Having trouble late with AA

Ok, some of you probably saw the thread where I went out 22nd of 4730 in a tourney for a WSOP seat. I was in 2nd place got dealt AA, the blinds were big and I was in late position and some people limped in already so there was maybe 80K in the pot. (I had a little over 300K) I wanted to take the pot right there so I raised about half my stack. I got one caller. Flop comes low card,10,low card, rainbow. I figure all Im afraid of is 10,10 and he probably doesnt have it. I go all in. He calls with K,10o. Turn is a blank and I get rivered by a 10, crippled me and I went out shortly after.

Ok, now for today. I entered my 1st $10 rebuy today. 127 people enter and its pandamonium for the 1st hour. Every time I get a good hand I can count on my buddy right after me to make a big raise So, I end up making it through the 1st hour and dont rebuy or add on, because that was the plan I made before I entered. So anyways, Its down to 17 people left, (pays to 20th) and im in 10th place. I get dealt the oh so famous AA. Again, I dont want to mess around because 1st is $900 and I dont want any callers. (I dont trust this hand) I raise half my stack, get 1 caller. Flop came Q,J,8 rainbow. I didnt like the flop, but this guy was playing pretty loose. I went all in, and he showed his 88. No help for me.I am out winning $30 and some change.

So my question is this. I know AA is not invincible, and it doesnt win every time. I am curious if you guys think I am overplaying it, or if I keep playing like I am it will eventually pay off. Keep in mind the blinds are big and there is a lot of A3o and K9s making big bets and calls late in these tourneys.

I myself don't see anything wrong with your play. Seems like you just ran into some bad luck. It's nice to know that someone besides myself has these types of situations happen to them. I too am a bit leary with AA, because more often than not I get called by some goob w/ K 10 or QJ only to be outdrawn. I am wondering what the best preflop strategy with AA would be?

I know it is exhausting to watch AA get run over, when you isolate, jam the pot and then get drawn out on.

But, thats what happens to good players. See a good players lot in life is to suffer bad beats over and over again. The reason being is good players get their money in the middle with the best hand. The only way to lose is to get sucked out on. However, you only rarely get to suck out on someone else because you have rarely dont have the best of it when it all goes in.

So, you NEVER get revenge. When you win its because it is what is supposed to happen.

One thing though. Are you pushing your other edges to full value. See missing even one bet here or there is enough to be unable to maintain appropriate variance when your AA get runover.

Bill

I'm sure there is a bet here or there I could be picking up Bill. I just have to find it. Maybe I could improve my blind defending. I have been playing good cards, and I pretty much seem to know where Im at before the cards are turned over. When I get a big stack I use it to my advantage. The semi-bluff has been working like a charm. I think good things are to come. It just gets a little irritating when I think im doing everything right and come up a little short when it counts. Especially when its another big stack calling you and outdrawing you with worse cards when there are plenty of small stacks to work on 1st.

things to remember AA is the Nut "starting hand", so if you are going to play it you have been doing proper and raising it like you have. But, although it is the best starting hand, it is not that great of a drawing hand. If im going up against Aces i would rather have something along the lines of AK suited, QK sutied (almost any suited connector 9/10 and above), or possibly a smaller pokcet pair(only because they seem to hit half the time for me personally lol). My reasoning is they are drawing to an A or broadway and they need 4 more cards for that. but, with suited connectors or just connecting cards you have a better drawing hand and your odds of improving on the flop are better than the Aces (although they have better odds of winning the pot).

So although aces have been giving you fits dont let it frustrate you, in the long run you will win with them (although not everytime lol).


g/l

Trentonlf I respectfully disagree.

1.) A,K suited vs. Aces, you will draw out about 12% o the time, thats about as bad as it gets.

2.) A smaller pocket pair is gonna draw out 20%, but the closer that pair gets to AA, the worse it gets, for example KK is worse than 77, because you lose straight possibilities with the kk.

3.) Hand most likely to bust AA are full reach suitd connectors. J,10s not of the suits of the A's improves to about 22%

Regardless, heads up, your gonna suck out 1 in 5 times.

I had a thread called a brief study in Ax or something like that, that may add to this thread a bit.

Keep playing those A's fast.

Bill

A lot of players get decieevd thinking Pocket Aces are a can't lose situation. You're play was a good play. According to the flop, you probably still have top pair. The other player was just lucky he/she hit their set. Don't get too down on this play. It happens every now and then.

Your play was good. AA gets snapped often. I hate em lol. In late position I usually go all in with AA since it is the nut starting hand. Players think twice about risking their tournament life on an all-in call.............Rock

Was only stating that if i was to go up against Aces what i would rather have in my hand. I dont like going up against aces lol, but if it comes down to it i would rather have a strong drawing hand to do it with

Also i see you point with AK, and i really hate that hand even when im not up against aces as i seem to lose with it way too often lol


g/l

The way I see it all you can do is push hard and rely on the odds. Yes, you're going to get outdrawn about 20% of the time. Last aces I had got cracked by an 8-6 suited that rivered a flush. I posted a thread once about playing any 2 suited cards and it appears to be getting worse. I will certainly play suited connectors in position and for the right price, but I see calls made with 9-2 suited from any position more than I'd like - and they catch way to often. This is one of the main reasons I don't play much hold'em anymore, I prefer stud...

If you're raising for half your stack then are going to push the rest in pretty much irrespective of the flop then you may as well just push preflop. This achieves 2 things:

1) You'll take down the pot there and then more often. With a limper or 2 and large blinds this is fine.

2) If called by 1 player, you'll be guaranteed to be getting all your money in as an ~80% favourite (barring AA vs AA), and won't have to outthink yourself on the flop if for example KKx or QhJhTh comes.

Yeah, I was thinking this myself. The only thing is, when I do get a flop like KKx or qqx, or an obvious straight on the board with high cards that were likely to call my 1st bet, I like to leave myself the option to get away from it if I feel the need. Also, I think the all in is sometimes seen as a bluff more than just a huge raise is. It might be more likely to get called.

Hell yeah just in that freeroll yesterday my pocket Aces pretty much killed me because it flopped a 2 to give someone a set of 2's. I was first or second in position however and pushed all in to prevent anyone else from drawing. I guess I'm victim to not paying attention to my own advice. 'Just cause it's a good hand , don't mean it's the best hand'...

KJ, that was me and yes I caught the set on you. But a word of advice, you saw way to many flops with mediocre hands for anyone to respect your raises. Once I saw you were playing marginal hands, I was going to play any drawing hand I received and I got you on that one...

AHHH Tips from the Irish one, now that is sticky worthy.

With all the threads in this forum about AA, I would be inclined to vote this as worlds worst hand. I also have had trouble lately Threesixes. I've slow played and gotten cracked. I've flopped the set and gotten out drawn or I've had them and no one wanted to play the hand. I think that last one is the safest.

Some players' have to learn to laydown those aces especially when the flop comes 10 10 K or 7 7 10 u know someone in there has mad ethe set but nobody I've seen has laid it down. and yep busted out cracked aces. I usually go all in with the AA lol and yes I do lose latley it's been to four card flushes it's sick really.

I've had my aces busted many's of times, and thus, my new strategy has been to pretend that I have top pair, and play based on that. This way, I don't overbet, or overcherish the hand, and I am more willing to fold it.

I know it seems weird, but it works for me, maybe you should try it too.

So with half your stack allready bet and you know if you get 1 caller you'd have to bet the other half.. so why not bet it all to begin with? At least then if you lose then you lost with the best hand going in.

I answered this already in # 12