$2 NLHE 6-max: Hero has Aces Vs. Boat - Should I have called?

Winning Poker, Hold'em No Limit - $0.01/$0.02 - 4 players
Replay this hand on Upswing Poker - https://upswingpoker.com/replayer/6q9Lvsx

UTG: $2.00 (100 bb)
BU: $1.00 (50 bb)
SB (Hero): $1.85 (93 bb)
BB: $2.02 (101 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.03) Hero is SB with A♦ 8♥
1 fold, BTN calls $0.02, Hero raises to $0.06, BB calls $0.04, BTN calls $0.04

Flop: ($0.18) A♥ Q♥ 3♣ (3 players)
Hero bets $0.12, BB raises to $1.96 (all-in), BU folds, Hero calls $1.67 (all-in)

Turn: ($3.76) A♣ (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($3.76) 9♠ (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $3.76 (Rake: $0.18)

Showdown:
BB shows 3♠ 3♦ (a full house, Threes full of Aces)
(equity - Pre-Flop: 53%, Flop: 94%, Turn: 84%, River: 100%)

SB (Hero) shows A♦ 8♥ (three of a kind, Aces)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 47%, Flop: 6%, Turn: 16%, River: 0%)

BB wins $3.58

Even if you won this hand i would say no call there. Your kicker was to weak and there was a possible flush draw. The other thing about this hand, BB decided to shove on your bet on flop and that was a good enough sign that he has a better hand here, he max valued his hand easily and some players do that, be aware of that.

No.

That is a BIG all-in raise and you only have a weak top pair. If a player does that often you can wait for a better hand to defend with. If he is willing to risk that much to win that little you get him later.

In general only play one or maybe two streets with normal bet sizes with a weak top pair. And absolutely no need to call a big all-in unless he is a total maniac that over bet all-in with draws, bluffs and second pair, third pair.

Just fold and wait for a better hand.

You got 90 big blinds in with 6 percent equity on the flop - this is the sort of thing to learn to avoid.

Definitely finding a fold here without a solid read and history.

On top of that if you are going to raise a button limp from the small blind you need to make it a lot bigger to make up for positional disadvantage and to give yourself a chance to take down the pot pre-flop - make it at least $0.12 because raising to $0.06 does nothing here but build a bigger pot out of position with a marginal weak hand.

What were you hoping to be against on the flop? I don't think this is a worse ace ever and I guess people do this with a flush draw sometimes, but that even has fine equity against your hand - the reality is you will be behind almost always here.

Good luck!

$2 NLHE 6-max: Hero has Aces Vs. Boat - Should I have called?

When people focus on the big decision, they often neglect to question all of the prior decisions they took before they got there. This is a case where preflop decisions impacted the way the whole hand played out and you may have never had to make this decision.

As mentioned, preflop raise was too small. My rule of thumb when I am first to raise is to raise 3BB + 1BB per limper + 1-2BB to account for poor position. I’d go with 5-6bb. That bet size may have given BB a reason to think twice about calling.

Your small opening raise made it easier for BB to call, and then with 2 players already in the pot and position, it gave button easier decision to call. A multi-way pot from SB with a marginal hand is something you generally want to avoid. Your goal with the preflop raise from the blinds is to take down the pot as cheaply as possible.

As played, I think that the bet on the flop was good. When someone raises all in right off the bat, it’s a pretty easy fold with a top pair and pretty weak kicker. Sure you could be pushed off the pot with a worse hand, but such is the risk when you play OOP - you are putting in bets pretty much blind. You could be up against a flush draw, straight draw, 2 pair, sets, A with a better kicker... A weaker pair would have likely folded as they would assume you have an A after you raised preflop.

For me, top pair weak kicker is not a strong enough hand to risk your whole stack. Fold on the flop.

As others have said, this is a pretty trivial fold. He is betting several times the pot, and you dont really need to call here with less than two pair. Even AK should just be a snap fold, while if you have A3s, its at least a consideration to call, because you block his most likely set.

A8 offsuit is too weak to play from the small blind, almost always, because you’re out of position for the rest of the hand, and you don’t have a lot of equity against two other hands that might have reasonable ranges. Just fold and give up the blind.

If you had a hand worth playing, your opening bet size is too small. You let the big blind pay only 4¢ for a shot at 10¢. That’s a little cheap, and he can call with a lot of hands. The button can now pay 4¢ for a shot at 14¢, which is such great odds that he can call in position with almost any two cards. If they want to play in position against you, offer them pot odds that make junky hands unprofitable for them.

It’s a mistake to think of that flop as “having aces”. What you have is “top pair, bad kicker”, on a board with a flush draw, two straight draws, and two cards that hit everyone’s range, only one of which you block. The best you can do is try to get to showdown cheap, and fold if anyone shows you that he intends to build a big pot.

An ace with a rag is trouble. Get away from them as soon as possible most of the time.

papillon said:

A8 offsuit is too weak to play from the small blind, almost always, because you’re out of position for the rest of the hand, and you don’t have a lot of equity against two other hands that might have reasonable ranges. Just fold and give up the blind.

Click to expand...

A8 offsuit is certainly not a great hand, but its good enough to play, when the only action in front of us is a presumably bad half stacker, who limped in on BTN. We could just complete to keep the pot smaller though, and hope that BB will knock back his option.

In this place you will be overcome most of the time with better kickers.
If you do not want to have future problems, it is preferable to fold preflop with this hand. Otherwise, you should play more solid this type of combinations, but on low street boards that make you favorit.
Instead in these tables, you should have a more conservative game. In this case, your 8 wins only a 3. But you lose with: 9; T; J; Q; K; A. It is below average and should not pay large increases. On the contrary, you should look for a smaller boat and low risk situations for your stack.
Greetings.

I think calling off a stack in that situation with 1 pr of Aces and a weak kicker is not going to be a winning play in the long run.

Terrible call on the flop. You have so many ace hands that beat you, along with two pairs and sets. Not a good call.

snap fold you have top pair/bad kicker everything he's betting other than random spaz beats you. And you have better hands in your range to call spaz with.

don't overvalue top pair bad kicker

Notes (some repeated info here)

Pre: raise 3.5x + 1 bb per limper. Here it should be at least .08. Fold to any 3-bet from these guys.

Flop: Think about your opponents hand ranges.

BTN (limp + called a raise pre): pocket pairs up to 77, suited connectors and possibly one-gap-ers depending on VPIP 78 - J9. suited aces might limp - call as well.
QT+ KT+ would likely raise pre for BTN.

BB: Flat calling here is all pocket pairs, perhaps up to 99. Sometimes he has AQ or AK and is trapping. (this is what I thought he had in the hand). KQs is flating here sometimes too.

Betting out isn't bad given their hand ranges, since a check behind is likely. But action from BB is probably a big hand or a pair of queens. BTN calling a bet is probably a draw of some kind.

You have to fold to BBs raise in all circumstances. If he is capable of doing this as a bluff, then check-calling flop is better. if BTN is aggressive, then I think check calling is the best line.

Checking allows you to keep the pot small as well. If it does check around, then bet out on all non-threatening turns- you will get called by worse.