Would you ever fold AA pre-flop?

Hello all,

I'm a rank beginner at poker and my experience is limited to freeroll tournaments on Carbon and a few play money STT's. I try to watch what other people do though and it seems like I rarely see any player so far who plays AA like you see on televised tournaments, it's either an immediate shove regardless of position, stage, or stack size, or very occasionally they never bet or raise at all, just call.

Early stages of the tournament, let's say you're in late position and somebody in early position bets, then there's a raise, then another raise or an all-in follows then maybe a call, would you fold AA in this situation, especially if you would be knocked out if you lose? I realize that the games I have played in so far are filled with maniacs, especially the play money, so I was wondering what you would do with real money on the line.

In a ring game, I'd most definitely never fold AA. In the early part of the tournament, they're probably all randoms who want to get lucky and double up. If I followed the bank roll guidelines and could buy in 25+ times to a tournament, I'd probably be okay with going all in with AA. If it's like my last 10k on the wsop, I'd kick myself for buying in there. But I wouldn't fold AA. Not there. I'd have went there pretty damn desperately. Like in debt with mobsters desperate. I think I'd be of the mindset that it was my best option. Probably is if I've failed enough and was desperate enough to end up in that spot.

Never played with real cash either since I can't yet. But that's how I'd look at it. Worst case is that they turn over AA too. Or they suck out. Hopefully it ain't your last buy in. Heh.

Good luck.

Hi!!

I too beginner! ! I would dump AA if on a board (on flop) there was a situation not in my advantage! ! !

;P

they all shove with aces online , because there sick of RNGs screwing them over

preflop i would never fold em, post flop i have many times. in that situation early in a tourny i would love to see lots of action with aces

In the situation you described, no.....unless it's a certain situation in a satellite where say getting 1st-50th doesn't matter and I'm guaranteed a seat by folding.

In a freeroll with 1k+ runners and same situation I might snap call with KQ if it's early so I'm never folding AA pre lol

Lose big win small with aces, But never folding pre flop..

I could fold AA preflop in a tournament. If 3 other players are all in and have me covered instead of putting my tournament on the line I may dump the aces, may call depending on any info on the other players though. Rare situation but if those 3 all have pocket pairs you would still be around 55% favorite, or you could also run into another pocket aces which means chop or lose 35%. Risking everything preflop in a tournament is different than ring game though, I believe I would call every time if it wasn't a tournament.

In a tournament it can be correct to fold aces. imagine the senerio you mentioned but at a final table where the payouts are life changing. If you have AA versus 4 all in players and they have you covered you chances of winning the hand are about 50% Folding makes you money. Correct me if im wrong anyone. Id like to hear any argument for calling that might change my mind. i wouldnt want be a magoo at the final table.. OMG he fold pocket aces on live tv, did he look at his cards?

SicKBeATz said:

In the situation you described, no.....unless it's a certain situation in a satellite where say getting 1st-50th doesn't matter and I'm guaranteed a seat by folding.

In a freeroll with 1k+ runners and same situation I might snap call with KQ if it's early so I'm never folding AA pre lol

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KQ has worst odds than A-6 though I'd rather wait for a better hand

cander128 said:

I could fold AA preflop in a tournament. If 3 other players are all in and have me covered instead of putting my tournament on the line I may dump the aces, may call depending on any info on the other players though. Rare situation but if those 3 all have pocket pairs you would still be around 55% favorite, or you could also run into another pocket aces which means chop or lose 35%. Risking everything preflop in a tournament is different than ring game though, I believe I would call every time if it wasn't a tournament.

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The odds are in your favor though no matter what if you have AA. If you came into the tournament to have fun grinding, then yeah prolong the stay. I'd think you'd blind out if you sat in the tournament and folded every time you only had an 80% chance of winning. When you hit 100%, by then you've blinded out

I don't want to be the guy who says I know I'm gonna lose it all but I'm gonna lose it slowly.

The multiple all in scenario described would be a valid fold. Why take the chance?

AA versus 3 players in an all in
Ring game = call
Free roll = call
low stakes sng & mtt = call
high stakes sng & mtt = fold
AA against 3 hands is a big gamble.

