Ace Ragz - let me know if you agree

mister628

mister628

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Playing Ace Ragz
Ace rags is a term in poker describing when a person is holding an Ace (high card) and a small card (9 or lower) in Texas Hold em’. This combination of cards can be tricky to play. Reason being, whenever an Ace is dealt to a player most people keep them and play them. If you are dealt Ace Ragz and keep it, chances are that another player is dealt an Ace with a bigger kicker. This means if you don’t get Aces up (two pair) or a flush (when you rag is same suit) then you’ll probably be out kicked by the other player.

The tendency when we have aces is most people tend to bet a lot and if you’ve been out kicked then you stand to lose a lot of chips. To keep this from happening there are a few things I like to do to keep my Ace Ragz winning.

1) Position – Only limp in on lower limit blinds if you’re in early position and if you’re raised too high then fold. This can prevent you from getting caught with the low card and being out kicked. If you’re in early position and the blinds are high I always fold. Nothing’s worse than losing your blind when you didn’t have to when someone else raises because they have pocket pairs or Ace king or something like that.
In late position call or raise depends on the number of previous callers and their betting habits. If there is one tight caller or raiser then just call, but if a few loose players call or raise, then raise.

2) Suit – If your Ace Ragz cards are suited then you have a few more options. If the blinds are low then you should most likely limp in early. If you’re raised by someone later on in the game, whether you stay in depends on the player that raised. Fold if he’s tight and call if he’s loose and raise if there are two or more loose ones calling. Either they’ll call you with krap or they’ll fold, either way you would tend to fair better against them because not only do you have an Ace you have the potential to pop a flush too.

These are just a couple of tips and pointers that I use when I come across Ace Ragz in poker play. So if you keep this stuff in mind maybe when Ace Ragz falls into your hands you’ll do better. Good luck at the tables!!

Brian “boopy” Miller:) :) :)
 
dg1267

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About the lowest Arag cards I like to keep are A9. Anything lower than that and I'm making tough decisions through the whole hand. I will keep about any Arag though if I'm in c/o or button and it's folded to me, but I'm not raising it unless the blinds are really really tight.
 
Worak

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I usually keep any suited Ax in late position.

Sometimes I limp A2o-A5o on the button (although limping is -EV I guess)

I don't like A6o, A7o (they don't connect to a straigh obv).

... A8,A9o mmm thinking about it I don't like them either.

Generally we would rather like to see two high cards instead -

If you hit the A your kicker is crappy.
If you hit the x will it be any good?
If no one hits are you leading ?
 
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LizzyJ

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I will trail in with A-x suited seeing if I can get a flush or flush draw out of it. If an A hits the board I will check/fold. Not even going to fool with that.

If someone raises I'd fold. This is a speculative hand that I will play for cheap.
 
dg1267

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I'm not sure, but is A2-A5 considered as Arag?
 
Worak

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Playing Ace Ragz
Ace rags is a term in poker describing when a person is holding an Ace (high card) and a small card (9 or lower) in Texas Hold em’.

Brian “boopy” Miller:) :) :)

This wil work imo - don't forget A2-5 straight possibilities.
 
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potman1250

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i play em few and far between. only for cheap, position bets, etc
they are more valuable, obviously, when there are fewer people at the table.
too many people overplay their hands. IMO
 
Ronaldadio

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I think a lot depends on your style of play.

I would probably not limp with Ace rag unless there were a lot of people in the pot and I was in late position. I would guess I would fold alot in early position when the blinds are low.

Later in tourny I would raise lots with ace rag - then see what happens.

I like to play Arag suited most of the time, but again no different to what I have already said.
 
Makwa

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In FR generally i stay away, my worst hand... ugly possibilities at every turn lol. give me connectors instead please.
 
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mr tinkles

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I'm not sure, but is A2-A5 considered as Arag?

yes. Though they are more playable than A6-A9. A6 is the worse A, even suited imo.

I tend away from playing any raggy A, can get you in a lot of trouble. But SO many others just luv any A, get a read if possible. I like big Aces, suited if possible, and can get away from the hand easily, when I miss the board.

Anyway, I cream a lot of ace luvvers, when they have "kicker issues". Bottom line, if you fold your ace-rag, you'll probably be better off.

Having said that, T2 has been the winning hand in the wsop, twice, and even 74o, has won, so what do I know. Headsup is a little different...
 
RedskinRunner325

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This is a really interesting thread. I am always confused on whether or not I should play my A 4 (or and Arags, which I now know is the name for this card combination). I normally play pretty tight, and will fold Arags if I get them, but, after reading this and seeing to many straight, flush, Flopped aces or flopped 2 pair missed because I felt this hand was too weak to consider. I'm going to start limping more in early position and, if I hit suited, raise 3-4bb pre-flop and see what I can make of some Arags.
 
Tom1559

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This is good advise and all players would do well to follow it. The number of guys I play against who play ARag is incredible. When they hit the pair with the Rag they then want to hang in there hoping for trips or 2 pair and invariably end up losing. Occasionally they win and this is the hand they always remember which is what draws them back the next time they get an ARag.
 
