Folding aces

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Tjwildman13

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My friend and I have recently had a little bit of a debate. He says there is no time ever where you should fold aces pre flop no matter what while I say if you make it to the bubble at any major tournament and you're facing a couple all ins and you're short stacked it would be acceptable to fold. Does anyone have any insight to this debate? It would be very helpful into settling a little disagreement. Thanks.
 
PokerNuts01

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No, I will never throw the AA! KK yes, but AA never preflop!
 
Gabinho12345

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You can fold AA preflop in satellites when you are sure you will win ticket and if you have 1-2BB on stone bubble when tournament is hand for hand.
 
Masi2197

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I think your debate is important I think both are right, but if it is good to fold a bet with AA before the flop so eliminate players with junk letters so you do not take a preflop, but there to be very careful you will not always win, Observe the movements of your opponents, bets or resubds after the flop those little things will tell you if your hand is still very strong or pass to the background ..
 
PokerNuts01

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You can fold AA preflop in satellites when you are sure you will win ticket and if you have 1-2BB on stone bubble when tournament is hand for hand.
no, I can not even then!
 
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John Bor

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just for fun, I fold a pair of aces))))
It was then I would have lost a lot of chips
 
TheHulk7

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Absolutely not, you have the strongest preflop hand, and there isn't any reason to throw it preflop..No matter if there is some players all-in or not, I will never folds pocket aces preflop. Of course, this is not the hand that will always win, but all others have less chance..
 
Satiivas

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What about tournaments where the first 100 places pay the same (let's say 50 EUR), there are 106 players left, you are currently 5th on chips and facing an all-in from a player with a stack who could end your tournament life? Even if you are holding AA, why should you risk to bubble when you are nearly guaranteed to get in the money and more importantly, get the same money as anyone else. Even with a f.e 80% edge, the 20% you are going to lose are devastating, since you don't even gain anything for winning the hand. So in that case, folding AA would be profitable IMO.
 
ThinkDiffrent

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AA only win 50% of time
 
Edvardas

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I would never fold pocket Aces preflop in limit game. Other thing is what to do on flop and later streets. As You wrote, their strength decreases with every next player on the flop. It's impossible to tell You how to act without info about cards on board and actions of the others.
 
VovanBaron

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My friend and I have recently had a little bit of a debate. He says there is no time ever where you should fold aces pre flop no matter what while I say if you make it to the bubble at any major tournament and you're facing a couple all ins and you're short stacked it would be acceptable to fold. Does anyone have any insight to this debate? It would be very helpful into settling a little disagreement. Thanks.
For e.g. u play final table and only 3 players in game .u have short stack ang middle stack and chip leader go all in and u have AA and spring up between prisez for 3 and 2 place about 100k.$
 
Satiivas

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You did not answer my question m8..
Luck has nothing to do with this ..
Although 24k isn't a massive sample size, I'll have to agree with PokerNuts and speculate, that the percentage would stay similar over 240k or 2,4m hands.
 
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I think you have to fold a pair of aces pre flop only at crucial moments in the tournament, like the prize bubble or satellites.
 
wildgremlin

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People only seem to remember the bad beats they have with AA but forgot the times they won pots with them.
 
wildgremlin

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I think you have to fold a pair of aces pre flop only at crucial moments in the tournament, like the prize bubble or satellites.
I totally disagree with comments like this. Isn't poker about playing the percentages and having an edge? If this is the case why would we fold hands that are +ev preflop?
It doesn't get much nitty than folding AA pre in any circumstance, although I can understand the point mentioned from a satellite point of view.
 
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armher

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When you are playing for big tournament and on the final table are three players, you are not chip leader and both your opponents go all in, you can fold and wait your opponent, because in this case you will win big many without playing the hand.
 
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ph_il

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My friend and I have recently had a little bit of a debate. He says there is no time ever where you should fold aces pre flop no matter what while I say if you make it to the bubble at any major tournament and you're facing a couple all ins and you're short stacked it would be acceptable to fold. Does anyone have any insight to this debate? It would be very helpful into settling a little disagreement. Thanks.
Very rarely would I fold AA preflop.

1) in a satellite MTT where you're GTD a seat already.

If you're guaranteed a seat, meaning you don't have to play anymore hands near the bubble and can wait it out, it's fine to fold instead of risking it. Lets say there are 15 players left and 14 get tickets to a bigger game. You don't want to call all-ins and risk busting out if you're in a good position to win a seat in the next game. Since the pay out is equal, winning with AA doesn't not have extra value and you don't earn extra equity.

2) At a final table where there are significant money jumps.

Rare situation, but if I'm short stacked at a final table and I see 3-4 all-ins before me, I'll fold because moving up the pay ladder has more value. At this point, it's about the profit and not necessarily winning individual hands. Especially if I'm so short that doubling/tripling up wont make a huge difference.

If I have 1 BB and facing 4 all-ins, I'm only earning ~6 BBs if I call and win. And if I lose, I'm still taking 9th. However, if I fold, I have a chance to jump up a few ladder spots because there is a good chance 1+ players will bust. In this situation, I'd rather try to bust 6th or 7th than 9th because of money jumps.
 
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ph_il

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What about tournaments where the first 100 places pay the same (let's say 50 EUR), there are 106 players left, you are currently 5th on chips and facing an all-in from a player with a stack who could end your tournament life? Even if you are holding AA, why should you risk to bubble when you are nearly guaranteed to get in the money and more importantly, get the same money as anyone else. Even with a f.e 80% edge, the 20% you are going to lose are devastating, since you don't even gain anything for winning the hand. So in that case, folding AA would be profitable IMO.
Very good point.
 
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