Playing AA/KK on a really tight table (cash)

This is a short idea ive had about playing with AA/KK on a stupidly tight table, generally micro limits 2/5 and 5/10.

If you dont raise with AA/KK you are letting all kinds of scary cards hit the flop. with KK if you let a bb check an Ax, suited flop its theirs, ace on the flop you will be crying all the way to the river.

On a really tight table however, ANY raise will make the entire table fold. So a check would be more appropriate?

The answer is no. If you have read the table correctly they will be limping in with good raising hands, if you just call/limp yourself, chances are they will "luck out" on you, as you will have to bet the flop, at least the pot size, re raised you dont know where you stand, and you could get caught.

Best advice in my opinion, is to ALWAYS RAISE preflop, it doesnt really need to be said tbh, but I have been debating this for a while, with regards to a tight table.

Its better to win just the blinds with AA/KK than to get beat, and having to make a "great laydown" on the river, best not to get to that point in the first place even if you are 100% sure the whole table will fold. there will be a time when your raise will be called, dont worry about all those folds, its not worth the trouble.

Happy to hear any thoughts on this..

To take it one step further if the table is as tight as you say, you can raise with far more hands and expect to steal the blinds, A10+, QJ+, 55+. You will be raising a ton of hands, if they never adjust just keep stealing. If they do adjust what happens is that they usually over adjust and you can then tighten back up and value town the crap out of them. Just my thoughts.

Yes, I play those micro's and on the really tight tables it can be frustrating as everyone folds to your "by the book" raises with big hands. So you are not going to make any money on a table like that unless someone else has a monster at the same time and you happen to get the best of it. THose are preety much the only tables where I slowplay the big ones. THere is nothing inherently wrong with slowplaying if you have a good reason to do it. This situation you describe is one of those times. You slowplay the big hand and "hope" some one else hits so they bet. Realize once that other person bets if it really is a tight table everyone else will fold so you have your one on one best situation for AA or KK even if it is after the flop instead of preflop. From that point you have to analyze the hand liike you would any other and play it appropriately. If you are not going to do that you may as well leave to another more active table unless you are ok with just winning and losing blinds for hours on end.

on those micro limits its litrally the only tables that i dont make as much on those hands as others, ive had some nice pots however from playing it like the book, on these tables, so i dont see it an issue to always raise, even if a higher percentage of those hands are folded round back to you, the lower percentage will be bigger pots anyway, and will make up for it.

^ I agree, you don't want morons to call you with J,8 and catch that J or 8, while you trying to "slow-play" your AQ or AK. You want at least one caller with a worse hand like A,10 or A,J while you have A,K or A,Q.

lol at a tight micro table.

Here's a tip; If you're on a tight micro table, move!

where can I find an ultra tight micro limit table again?

I believe you have an interesting point... a lot of them will be limping in with their monsters to trick you into it... but i would expect that table to have its bluffers since the opportunity is too out their not to take advantage of. Back to the subject though... I would vary my play in different occasions... Yes probably raise the first few times... but i mean imagine aces... the only way someone can beat u is with 2 pair or higher... I would say it would have to depend a lot on your position... If you are in early position, you should probably raise cause u dont know whos limping in and whos not... if your on late then you can see for yourself... If there are a lot of limpers... you can raise and either get the blinds or have a poker game! if there arnt any limpers... then youd have to make a calculated choice... but always keeping in mind that in a tight table there arnt many limpers!

thepokerjunky said:

I believe you have an interesting point... a lot of them will be limping in with their monsters to trick you into it... but i would expect that table to have its bluffers since the opportunity is too out their not to take advantage of. Back to the subject though... I would vary my play in different occasions... Yes probably raise the first few times... but i mean imagine aces... the only way someone can beat u is with 2 pair or higher... I would say it would have to depend a lot on your position... If you are in early position, you should probably raise cause u dont know whos limping in and whos not... if your on late then you can see for yourself... If there are a lot of limpers... you can raise and either get the blinds or have a poker game! if there arnt any limpers... then youd have to make a calculated choice... but always keeping in mind that in a tight table there arnt many limpers!

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I like the limper's with AA and KK, it helps you win the hand with 2 pair.
Raise with them and if you still get a caller, and see no str8 or flush, put out 1 more bet, and is should get them to fold.

Try raiseing pre-flop with something stupid, like 3 8 off, and showing if they all fold. Then you might get a caller or two when you do it later with the AA,KK.

At certain times of the day on pokerstars, I'll find 10NL tables with nothing but nits. When that happens, I raise with AA the same as J4o. The money you lose in not getting action with AA is more than made up for when you have free reign taking the blinds with garbage.

But that's time-consuming when multi-tabling, so I find it easier to just find a table with more action.

In relation to a tight table, make many steal attemps to the point where your table image is of an Aggro-donk then when you do get a premium PP there is a very high chance you will get paid off well.

Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen an extremely tight micro...Usually you get a few inexperienced players who throw their chips around with reckless abandon...I think if I were in that spot I would leave and try to find a better table to pick off such players...Boring to play on a small stakes table w/o the risk takers who will help you build your bankroll.

Nickmond said:

Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen an extremely tight micro...Usually you get a few inexperienced players who throw their chips around with reckless abandon...I think if I were in that spot I would leave and try to find a better table to pick off such players...Boring to play on a small stakes table w/o the risk takers who will help you build your bankroll.

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come to think of it i have phrased it quite badly, but you get occasions where you will see a tonne of folds to any raise.. i agree a tight micro table sounds a little silly, but ive seen it often when ive got premium hands,, maybe im just noticing those hands more than others.. it actually doesnt bother me i will sit there all day on micro tables taking the blinds, and being there at the right time when that shortstack donk goes on a trip. i just felt like commenting on what to do in these situations. it is a strategy forum after all.