All-In Preflop: Pocket Aces

I've been playing some tournies today and I've noticed something that just kind of gets on my nerves.

A couple of times today I've seen a player go all-in preflop with AA early in the tournament when blinds are still low and stacks are still even and no one has even made a minimum raise in front of you. Each time they've won hardly anything, a few peoples blinds but that's it.

I'm not talking about late in a tourney when blinds can get to be high compared to your stack, I'm talking early on when you could make a great amount of them if you play them right.

And I guess I should be thankful. Atleast I'm not losing to them. One time today I folded AJ suited to an AA all-iner. That was first hand of the tourney even! While it's not a hand I'm highly confident in, if he had done a small raise and an Ace had come up on the flop, he could've slowplayed it and won a couple hundred from me.

I don't know what it is that bothers me about it. I'm just sorry to see people making hardly anything off what could be a great hand to improve your stack with. Don't be one of these people! Make money with AA! It only loses once in a while, contrary to popular belief!

Jon

People have seen their AA get shot down in flames soooooooo many times that they're content to get anything they can out of it, even if it's only tiny blinds. Also, very early in a tournament, they recognize that the maniacs are still at the table, chomping at the bit to go all in with anything. It's actually not that bad a spot to step out with the early all-in. You're about as likely to double or triple up on the fish and knock them out as you are to just drag 15 chips in blinds. Especially if it's a rebuy tournament or freeroll. I personally would prefer to play it a bit closer to the vest, as you suggest, and try to get some more people involved in the hand. But I can't throw rocks at the AA 1st-hand all-in. I've done it myself a few times, for the reasons previously stated.

I do this. Not so much in the private games, but in the open freerolls at Absolute. Did you ever notice how a field of 2000 gets whittled down to 1000 in the 1st 1 or 2 levels of play? There are always callers trying to get an early jump and a high pair all-in is a good way to double up quickly. If your out, your out and there's another freeroll starting in 10 minutes.

True, and I guess you guys are right when it comes to bigger tournaments. I was personally talking about smaller multi-table tournaments consisting of anywheres from 30-100 people. There usually are not as many maniacs ready to go all-in with a mere J-10 or A-9. :P I should've clarified that, because I have also gone all-in first hand with an AA or KK a couple times in large freerolls because you're right...There are almost always people looking to double quickly without having much of a hand. That's always great.

Jon

Ive been cursed with AA everytime i play them slow i get beat,so i decided that when i get pocket AA its all-in,if nobody calls then im happy with the blinds, just last week at one of our tourneys at cc i got pocket AA in the big blind and checked,flop came something like 4 8 3 I checked again, someone went all-in so i called and he caught his straight on the river a 2 he was holding A 5 and i was gone in the first five minutes and this happens to me 80 % of the time when i slow play them,i would rather have A K, there are more outs with A K. ok gl at the tourneys>>> buckster436

I'd never check a big blind if I had AA, you're just asking for someone to catch something. Raise it man! Be careful of flushes and straights and know when to fold your aces and you'll win 90% of the time!

I lost with them earlier, a flush draw came on the board so I bet high to try and weed out any chasers but one called and hit his hand on the river. Nothing you can do about things like that. Sometimes you'll get a fish and sometimes they'll fold it.

Jon

i agree, theres so mnay freerolls going on that, people want tp double up ot go out, if you go allin early, it is likely you will geta caller, so it is not always such a bad idea.

I think too that a lot of the ones who go all-in with AA (or AK, AQ, AJ, etc. or any pocket pair, low or high for that matter) are most likely newbies. I know because I used to do the same thing when I first started playing! lol I soon found out that pocket deuces were not all-in material , and that if you play your aces correctly, you can bilk your opponents for all they're worth! True, I have been outdrawn many times and lost, but a lot of those beats were due to me being too stubborn to fold my hand when the other player obviously had a flush, etc. to beat me. So yes, you have to realize that AA is not invincible when you play them, and know that sometimes, to play smart, you have to know when to fold those bad boys and not be blinded by the beauty that is Pocket Aces! lol

yea i do that alot

I see A A im first to act i go all-in

^ theres no way ull ever win

I still like to slow play my aces, even though I do lose with them occasionally.

I wouldn't knock that style of play, its their choice. If it works for them that's all that matters. You just gotta play your own style...

I got them 3 times on Thursday, in 3 different tourneys and lost on the river every time!

