Calling raises with A7, A6, A5 etc

Often in tourneys people raise pre-flop when I hold A7, A6, A5 etc. and I never know whether to call or not. I realise there many factors to take into account i.e how much was the raise, do I have short stack, how have the other players been playing etc. I just need some general advice.
Thanks in advance
Will

I don't consider any ace a pre-flop raise calling hand. Even if an ace comes on the board you still can't be sure if you're ahead because you have a weak kicker. It is rarely a good time to call bets pre-flop with those hands. Maybe during heads-up play it isn't a bad hand, but at a full table it is most likely a serious dog to just about anything.

BTW, when I say any ace I mean an A with any other small card like 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.

thanks for the advice diabloblanco, much appreciated

If playing heads up, Ax is a big hand.
But calling a raise with only A and a weak kicker isnt a good thing..
Specially in a multiway, heads up, its ok..

I wont even consider it unless it's suited. With few players, in position, and with the right chip stack it's a possibility...

I think that is a very good question upthespurs, and prob many of us have wondered bout the same thing, me included. I hate A and a weak kicker, If there is an ace on the flop, you are in an uncomfortable position. Most times I fold preflop raises but there are times I call, esp. if they are suited and I find myself regretting it most of the time. So maybe this thread will make me feel better if I fold and an ace is on the flop.

I agree with most of the other posters. Unsuited baby aces A2-A7 are to be limped in from late position only and should fold to any raise. Suited A2-A5, I will still only limp into the pot, but I may also call a moderate raise, due to the additional nut flush possibility. As already noted, the primary exception would be from a very short stack where you really have to push with an Ace and hope for the best.

All the advice so far given is sound and I'm not sure I have anything fresh to offer exept maybe this. Whenever you place a bet or call a raise, what your actually doing is making a futures investment. And when you descide to fold a hand, it's not because you've been raised, it's because you've made the determination, based on the table climate, that your hands future winning potential is no longer worth the risk. To make an intelligent assessment of your hands value you must determine what the table climate is. Just as the best place for a weather station is the top of a mountain, the best place to determine table climate is late position. Did everyone fold, call, raise. How many were in before you. These are important variables. The less action before you, the greater potential your hand has, even 72os (this doesn't mean you should play that hand). In early position you no longer have the advantage of holding the high ground and the future value of your hand must be determined by table history and your own health (relative stack size). Ordinarily, a raise from early position represents strength and if your healthy, you should step aside with your A,rag. You got a big sword with a dull blade and you don't want to do battle. If the raise comes from say Grumbledook, who has somehow managed to have the call button removed from his computer, then his raise represents nothing more than a call and should be seen as such. So, your to the right of the button, 'dook is in 1st position, he raises, of coarse, RammerJammer folds, Buckster Folds, now you. Four Dogs is to your left and you know he'll never hang around with with a called raise in front of him unless he's got a very special hand. Honest, he won't. A,7's not looking too bad. You call 'dookies raise, Four Dogs lays down his QJs, SB & BB fold and your heads up against one oponent. A,rag's lookin' good & 'Dookies wondering what you have.
I hope nobody really reads my shit.

Woops! hehe.

Thanks for taking the time to reply guys, your advise is very much appreciated

I'll only play acex if I'm with a table full of callers and players who are shit. I'll play it everyhand with like 2, 3 or 4 people left.

Stay away from A,x.

Against Aggressive players especialy. You call preflop raise than on the Flop they are going to bet. That is how aggressive players play. Unless you pair up both your ace and trash card, you have to lay it down.

The biggest mistake ametuer players is they play to many hands. A,x being the hand they play way to often.

Keep in mind that of the A,x hands...A- 6,7,8 & 9 are the worse of them because there is no straight possibilities and you are going to be out kicked with any A,x most of the time.

Play good solid Mathmatical Poker. Don't try and get cute like pokerface is telling you. It is only going to cost you $$$$. Most preflop raises are legit.

Say you are playing $1/$2 NL
You hold A,5 suited in late position.
Early raiser to the standard 4x BB = $8
You reraise to $16 and get called.
Flop comes A, Q, 9 rainbow.
Checks to you
You try to "Get Them" with a Bet of $12 (Anything smaller will get called because of Pot odds)
You get reraised.
Now what are you going to do.
You have put $24 in to the pot with no Kicker. Your only hope is to catch a 5. Your ace is no good now. So you only have 3 outs and another $12 is needed to call. If you try and reraise you will get called. You also have to survive 2 more betting rounds that I can guarantee will not be cheap. There is aout $80 in the pot now and the turn bet to you is going to be atleast $60. If you call, the river will probably cost a good $150+. Even if you did catch your 5, you have to worry aout A,q...A,9...A, Turn Card or a set of 9s, Qs or Aces. Lots of hands that can beat you.

