Live 1/2 NLHE with mandatory straddle...need perspective on how I played my Aces

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musikguy

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Hi everyone. Trying to improve my game and need some perspective on how I played my hand. Any and all thoughts are welcomed

Live 1/2 no limit hold 'em with mandatory $5 straddle. 10 people seated and 3 of those 10 are double straddling for $10 every orbit. Wild game with wild swings. Average opening raise is $20 and it only goes up from there. Most people at the table (and everyone in the following hand) had at least $600 in front of them. The button had around $1500.
I bought in for $300 and had been seated for about half an hour, won a couple of pots and had around $400 in front of me.


$5 straddle is on. Folds to me in MP with Ace hearts Ace clubs I open with $30
MP+1 calls, Cutoff calls, Button calls, and straddle calls. 5 to the flop


($150) Flop 3 spades King hearts 4 clubs


Straddle checks. I bet $75. Thoughts on sizing? I realized that this would be easier if I was deeper but any less and I'm inviting everyone to the turn. Any bigger and I'm committing myself to an auto shove on the turn. Now if anyone calls the SPR will be 1 anyway. But it seemed too early to shove to get any value from a king or draw. Thoughts?


MP+1 folds. Everyone else calls. 4 to the turn


($450) Turn 2 diamonds


Straddle checks. Hero? Any comments on decisions that lead to this point would be appreciated




EDIT: my mac keeps deleting the card graphics when I post so I typed them out until I can figure it out. Forum newbie alert
 
Slider23

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On the flop bet sizing for a action game, I like $100 better to possibly eliminate some draws, but still get some hands to call that you can beat. With that dry flop, chips on table, and no raise on flop bet, I am playing the hand to show down with my remaining chips.
 
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MattJM68

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If the game is wild why not limp the aces in the knowledge that someone will raise and you can 4 bet pre and put some pressure on? Not always but it's worth having in your range

On the flop i'd go $85-$100 as i don't think people are folding KQ, KJ KT so there is plenty of value to get and you're only worried about sets of 3's and 4's which you will probably hear from.


Turn is pretty safe, i'd go you've got about $300 left so you probably should shove, but I wouldn't mind a bet of around $180 to keep some weak kings in as there isn't really any bad rivers for you other than another king or a broadway card.
 
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musikguy

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Thanks for the reply guys. MattJM68, it's funny that you mention limp 4-bet because after going over this hand in my mind several times, this is what I decided would have been the better play. I'm certain several people would have limped behind and then the cutoff, the button, or the straddle would have raised. It might have even gotten 4-bet before it got back to me the way these guys were playing. I just didn't take the time to think it through in the moment.


Result: After the straddle checks I think about my options and then shove for my remaining $295


Cutoff thinks about it for 3 minutes or so before finally letting it go (king?). Button takes his time too, hims and haws, shrugs and calls (almost certainly to get the straddle in).
Straddle takes a minute himself and folds.


River: 8 spades


Button rolls over 3 4 diamonds for 2 pair




I just didn't want to be that guy who got felted with Aces because...Aces.
I appreciate the input
 
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MattJM68

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Another option which I think is better to protect your range is to play tighter and increase your bet size fairly dramatically, here you did 6x the straddle and you said average was 4x and you still got called 4 times.

Seems it would be profitable to play the top 10-15% of hands and raise closer to 50.
 
pescaofish

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From my own point of view, I wll have gone All in After the flop! Is my way to play AA ! and perhaps that could have put the 2 pairs guy a little more sweety to pay! :rolleyes:
 
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musikguy

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This poker room in Austin doesn't typically have games this wild but the 3 craziest players just all happened to be seated at the same table and it went off the rails. And since I had never played in a game this crazy before, I was having trouble deciding how to adjust to the play. This certainly helps.

Would there be any reason to go into check call (and eventually check fold) mode after making a reasonable flop bet and getting called 3 times? Or would that be inviting someone to bluff me off my hand?
In other words (and the main point of my thread), once the flop comes out, are we ever getting away from this?
 
Slider23

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I played in the DFW "legal" games until they were shut down. I am playing again in the underground games once again. With the AA, the rockets are going to get beat sometimes. Do not overthink how you played them as you were not going to turn them into winners. In a wild game you have to win some show down hands to have good results.
 
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musikguy

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yeah, I guess I knew that already. Just wanted fresh perspective. But I did get some good ideas about alternate ways to play them so it's all good.

The Austin rooms are pretty legit. APD stops by and even does security in their off hours. One room's been running for 4 years and the other 3 for over a year so it looks good so far.
 
Beanfacekilla

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Thanks for the reply guys. MattJM68, it's funny that you mention limp 4-bet because after going over this hand in my mind several times, this is what I decided would have been the better play. I'm certain several people would have limped behind and then the cutoff, the button, or the straddle would have raised. It might have even gotten 4-bet before it got back to me the way these guys were playing. I just didn't take the time to think it through in the moment.


Result: After the straddle checks I think about my options and then shove for my remaining $295


Cutoff thinks about it for 3 minutes or so before finally letting it go (king?). Button takes his time too, hims and haws, shrugs and calls (almost certainly to get the straddle in).
Straddle takes a minute himself and folds.


River: 8 spades


Button rolls over 3 4 diamonds for 2 pair




I just didn't want to be that guy who got felted with Aces because...Aces.
I appreciate the input

Reload and super glue yourself to the chair. Also realize as stacks get 200BB+, value of big PP/AK type hands go down, and spec hands go up. When we are that deep, we want to making 5 card poker hands if possible when large sums of money go in the middle.


You played the hand fine I think. Dude just got lucky.
 
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KingTurd

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To directly answer your question: on the turn its best to start keeping the pot size in control. you can afford to check call but never want to see a check raise on the turn. On the flop it might have been a good idea to check raise to give yourself some hand strength back.
 
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