I was called by Q4o 84s and 33 and lost to trips twice and a straight

I'm with you, not the way I'd play. Make a big enough bet to scared out the people with nominal hands, call an all in if you have to, but bet all in? 1/3 of the time no one'll call and you just blew your chance to win any money, 1/3 of the time someone gets lucky and you lose. It's just like any other good pocket hand. Betting your entire game on it pre flop is not a bright move. Too many people think AA is a guaranteed win, but it s maybe 40% of your hand. If you're actually serious about playing the game, not the way to go. But too many people start out with freerolls, where they pick up these bad habits, and, of course, too much TV, too many people thinking all-in is the killer move. All manly and aggressive.

Just raise 3-4X the BB. Usually you will get a couple to a few callers with a bet like that when holding pocket rockets.

In the tournaments I play in, there are some that are overly ambitious that they go all in on the first hand.

Today, I was a victim of being over ambitious. I had pocket kings and the blinds were starting at 5/10. So I raised to 20. Someone else raised it so I reraised to 150. the other player went to about 1100. Being that I hand a good hand, I did so, along with 4 other players. Two Queens come on the flop and seeing that I and others had only 80 left, I went all in. They followed suit. One of the players had another queen, and on the turn another queen popped up. So even if I had a full house, I was out on the very first hand. Not one of my better moments.

Pat

Oh MAN i've been there too.. USUALLy it's KK that i go all in with,, and that heartbreaker ace turns up,, you dont even HAVE to ask if someone's got an ace, there's always someoen who rides an A-? os till the end.

Only bad thing about the freerolls are the bingo players. OH well cant complain it's free but sure is annoying.
JBILLINI

well alot of the time people make this move of moving all-in very early with AA to make it seem like an extreme overbet, there are always people that will call w/ ace-rag suited or KJo, very marginal hands, and actually sometimes they crack aces. its annoying but what can you do. especially in 3000 people sit n gos

I tend to get killed on pocket aces. It's my bogey hand. Haven't been playing long, but I've learnt to fear the aces. When I get them, a deep sense of dread washes over me. 9 times out of 10, the hand will bite me and I'll lose. Someone will get a spectacular hand to coincide with them. Getting rather irritating.

In one freeroll I got pocket Aces 2 hands in a row. I was pretty short-stacked when the ol' AA arrived (4-5 BB), so I just pushed them all in, and got 4-5 callers. The hand held up to give me an above average stack.
The next hand I get AA again. I can't believe my luck! There's a number of callers, so I make a fair sized raise, most players fold, and one reraises it. Other people have all folded, so it's just him and me, so I figure what the hell, and push all-in. He calls, and I realise he's the chip leader at the table.
Cards are turned over, and I'm happy to see something like AT, so his cards are fairly dominated. Well, the turn doesn't pair his cards, the turn's a blank, and the river makes him a straight to put me out - after the first pocket aces I could probably have made the money and got a tiny starting stake at Absolute just posting and folding, but no, I had to believe the cards were running hot...

I learned the hard way a few times with poket AA, and i do think i pays off sometimes to slow play it and try to make the most you can out of it, especially when you get that person that calls your all in pokets AA with something like J 9, cause they think its a good hand, and the flop comes Q 10 8..you get screwed, just have to know how to control yourself with the all ins with poket AA

I reckon it bothers you, because you see people wasting a good thing. You are a regular Samaritan.

the last few tournies ive played in aces have been my downfall, No matter how i play them i seem to loose
Ive tried slow playing them but usually get flushed, ive been aggressive but been called and gone up against pocket 2s 4s etc and guess what they hit a set!!!!
on a free roll at pitbul poker yesterday i worked my way through a 290 field took me a few hours, playing premium but aggressive, and mixing in a few connectors etc, just getting close to the bubble and i hit pocket rockets, a brass band went off in my head, i was already picturing myself being chip leader, woo hoo, so i went all in before the flop, i was on 14k, feeling confident but big bully chip leader called me with 7, 10 off suit and you guessed it he hit the straight on the river, wham bam thank you mam my tournie was over, lol
so next time i see rockets there being launced into space, lol
dopechick

Interesting stuff guys. I'm fairly new to poker and every little tip helps. My main problem is not when it's me raising, re-raising or even going all-in. It's when the numpty (or numpties before you go all-in and your'e sitting with pocket rockets. You can't just fold them (never have and never will before flop). You gotta call. 80% of the times I have been beaten. How fair is that?

Still, I do slow play a lot of the times I pick them up (once the all-inners have gone from the tourneys) and they still seems to get beat. Must be my luck lol.