PoKeRFoRNiA

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ace rags are horrible. they're hands that are likely to lose you money. Aces are only good during heads up.
 
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herestoya

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I only play ace rag if I am in good position. On the buuton or right before the button. It also depends on how many players behind you fold.
 
silverslugger33

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A lot of people are over valuing position right now. Playing Arag doesn't have much to do with position. The issue with the hand is that you have to make tons of tough decisions, because you are often out kicked. Even in position, you are going to be frequently out kicked, and even if someone bets into you, it's very hard to get away from the hand if an ace hits the board. With regards to Arag, position doesn't really mean much.
 
Janon

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i never raise with ace rag in general even if im the button i dont see the point ive seen alot of players who dont raise with ace 10 and up these are mostly tight players and unless i hit aces up i usually dont call after the flop if a ace hits anyways unless im the chip leader and kno i got the best hand i limit myself with ace rag unless there suited anyways nice post tho
 
nevadanick

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A lot of people are over valuing position right now. Playing Arag doesn't have much to do with position. The issue with the hand is that you have to make tons of tough decisions, because you are often out kicked. Even in position, you are going to be frequently out kicked, and even if someone bets into you, it's very hard to get away from the hand if an ace hits the board. With regards to Arag, position doesn't really mean much.

To me, position does count. You may start bleeding too many chips if you play them early pos and have to keep folding to raises around. Know your table. In late pos, you already have an idea where the hand will stand, barring raise actions by the btn and blinds.

If I can see a flop cheap, I'm always interested in seeing if a suited A,rag will hit the flush or good fl draw. Then it's decision time. Anytime just A hits the board, you always know you're in a trouble spot with a bad kicker.

For me, it's not that hard to get away from a flopped Ace. I'm only looking for a flopped str8, flush or two pair. Anything less, a fold is easy. But that's just nitty ol' me ... ;)
 
silverslugger33

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To me, position does count. You may start bleeding too many chips if you play them early pos and have to keep folding to raises around. Know your table. In late pos, you already have an idea where the hand will stand, barring raise actions by the btn and blinds.

If I can see a flop cheap, I'm always interested in seeing if a suited A,rag will hit the flush or good fl draw. Then it's decision time. Anytime just A hits the board, you always know you're in a trouble spot with a bad kicker.

For me, it's not that hard to get away from a flopped Ace. I'm only looking for a flopped str8, flush or two pair. Anything less, a fold is easy. But that's just nitty ol' me ... ;)

I'm not saying to play them OOP, I'm saying not to play them regardless of position. That being said, if you can get away from your ace when you're beat, kudos, but at the same time, you can't fold it every time you don't make 2 pair or better, because people will pick up on that and start bluffing you to death. Anyway, my point is, over the long run, playing ace/rag (IMO of course) generally is not a profitable play from any position (this coming from someone who is routinely willing to play 45s on the button).
 
Bengals_Boy

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I try to stay away from these hands when raised but it depends depends on position and my stack and wheter they r suited
 
silverslugger33

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I try to stay away from these hands when raised but it depends depends on position and my stack and wheter they r suited

Whether or not it's suited shouldn't really make a difference. The odds of flopping a flush with 2 suited cards are 0.842%.
 
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letmewin

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ARAG nuthin but trouble

:joyman: these are cars that have and will always be trouble for all pker players if played at all i normally will not call anything but the bb with any ace rag and that depends on how large the blinds are and how deep into the tourney i am. why would ya want to take a risk at losing your life in a tourney for such a contraversial hand where most times you are crossing your fingers at every turn. play only what you can get away from easily and hands that give you an edge on winning the pot.
the secret (in my opinion) to winning tournies is to fold 70 percent of your hands for instance out of 130 hands you should only play about 27 or so unless you have a good run of course but that is rare. ARAG many people have lost their tournies to these hands dont be one of them.:joyman:
 
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TinaPete

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depends on my stack and blinds, If I can limp in with ace rag I will, because sometimes you will flop 2 pair or a set with the rag and have the best kicker, but if there is a raise i usually fold ,poker can be brutal...smiling good luck at the tables. Tina
 
hojediade

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I don't play them much for various reasons members told us about earlier. I will only tend to play A-rag when connected and/or suited as everybody does. The only other reason why i would play it would be if it's an un-open pot in late position.
I see another possibility which is in 6-handed table.
 
GDRileyx

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If you are dealt Ace Ragz and keep it, chances are that another player is dealt an Ace with a bigger kicker.

This is incorrect. If you have A6 or better, there is more chance that somebody will NOT have an ace with a higher kicker. With A6 ten handed, the probability that someone will have an ace with a higher kicker is less than 48.5%. In 9 handed, which is usually a full table online, with A5, the chances that someone has an ace with a higher kicker is 49%. If you have A9, nine handed, there is less than 29% chance that somebody has an ace with a higher kicker.
 
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Magistik

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Thanks for the math GDRileyx. Now i might call a flop with an A9 A8 if i spike my ace. I would throw away to reraise to easily dominated.
 
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