Aces plus a small card

Can someone give me some advice on how to play these.

Imagine the scenario. The blinds are 25/50 and I am in early position.

My hole cards are A-2

I limp in to get a look at the flop and it comes in with an A and two middle cards, say a 7 and an 8.

What is the best way to go from here. Do I check and risk my opponents getting a free card and thus potentially helping them to two pair, or do I check and wait and see what everyone else does. If they raise then naturally I have the option to fold but a pair of Aces is too good a hand surely to just throw away.

If I however bet maybe 100 to try and deter people from improving their own hand am I not maybe just fuelling the pot for someone who has an A but a higher kicker.

I seem to get this situation wrong many times. I've tried pricing people out and get stumped by someone with a higher kicker, and I've just blown a nice hole in my stack for my troubles, or adversley I check only to be hit with an all in call which when I call it turns out to be two pair or a flush because I let them see the turn and river.

Any advice ? and if possible explanations as to why you would do what you would do.

Thanks

Simple, just dont.

I asked a similar question when I first found this site. The best advice I got was this:

DO NOT PLAY ACE RAG!!!!!!!!!!!

Unless you are trying to steal from the button or your in the blinds. But even then don't get married to them. My game has improved tremendously from this advice alone.

fold preflop.

Thanks fowks. I think I've been playing too much emphasis on the fact that I have top pair and therefore somehow become invincible and immune to being beaten.

I shall try being far more cautious with them and try imagine scenarios that other players may be in and hence why they may not be too bothered that I have a top pair.

Its getting out of the mindset that Aces are infallible.

Ace rag is playable but only in very specific situations. In early or middle position with a healthy stack, almost always fold ace rag. Btw, I think of ace rag as ace 7 - ace 2. You might think of ace 8 as ace rag but it's in the top 50% of all aces, and it's in the top 20% of all hands, so I often play this hand from MP. If it's folded to you on the button you can raise with ace rag. Also if there are a few limpers in front of you, at least two, then limping with suited ace rag can be good, but try to check it down if you flop an ace since it's so likely someone else limped with a stronger ace. You want to flop a flush draw or two pair.

I agree fold A rag in early position.. its ok late in cut-off or button to raise with this just if it gets down to 2-4 players because unless someone has a monster ace or pair, your ahead. but on a big table and early in position always fold.. i usually fold A8 and lower.. raise A9 and higher

It's basically all been said above: A2 is a hand you can cheerfully fold from early position.

The reason is it's too easily dominated. People like to play hands with aces in them, so even though your A2 may connect with a flop like A78, chances are you're a long way behind anyone else with an ace in their hand.

If someone else has limped in with AT, for example, you're drawing to three outs: if you don't hit a two, you're toast.

FWIW, some players think their ace-rag is playable in early position if it's suited, because they've got a chance to flop the nut flush. Don't fall into this trap - you won't flop a flush anywhere near often enough to make the play profitable. Having the hand suited only increases its worth by a very small amount.

The following links will help you when it comes to playing A-rag
A2, A3 and A4
Ace rag suited...
http://www.cardschat.com/f11/how-str...ace-rag-96431/

There are more but these one have 24 or more posts each to give you more of a general idea of how to play A-rag, hope you enjoy the read

Yea i see where you are going with this, basically my advice would be to to stay away from A rag early position, if you are like on the button and you have A rag its reasonable to raise if you have a tight image to pick up some blinds. On the other hand at low blinds i would try to see flops with A rag suited, but I really dont try to get fancy with top pair and a lot of times even though i hit my A with A x suited i will most likely fold. I really don't think you are at that level where you are that good at reading your opponent and can out play them with A2. Also calling all in on just top pair is not a very smart decision at 25/50 blinds. Anyways gl to ya and hope you get better

Weak aces are fine to play, but the trick is how to play them. If you're going to be playing weak aces, you really need to realize how often you're going to be out-kicked if you play it for top pair. NEVER call a raise with A9 or lower, especially out of position. AT is also a fairly weak hand.

My advice for hands like A2s are to play them for their ability to flop a combo draw (pair + flush, straight & flush, ect.). You *can* play them for their pair value, but you really must be careful about it.

We have different opinions but I think this is one of those it depends questions, this is all about your opponent who you are up against, I persoanlly think in a 3 or 4 way pot A10 or lower is garbage and your A even might be up against a set. You have to know your opponent. This is why many pros tell you to try to raise pre in order get in a hand heads up and make the other player sweat not you. Poker is very hard to explain, there is no perfect poker, if we all played the same, then whats the point of playing right?

I would never play A2 let alone AT from early postion so I would tend to Check/Fold this hand from your position if I went nuts and some how saw a flop withA2 becuase if someone bets this they have A/higher kicker or a set of aces or two pair so I'd have to check fold that hand.

Even from the blind I dont like A2, unless it is suited or cheap to see the flop. Then if there is no flush (draw), I fold unless I pair both, or unless it is real cheap. I am really tight when there is a full table, of course different when HU or just a few players.

At this point I don't think anyone has really addressed the question - What is the best way to go from here? Most responses have said fold pre-flop, but we are past that as the flop has hit A87. I really don't mind the pre-flop fold advice, but at a weak/passive table I also don't have a problem with the limp.

My opinion/answer, you either check/fold to a bet because you didn't hit a monster flop or you have to put out a small bet (more than 100 with blinds of 20/50) to see where you are in the hand. Maybe a half pot, 2/3rd pot bet dependent on the read you have on your opponents (any calling stations forget the bet). Of the two options I prefer the bet, because if the only reason you limped with A2 is in case you hit a monster flop, then you should have never been in the hand to begin with. By taking the initiative if no opponents hold an A you have a good chance to take down the pot. They don't know you hold A2 and showing strength from early position means they had to have hit a good piece of the flop to call/play back at you.

If you get raised, fold and if you get called you better hope to improve. I would not fire another bet on the turn. Your half pot bet either took down the pot or got you the information you needed.

JCW's got it dead on. That's why they call it Ace, RAG.

Rags are great for washing cars and playing Razz - only.

post flop i believe you must bet into this... maybe half pot but just not minimum bet. calling out of position pre flop shows you have a strong hand and they might put you on A10 AJ AQ or something along those lines... but chances are they will flop unless they have an A, set, or maybe middle pair with top kicker. just be careful! dont lose to many chips!

The only time I play A2/3/4/5 is when I am either small or big blind., and only if nobody raises preflop.

Then after that, it depends on the cards on the table and how bets are made.