Thanks for your replies everyone, pretty much what I was thinking as well. Calling AA all-in with 3-4 people in the pot and busting out of a high-stakes tournament on the first hand certainly seems to be one quick way to long-term regrets...I heard one quote somewhere that you don't win multi-day MTT's like the WSOP main event on the first day.

Never, why fold the best starting hand you can possibly get.

Folding preflop no way.. Gotta love a lot of action with aces preflop. If they get cracked you just roll with the punches.

saw some post that said in certain situations they might fold AA preflop but didnt see any1 say they have . so here is 1 that has. I am chip leader and next out makes for the final table .there is a bet and and a raise and the only guy at the table who can hurt me pushes allin. I want to bust this guy so bad my teeth are bleeding,but i did lay them down because i wasnt going to put myself at risk of a sukout and lose my chip advantage when the money was so close. as it ended up he did get called and he did suk a four flush. a couple hours later i was collecting 1st money. but like others said in a ring game its always a keeper.

smidjet said:

saw some post that said in certain situations they might fold AA preflop but didnt see any1 say they have . so here is 1 that has. I am chip leader and next out makes for the final table .there is a bet and and a raise and the only guy at the table who can hurt me pushes allin. I want to bust this guy so bad my teeth are bleeding,but i did lay them down because i wasnt going to put myself at risk of a sukout and lose my chip advantage when the money was so close. as it ended up he did get called and he did suk a four flush. a couple hours later i was collecting 1st money. but like others said in a ring game its always a keeper.

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This is just results orientated. Never fold AA pre. If there are more people in the pot your pot odds are better so you need less equity for it to be a +EV play. The only legit scenario is a satellite.
/thread.

Why would you fold AA pre-flop ever? I wouldn't fold AA if my entire bankroll was on the line HU pre-flop.

Yes, if I was 4 handed in a double up sng and three players were all in behind me and I don't have them covered.

Propane Goat said:

Early stages of the tournament, let's say you're in late position and somebody in early position bets, then there's a raise, then another raise or an all-in follows then maybe a call, would you fold AA in this situation, especially if you would be knocked out if you lose?

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No, because in this spot we're something like 50% to quadruple our stack.

NO

hobonc said:

AA versus 3 players in an all in
Ring game = call
Free roll = call
low stakes sng & mtt = call
high stakes sng & mtt = fold
AA against 3 hands is a big gamble.

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This is idiotic folding because you'r playing high stakes.

If you was making folds with AA because you are playing a high stakes game, then you should never ever be playing the stake.



OP: The only time you should fold AA, is in a satty tournament if you're 100% sure you have earned your ticket or will earn your ticket because 1st is the same value as the last paying place so there is no advantage/gain to winning even as a huge favorite.

Never ever fold in any other situation though. If you start folding AA because there are multiple all ins, then you shouldn't ever be playing poker for money.

ramdeebam said:

This is idiotic folding because you'r playing high stakes.

If you was making folds with AA because you are playing a high stakes game, then you should never ever be playing the stake.



OP: The only time you should fold AA, is in a satty tournament if you're 100% sure you have earned your ticket or will earn your ticket because 1st is the same value as the last paying place so there is no advantage/gain to winning even as a huge favorite.

Never ever fold in any other situation.

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Even then it is not about folding AA - you would just sit out and fold every hand if you had nothing left to gain. If you were doing that you wouldn't even know what your cards were - would be long gone. If you were still playing there would be a reason for playing - and no reason to fold AA.

Yeah that's true to a degree, I usually play sattys right to the end and if my stack size is average and you can time the blind levels going up in relation to the avg stack size and avoid a full orbit then you will likely be able to tank each hand for one whole orbit before the blinds reach you again and guarantee yourself a ticket pretty much always where as if your sat out, you just snap fold automatically giving you less time. I think I sometimes wonder, if I sat out..I'd come back to find I'd end up bubbling lol.

I can actually remember a few times I've always been dealt with AA or some other strong hand UTG (tempting me to shove) lol a few times in a satty tournament when I know I've likely got less at least one orbit left with 1 or 2 really really short stacks, who will be busted within a couple of hands by the antes alone which meant I playing folding AA was the only guaranteed winning result for that particular game.

Could be a fold in double or nothing as well