MackemMan

Jon they may win small pots but is better than losing big ones...Today in a tourn cc charles called my AA all-in with kq os.........He hit a pr of kings on the board and my aces cracked and i was out................Rock

All in with AA preflop with 10/20 blinds is usually a waste of potential. I agree with the original poster that a reasonable raise will at least entice a few extra chips into the pot. If there's another with a hot hand, the all-in play is always available.

yeah sorry bout that rock

I am always happy to sit at a table with folks who like slowplaying A's. I get to learn so much new profanity when someone catches a set or 2 pair or a straight or a flush or a ------------------. Anyway call me we can get a game going. Slow playing Pocket A's is bad for your pocket book and your psychic health.

It's not fair, if you were playing heads up, but I get the feeling there were quite a few people all-in when you did this. Ultimately poker is a game of chance as well as skill. You could be a very good player and never get dealt a winning hand. (Unlikely but possible).

I have folded in those positions if I am very close to the bubble (tournaments obviously). The more people you are playing against, (and if they are all-in their decision has been made - you can't bluff someone all in), the greater your chance of having your aces cracked.

I have mentioned this in another post but I'll repeat it here because it warrants being mentioned again.

If I am not mistaken, in a heads-up situation, a pair of aces is expected to hold up 75% of the time. This means that in a heads up situation, one out of four times, they will be cracked. If there are more people playing, the chances of you losing increase - you don't have to be a math wizard to work this out.

Finally, the whole point about position is that you use it to your advantage - taking as much information in as possible. Unless you are making the heavy bet, raise or moving all-in first or second, why should you feel that you need to risk your stack against five or six players? Poker is not going anywhere and there will be many more hands to play. I will risk it now and again, depending on a whole range of factors, but I certainly know what I am getting into and when I lose I take it a bit better than some people I have witnessed – because I knew it was a risk.


Sorry for saying this, but I think when people feel that you simply must call with aces and that there is no other option I feel like they are limiting how far they can develop as a poker player. You should be ready to contemplate anything at the table, most of all folding.


Please don’t feel that I am targeting anyone, I am just trying to play a bit of “devil’s advocate”. Everyone seems to think aces are the be all and end all, when I don’t think that they should be played in every possible situation.

I will agree with the original post by JonSherwood and say that many people do play aces poorly (especially early on in tournaments), but the point is you want to limit how many people you are playing against, but not be left on your own with only the blinds for company.

we all lost with pockets aces,so we say no more, i am happy to steal blinds with my pocket aces better than losing,but i think position and how many players are in the hand will determine how do you play your aces ,so if you are under the gun, a big raise WITHOUT GOING ALL IN is enough to scare the''chasers'and if the flop is favorable bet or go all in,in late position ,aces are so easy to play,remember aces don't like too many players,so if there only 2 or 3 players i think you have big chance on winning but if you see there is more than 3 players it's time to go all and not give a chance for the weakests hands to beat you

pocket aces are the best and worst starting hand. I have been beat more with them than winning with them. I hate thise cards unless a ace comes out on flop. Heres is one example. i had aces b4 flop bet a nice amount and get called by one guy. i say ok. flop comes AKK. wow boat right. well i bet even more. and i get called by the guy. im like hmmm does he have a K or 2? well a duece comes out on turn and i bet all in, by the way he is chip leader in the money game and i am in second. well he calls and the carss turn and he has pocket 2's, so he has boat of 2's. wellguess what comes out on river a 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. i was pissed i cant believe he called all my bets when he didnt hit shit till the turn. well this is my sob pocket rockets story. Boo Hoo. i ahte em un less i win LOL
ACES
Glo

Quote:

Originally Posted by fou7772000 we all lost with pockets aces,so we say no more, i am happy to steal blinds with my pocket aces better than losing,but i think position and how many players are in the hand will determine how do you play your aces ,so if you are under the gun, a big raise WITHOUT GOING ALL IN is enough to scare the''chasers'and if the flop is favorable bet or go all in,in late position ,aces are so easy to play,remember aces don't like too many players,so if there only 2 or 3 players i think you have big chance on winning but if you see there is more than 3 players it's time to go all and not give a chance for the weakests hands to beat you

I agree completely.

See my sig LOL. I hate pocket Ace's. I will go all in every time just hoping to at least steal the blinds. Maybe this is a bad play I dont know but I do know if I slow play them I get burnt or in my mind I get burnt about 80% of the time which is why I hate them. It could just be that Im still new to poker, but I go all in every time with them.