Late stage Aces

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_420_420_

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So this situation happened to me twice in two days and I played it differently each time.Both hands I was already in the money, near final table. (within 10 places)
I get aces.
First time, I tried to slow play, UTG (50bb) raises 2bb, I just call (~20bb behind). Then shoves me all in on the flop and I call. Ends up hitting a straight. Should I have just shoved pre-flop?


Then I shoved my Aces from the button and get called by Tens and villain ends up hitting a set.


So what is better, slow play or super aggressive?
Or should I even fold Aces when so close to the final table?
 
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Dejan Stanojevic

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That what you are saying happened to me all the time. I think that you can play whatever you want, but if your variation is good you will run nice if not will be oposite.
 
_420_420_

_420_420_

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That what you are saying happened to me all the time. I think that you can play whatever you want, but if your variation is good you will run nice if not will be oposite.


Yes, variation seems like a good idea... I think especially based on position, the first time I was in middle position, so I guess I wanted more people to call preflop... this might have been my mistake, I should have shoved the first time.
 
aqqr

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If you make a call from an early position, then there is a chance that other opponents will also a call and they will likely catch the flop well. You can a call pre-flop in the blinds, if you know for sure that the opponent is very aggressive.
 
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beatlebug

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Shoving can hurt

I have decided that at late stages of a game, it seems like every time I shove with pocket aces, someone with AK AQ will call and hit the straight. Therefore, my play has now become to slow play or use the pot bet regardless....This way I can judge if I will get crushed or not.
 
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Dejan Stanojevic

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I am not saying that only call is good play, i am aggresive player and i like to raise, so that play with min raise on utg position is great, but variation on live and net is very big.. For example i am busted with two jacks :jd4::jd4: on past three tournaments close to payments and i play on three diferent way. i am poker dealer and on live i dont see never that one same player bust like that..
 
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_420_420_

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I am not saying that only call is good play, i am aggresive player and i like to raise, so that play with min raise on utg position is great, but variation on live and net is very big.. For example i am busted with two jacks :jd4::jd4: on past three tournaments close to payments and i play on three diferent way. i am poker dealer and on live i dont see never that one same player bust like that..


Variation seems to be good, but I think aggressive early might make sense too, especially on a loose-ish table... Idk if I will just call anymore
 
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Jenya Zemlyanukhin

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I in such situations try not to bring to the flop, otherwise the situation can drastically change
 
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darpblog

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No, you don't want to fold every hand just because you are approaching the final table. or do yo mean folding Aces here to the postflop shove? Well, you don't say what the board was, but it would've been a really nitty flop most of the time.

I don't like trapping with aces, but if I were to I'd go with a min-raise when opening and a 2.5x 3 bet when facing aggresion, only flatting from the bb.

But I'd prefer to just shove pre here with around 20 bb, and hope UTG has a good hand. I'm not unhappy with them folding either.
 
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_420_420_

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No, you don't want to fold every hand just because you are approaching the final table. or do yo mean folding Aces here to the postflop shove? Well, you don't say what the board was, but it would've been a really nitty flop most of the time.

I don't like trapping with aces, but if I were to I'd go with a min-raise when opening and a 2.5x 3 bet when facing aggresion, only flatting from the bb.

But I'd prefer to just shove pre here with around 20 bb, and hope UTG has a good hand. I'm not unhappy with them folding either.


I think there is a 75% chance the guy would call a shove in the first situation, he was playing a lot of hands
 
DougPkrMonsta

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AA late in a tournament should always be a welcome sight no matter the results.

I'm more of a fan of the flat call than the shove though - you need to make chips deep in tournaments if you want to win, and you're not going to get a much better spot than with two aces.

Hand #1 - You don't say which position you call from the UTG raise from, but depending on the stack sizes of the players behind you this can be a good play.

I'd rather flat-call against a loose player's UTG range than a tight player (since a tight player has better cards that can likely at least call a re-raise). Sounds like you got your whole stack in ahead on the flop and took a bad beat.

Hand #2 - I think you likely would have ended up all-in preflop against the tens even without shoving, why not just make your standard raise when it folds to you?

Shoving increases your fold equity and you really would prefer at least a call, taking the blinds and antes with such a strong hand isn't a great result.

As played you should not be upset getting your whole stack in a 4.5-1 favorite even though you lost this one.

