small pair or an ace and i can beat ak aq or big monster. And when i flopped nut flsuh.. so thats not bad

Do you use pokertracker? Are A2-A3-A4 winning hands for you over some decently sized sample?

I dont use. I dont want buy. But its seems to be good program

if you don't mind my asking, what are your usernames at the sites you play, sifli?

My nick everywhere is sifli. Why?

I have to say that although this sample size isn't near large enough, I played A-rag 5 times last night from the late position or blinds for the price of the BB. Two times an A came up on the flop, I bet 1/2 the pot and everyone folded. The other three times nothing came to help and I folded to the first bet. I doubled my money invested in those 5 hands I saw the flop. Overall from memory I have been called or re-raised and lost a bit, but no where near as much as I have made playing these hands. Out of curiosity, if there is an A in your hand and one on the board, what are the odds that another A is dealt down????

If you can limp with A-rag then chances are no one else has A-paint since most will probably raise with it and not let limpers in.

I would probably play these hands if they are suited. If a raise comes along I might fold.

These hands are good for a straight, but not a very strong hand if only the A drops on the table. So consider folding depending on the circumstances in the betting...

I ONLY play these hands at full table if it's late in a tourney and the action is folded to me and i am in SB, Dealer or close to dealer. Seen too many players losing their whole stack just because they play ace rag.

I Tthink Doyle Brunson once said: "An ace with a low kicker is like a girl without nipples". And we don't want no girls without nipples do we?
Peace!

suited yes ill play them might even raise for table image. unsuited no niet never. i consider them implied drawing hands only