How much to raise with AA

Last night i was playing tourney at FTP.

After around 12-15 hands i got AA. Blinds were 15/30 and when action got to me, 6 people had called already, i was SB. Stacks were very close, between 1300 - 1800.

I did not want to risk much at the beginning of the tournament so i raised to 350.

Everyone folded.

I guess I should have raised much less and wait for the flop.

Anyways, How much do you usually raise with AA, like in this case when the tourney had just began. ?

4BB +1 BB for every limper, so your raise was a bit high but probably right. Be content picking up the blinds. Raising less (200-250) just makes calling after someone has cold-called called a good move and it can go 4 handed: not good for your Aces.

Also, please specifiy buy-in next time.

A general rule of thumb is 3-4BB + 1BB per limper. So with six limpers, norm would be $90-$120 + $30*6 = $270 - $300. You were a bit over that, but that's not unreasonable considering it was SIX limpers and the blinds were fairly small (where more people are willing to call smaller raises).


EDIT: Too busy playing and took longer to respond...was typing this up while in a tourney.

Sorry, did not know i should have posted buy-in. It was $10.

Sadly for me, a few hands after my AAQQ lost to 555 and that was the end for me.

generally with AA i raise pretty hard, but if im at a really aggressive table i might limp (in EP only of course) hoping that someone after me will raise, then ill just reraise them of course.

KMC1828 said:

generally with AA i raise pretty hard, but if im at a really aggressive table i might limp (in EP only of course) hoping that someone after me will raise, then ill just reraise them of course.

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In the case of the OP, you don't want to be in a seven way pot holding aces; too many varuavles. Raise to isolate, or in this case, raise and take it down preflop. Pocket aces are useful for winning small pots, and losing big ones.

depends on your position and if your playing with aggressive ppl

i have had bad luck with aa. I seem to lose 85% of the time. I play them like any other pair.

In my limited experiece, I have found with AA, its best to raise .5 of your stack, if a lot of people have called in front of you, typically if you get a lot of people calling in front of you more than likely there are pairs out there and someone else is calling with at least an ace which lowers your percentage of catching the third. Where as the other pairs on the board might not be that great but have a higher chance of winning. If it is just you and a couple others at the ring. Then limp in and see if you catch your ace, if you do slow play to try and let them catch a card to bet with, or if suits come out then you can raise big to chase out the flush draws. Just my opinion, but works well for me. Good luck in all your poker games, unless your at my table.

if 4BB + BBxlimpers would be almost half my stack, i usually just go all-in. The reason is, if i do a continuation bet after the flop, an all-in would not be very effective since it would be less than half the pot. I'd probably just get called and get out-drawn. I'd be content with getting the blinds and the limp bets.

Taking down a 200-odd chip pot pre-flop when the blinds are still 15-30 isn't a bad result.

The last thing you want is to make a smaller raise and have three people call because they're suddenly being offered fantastic pot odds.