I wouldnt recommend calling with A and weak kicker at a full table.odds are there is another A out there with a higher kicker than you. the only way it would be in your favor is if you flop a shot at the pinwheel straight. i try to only call raises pre flop with a 9 or above if i do have an A. but then again, everyone plays their own style. good luck!

One more thing, with six or fewer players in the game, not the hand, odds are you've got the only Ace. Your only question is; what does the raiser have? Since people raise with all kinds of hands, isn't it worth the risk?

No it is not worth the Risk. If you get bet at on the flop, you have to lay it down regardless if you pair your ace. The Better probably has a better Kicker.

All of the points made are valid.

Generally, I fold it quicker than Phil Helmuth can say that "You called on that?" but Four Dogs makes a valid point about knowing the players you are playing with - eg, some players only raise on pocket pairs so if one of them raises, call the bet and see the flop.

Also, if the player makes a very weak raise (2 x BB instead of 3,4 or 5x BB) and there are 3x callers I'll take the 4-1 on offer.

Like others have said, short stacked in a tourney where you're a few hands away from being blinded out and heads up are good times to call or re-raise if you have the chips.

Also, when you have leverage over your competitors eg, you have 15000 chips, they have 5000 and they have made a fairly weak raise, you can raise to say 2500, steal the blinds and their raise. Generally, they will only call if they have a pocket pair (then you are about a 50/50 chance) or AK given that their implied odds (future bets) are 100% of their stack so if they lose, they are out.

Generally though (9 times out of ten), this is about the biggest dog of a hand you can get in that situation and one that an awful lot of players lose big pots on.

OK. If someone with a cool name like Vegas Grinder says you should fold the, more than likely, only ace at the table against any raise or raiser, then I guess you should listen to him.

I call A2-A9 weak Aces. If you have A7 the only flop that you really want to see is A77 and then you are still beaten by AA. So 777 or AAA is the only nuts flop and who is going to pay money to stay in that hand?

A suited Ace is SLIGHTLY better but not much (the odds of you making that flush are 20 to 1 and then you have to get someone to bet)

Also if that Ace does flop remember this:

EVERY flop with an Ace in it has either a pair or 2 to a straight at least.

So you could be one card away from showing down a pair of Aces (with a weak kicker) against trips or a straight.


A7? It's about as good as 27.

There's some good stuff in there, aardman. But what do you say we sit down and you take 27 and I'll take A7 and we'll just hold onto those hole cards while we deal out 40 or 50 hands? I think I like my chances.

(P.S.: The odds of making a flush on 7 cards from any two suited hole cards are actually a little better than your post states, at 16-to-1. But it drops all the way down to 1.84-to-1 if you're lucky enough to catch 2 more suits on the flop to 4-flush before the turn. And, lastly, the odds of flopping the flush outright are 119-to-1. We love to throw numbers around here. )

well VegasGrinder is a wicked name lol...........

Right Rj nice one.
When I say that A7 is about as useful as 27 I don't want a heads up hot and cold race for money. What I mean is that you may as well have 27 as A7 if you want to hit 777 on the flop. The 27 and the A7 are the same in that the flop has to hit you well, if I have A7 and the flop comes 247 I still won't want to pay a pot sized bet with my TPTK. If an Ace comes and someone bets then I am sure that I am beat unless I see a couple of 7s as well.


The 20-1. Me bad.
You are right it is 16-1, I was thinking of making 3 to the flush but not 4 or 5 and that doesn't matter if you have the A. (still pretty poor odds)

40% of the Deck is dealt preflop. The odds are good that more than one player has an Ace.

If you pair your Ace and are bet at on the flop. Odds are high that you have major kicker problems especialy since you were raised preflop. You have to put them on a Ace and higher kicker at a minmum. You only have 3 outs because your Aces are no good. With 2 cards to come you have a 12.5% chance of catching your 7 (That is if you are willing to call to the river.) With 1 card to come you have a 6.5% chance of catching.

I dont think A-low kicker is worth calling not to mention raising, Ive seen alot of players raise on that and later go out on the kicker cause someone else has a bigger one. I'll sometimes play it if theyre suited and there are alot of players in the pot and if no one raises to see if I get a flush.

Don't play them after a raise. Even suited you are asking for trouble.

From my experience i have learned that a-7 a-6 a-5 ect are not very good to call unless their suited. Since the person raising prolly have a A with a higher kicker. Your only hope would to flop 2 pair.

I hate having face card plus low card Seems even if i match them I lose to kicker. I been learning to fold a lot more hands these days

Please no more about odds and As!!! This was an interesting thread until then. Now you're gonna get diabloblanco started.

Well, babe, I'll be the first to admit the numbers aren't the sexy part of poker. They're the dry meatloaf in life's steakhouse, but paying attention to them separates the players from the plodders. (and we'll try to keep it down so not to wake diablo... )