Playing A rag offsuit

I am having a lot of trouble playing Ax with x being 2-9. I try to open from CO and Btn mostly b/c then i usually will be ahead of SB and BB ranges.

I don't usually know how to play them from early and late position. I just never know what to do when the A hits. I imagine I am being called by some hands that dominate me but then I may be missing value on KQ,KJ, QJ,JT hands that may call.

Any thoughts?

Pio suggest checking weak top pairs, as you cannot get 3 streets of value, as well as you can be behind when getting called.

When it comes to wide button range pre flop and post flop you have to decide, if you want to bet twice or with really wide range or give up right away and bomb when you have hit goods. It highly depends on opponents you are facing.

As you already know (but others will be reading this also), rag aces should just be dumped, unless you are first to act in late position, or get a good price defending your big blind. I will open A9 a little bit earlier than A6 though, and on the other side a hand like A2 is so bad, it can actually be folded even on BTN. So just like all pairs 22-99 are not the same, neither is A2-A9.

With that being said part of the value in opening A2-A9 is the fact, that you have taken an ace out of the deck, so you are a little bit less likely to get action. You simply have more fold equity, than if you open other hands, and you will get 3-bet less often, because you block a lot of your opponents 3-betting range.

So in a sense, when you get action, you can consider it a failed bluff, and its ok sometimes to just give up, if the situation is not good for continuing. Like you are out of position, the flop connects well with your opponents range, and you really have nothing other than your overcard. Then maybe just check-fold rather than waste the C-bet.

In other situations though its fine to take a stab and just try to take home the dead money. Like your opponent is out of position, he probably missed the board, and he is folding a lot to C-bets. Then just bet and take it home on the flop.

Then of course there are those flops, where we make one pair, and this is either going to be top pair with kicker problems or typically second or third pair. This kind of hand is typically of the bluff catcher / showdown value type, but again it depends.

If you are BTN vs. BB, and the flop is wet, then I would probably bet top pair no kicker flop and turn and then check back river to get value from draws. But if you are out of position on a dry A high board with top pair no kicker, there is typically no point in betting. Just check to your opponent instead and let him take a stab with his whatever.

I raised A6 near the button yesterday and got five callers, which created a big pot. The flop was A6J, and I won a big pot. But I was very lucky to hit that flop. My first instinct was to just call. I probably would have folded to a raise.

Fold that rag.

yoejslattery said:

I am having a lot of trouble playing Ax with x being 2-9. I try to open from CO and Btn mostly b/c then i usually will be ahead of SB and BB ranges.

I don't usually know how to play them from early and late position. I just never know what to do when the A hits. I imagine I am being called by some hands that dominate me but then I may be missing value on KQ,KJ, QJ,JT hands that may call.

Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

Two way to do that. Passive check call if you are against a player that cbet alot. Or take control of the pot with block bet of suitable amount.

Ace-rag hands are great to raise from late position or to 3bet with from the blinds. The reason is that you can fold them easily against a 3bet/jam, but when called you probably have ways to hit the flop hard.

Just don't get married to a weak ace.

Before a weak player with minimal aggression, such a hand will not be difficult to play in a raise or re-raise.

Open them from late position and occasionally 3 Bet with them vs loose aggressive preflop players.