scared to play AA after the flop

Blazing_Saddler

Blazing_Saddler

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Every one loves to look at their hole cards and see pocket aces. However recentely I have been having a bit of a nightmare with them. In honesty I know it is how I have played them, so I am working hard to improve my play with big pairs

This is an example hand, of where I was scared to bet the turn for fear of already being beat. I had just won a big pot before, I think that comes in to mind, although obviously it shouldn't

I think my main mistake was not betting on the turn, not sure what I put him on now I look back, but it was criminal not betting I think now I look back.

I had no real reads at the time, but have since pegged him as a calling station. Your thoughts on this hand, and playing AA after the flop in general please

Stacks: - Blazing_Saddler with $110.05 - sunmaker-1 with $19.25 - ohlawds with $50.25 - cdogstu99 with $21.30 - howard174 with $56.85 - kameelyon with $28.30

index.pl


index.pl

Blinds: $0.25/$0.50
Site: full tilt poker
* - Dealt to Blazing_Saddler:
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ac.gif

* - Sklansky group 1
Preflop: kameelyon calls [$0.50]
* - blazing_saddler raises to $2 kameelyon calls [$1.50]
* - Folds: 4
* - Potsize: $4.5
Flop:
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6d.gif
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* - blazing_saddler bets [$3.50] kameelyon calls [$3.50]
* - Potsize: $11.5
Turn:
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* - Blazing_Saddler checks kameelyon checks
* - Potsize: $11.5
River:
5c.gif

* - Blazing_Saddler checks kameelyon bets [$7]
* - blazing_saddler calls [$7]
Results:


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beardyian

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Maybe a larger preflop bet and at least a pot-sized bet on the flop may have helped.

What stands out also is that he is only calling, put a larger question to him, if he caomes back again then think about slowing it down a bit.

Possible set, a fishy QJ, AK and hoping either way i feel you needed a bet on the turn -
1. To maximize you profits
and 2, to make your opponent think

Just checking gives him a free card and it could just be the one he wants.

A little more aggression pre & on the flop, remember you have the top of all pre-flop hands - dont be afraid of it :)
 
Blazing_Saddler

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That was a pot bet, or at least I pressed the bet pot button when it came round to me. It should have been $2.25 though I think. Either way he probably isn't folding either way pre flop. Which is good of course.

I realise what a bad check the turn was now, considering there was a flush and straight draw there. That is what I really should have put him on. I called the river bet, which maybe also was probably a mistake, whether I won or not, as if I didn't think I was ahead on the turn, why call on the river.

However, it is all very well saying it now, guess thats why I am posting it now, so I don't make the same mistakes again

Edit

Misread the bit about pot sized bet, you meant on the flop, got you now
 
dj11

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I think that this hand probably ended up right. Whatever the outcome.

He could very well be calling with a small pair, 2 pair, or a set. That he called your raises should slow you down some. Sanity prevails, but consider he might see this as weekness and pop it with air. He could just as easy be bluffing as holding the nut 78, but the 78 at no time (until his gutshot filled) would have warranted calling your raises. The flush draw could account for his calls, but that busted on the river.

His last bet seems peculiar, and with no reads, I would think it was a half hearted steal attempt after you wavered on the turn, and I would call. With the stack sizes showing here, in your position I might even have check reraised the river.

So, because you had no reads, and because he played this in a most threatening way (passive, passive, strike), I think that because this hand killed neither of you here, it ended fine. Not every confrontation needs to be deadly. A better idea is to work on maximizing gains and minimizing loses, not absolutely maximizing every opportunity. The work part will result in slightly bigger gains, and slightly smaller loses.
 
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Blazing_Saddler

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Interesting post there dj11. That is more how I have been trying to think about things more recentely. I don't want to be one of those players who donks off all his chips with AA.

He actually had 56, and took the pot with 2 pairs with the 5 on the river being just the free card he wanted. He is actually a calling station, fishy player, but I didn't know this at the time. His play isn't the worst in the world to be honest.

I have been know in the 6 max games to call a flop bet with bottom pair to see the reaction on the turn, there are an awful lot of players who fire C bets now, then back off on the turn once you call. It isn't something I do a lot, but if i think I have any chance of pushing the player off the hand, I have done it before. Then of course I checked the turn, and he gladly took the free card. Then he bet for value on the river. I did call, although I just had the gut feeling I was paying him off.

No one ever said it was going to be easy :D

Thanks for the replies , much appreciated
 
Bombjack

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This kind of post makes me want to put my fist through the monitor. If you're that scared of making big bets when you have Aces, PLAY LOWER STAKES.

Seriously, you have no reason to think your opponent had 2 pair+ on this turn, and you let him draw for free. The only reason you should ever check this Turn is as a deceptive trap so that you can re-raise them all-in when they bet. But you should only take that line versus a very aggressive opponent who's floating you a lot and who you believe will bet a draw.

The river you have to call having played it this way, since most of the time they're value-betting worse, thinking you can't even have top pair. But you should have bet the river yourself after your check-raise on the turn failed.
 
Blazing_Saddler

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Did you read the same hand ?

I did no check raise, because I was out of position, I also couldn't bet the River first because I was out of position.

Fair enough I agree with you a bet on the turn was needed, We are all still learning. No need to smash your screen, it will cost you quite a few Big Blinds :)
 
ratmantoo

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Bit of a hard one but yeah a bet on the turn was needed. If you reverse the situation and play it from his hand it looks like you have AK / AJ or a small pair ,have missed and are worried about the Q being good. The free card on the turn is a godsend making your two pair and you bet at it.

All in all IMO post flop should have at least pot size, the turn again pot size. The river is scary because it makes the straight but then again it was a gutshot and I wouldn't have bet on making it on the river.
 
Bombjack

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Did you read the same hand ?

I did no check raise, because I was out of position, I also couldn't bet the River first because I was out of position.

Fair enough I agree with you a bet on the turn was needed, We are all still learning. No need to smash your screen, it will cost you quite a few Big Blinds :)
Last time I checked, you con ONLY check-raise and bet first on the river when you're out of position...

ratmantoo said:
All in all IMO post flop should have at least pot size, the turn again pot size. The river is scary because it makes the straight but then again it was a gutshot and I wouldn't have bet on making it on the river.
I disagree about making your bets pot-size - this will likely make worse one-pair hands fold, while your aim is to get these to put as much money into the pot as possible. And unless you're making a lot of pot-size bluffs, it's completely transparent what you're doing. The river is a blank imo and I think it helps your opponent's hand very rarely.
 
ratmantoo

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I disagree about making your bets pot-size

Generally i would agree, however there is a straight and flush draw on the board. We don't want to give them any cards cheaply if they are on the draw.

But then again this player is definately fishy..calling a 4BB raise with 56, calling with mid pair bad kicker, even not firing when the turn is checked to them.

All in all they got lucky!!!!
 
J

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Bet this turn, period a lot of drawing/1 pair hands will be calling this flop thinking they have your 77,88,99 in bad shape and we're in front unless he has flopped or turned a set. If we get raised, our hand probably is no good, especially against a passive opponent, but I'd wager it would still be good (ie. AQ, AJ raising).

Not betting here gives a free card on a drawy board and also make us lose tons of value the times his flush or str8 draw doesn't hit.

River is a call as played.
 
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