Keep getting your chips in ahead when deep in the tournament and eventually it will work out for you.

Better luck next time! :D
 
kraemer

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I think that outright folding aces is wrong no matter where you are in a tourny...

There is not much you can do about people hitting their 2outer or being lucky and ending up with a runner runner straight....

Ever thought of using a strategy that is somewhere in the middle of the 2 approaches you mention... Especially in the late stages of a MTT You will probably not see many people calling if you play a 4 - 6 BB raise. But if You get a caller and a dangerous board you still have an option of folding after the flop or turn and save at least some of your chips...
 
Masi2197

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I usually make a strong bet no matter what my position, eliminate villains with medium hands will make my hand take value, many times I will find a low pair or some player that matches with an AQ or an AK .....
 
Alexandr Svinarshyk

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my opinion aces need to play only aggressively pre-flop.
 
gabpoker

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I think that you can play Aces differently depending on your position and player types. It seems like in both cases you got the action you wanted and the villains got lucky. In the first case if you shove then you might win a small pot but as played if the villain doesn't hit his str8 you double up and have a better shot at winning.


Don't fold Aces use them to have a chance to make the final table with lots of chips and maximize your chances of winning the tournament.
 
Poker Orifice

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Whoever says poker is no longer an easy way to make a profit hasn't read this thread. One just needs to read through the responses (& original post) to be filled with a renewed sense of enthusiasm for the game. When's the next tourney? Yes!!!!!!!
 
Nr98

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I have decided that at late stages of a game, it seems like every time I shove with pocket aces, someone with AK AQ will call and hit the straight. Therefore, my play has now become to slow play or use the pot bet regardless....This way I can judge if I will get crushed or not.


Don't let your feelings get in the way of what you know is your optimal play. In the later stages of a tournament you should play them aggressive imo. Yes every once in a while you'll lose. But that is just variance, accept it and move on ^^

Most of the time it will work in your favor though.
 
8bod8

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With AA, in nearly all situations you want to maximise the chips you win.
Slow playing often results in 2 or even more opponents, reducing your chances of winning drastically.
Going all-in gives you roughly 80/20, so on average you'll loose every fifth time, if only 1 calls, if no one calls you'll just get the pot/blinds.
PreFlop, AA is the best you can get.
Postflop, AA is only 1 pair.
 
dimon4ik89

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If you want to win 80% of the hands on aces, then they need to be played aggressively

If you want to win 80% of the hands on aces, then they need to be played aggressively. Earlier I also played aces call or limped, and also very often lost. After I started raising 3BB or more on aces, I started to win 8 hands out of 10. You will win less chips if you play aggressively, but there will be less chance that you will lose. Similarly, you need to play KK and QQ, which would often win.
 
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Sorin Iliescu

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If you want to win 80% of the hands on aces, then they need to be played aggressively. Earlier I also played aces call or limped, and also very often lost. After I started raising 3BB or more on aces, I started to win 8 hands out of 10. You will win less chips if you play aggressively, but there will be less chance that you will lose. Similarly, you need to play KK and QQ, which would often win.
agree with this
 
shanest

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You can question yourself for getting it in good on the 2nd scenario.
What you have to consider for flatting the AA is the table and position you are in. Any intermediary raise coming from a 20bb stack is going to look super strong.
You need to consider are there loose/squeezers behind you etc.
I would 3b jam the AA rather than make a small raise as this looks weaker unless you are balanced with your 3b range of a 20bb stack.
 
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beatlebug

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One thing that needs to be factored in also is your position. If you shove from utg how many will be in the hand with you? Sometimes if it's late in the game, and I want to make it to the ft I say play conservative so I will last. This has been my go to strategy.
 
ammje

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You do not say what level play at, but I thing you played well, you just had bad luck.It is the bad thing about playing tournaments, sometimes you have a couple of hours playing and the final table is close and you end up losing with AA, but if you keep playing well, one day lucky will be in you favor and you will reach the final table.
If I am in utg, I open 2bb and a half or 3bb, if I am in an advanced position to go up 2bb is fine, for that stage of the tournament the blinds are big, so it is not necessary to go up a lot.
 
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domdiego

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hey buddy, Slow play is a danger, you can slow play only with straight flush or full House , others cards like AA Aggressive all time not to give chances to your opponents is better to be aggressive and amaze the maximum of players than to risk taking a bad beat
 
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