AA against timid player

[texasfoldem]

OK, so I get AA while in BB on 2 dollar 01/02 cent table. Only one person is in on with 6c raise. Based on previous rounds this person seems timid. Last time I went 20c re-raise because I had high pair - he folds. THIS time I decide to go smaller with just 10c - he checks this.

Flop is 4AA - chances of him winning with straight flush now is pretty negligible so I know I have more or less won. The question is how do I deal with this. I make a small bet to try to imply I am maybe holding a 4 and something else. He simply checks it.

So, my strategy now was to try to get it all the way to the river to try and milk him as much as possible and hope he has a really good hand by then so he bets hard. I milked it to the river and then went all in when he checked the river - he folds. I made in total 38c... but if I had have blundered in at the start (as per suggested strategy) I would have way less than that - a fraction of that, in fact.

As far as I am concerned I got as much out of it as I could. Maybe I should not have gone all in when he checked the river but it was just a long shot.

Any thoughts on this whole strategy? If it is dreadful then say so - I am not that experienced so I am not going to be offended.

 

[Mikeisanace777]

How do you deal with flopping quads is that right? It's usually hard to get paid off with flopped boats and quads/

 

[Andrew Popov]

I think you got not a "timid player", but just a telephone exchange. Such a player will check for any small raises, and fold to large bets if he does not have a ready hand.

 

[puzzlefish]

Most of the time when your aces aren't being cracked, they won't be getting much action. It's normal to have a hand play out like this one did for you. Next time maybe give him some room to bet on the turn by checking, but chances are he will check back. Smaller bet on the river would optimize your earnings.

 

[alfiyka]

tonight in the game of poker stars Freeroll I put in the Bank.I have been 9 and 2.this couple played against two aces.And I won because I had two pairs.9 and 2.

 

[Jon Poker]

Most of the time when your aces aren't being cracked, they won't be getting much action. It's normal to have a hand play out like this one did for you. Next time maybe give him some room to bet on the turn by checking, but chances are he will check back. Smaller bet on the river would optimize your earnings.

This statement makes lots of sense - its really hard for worse hands to continue especially at a level in stakes where people tend to play very straight forward and not really thinking about aspects such as hand ranges, pot control, etc...players at the lowest levels are typically the most basic. Now, that being said - the river bet, sure you get paid off once in a while when jamming the river...but usually not so much with a hand as strong as yours. I've seen Daniel Negreanu simply just bet the minimum or 2x the minimum on the river in many cash games - hands where he knows he is not getting paid much or at all on the river he bets so small they often have to call. I watched a live stream 5/10 game with him in it a few years back and saw him bet $10 or $20 into pots of $200+ just simply because he knew his opponents were unlikely to call with worse hands for higher pricing. If you keep it dirt cheap often you will get paid by people who have absolutely nothing just to see what you had the entire time. Gets you that little extra on the end and adds to your table image.

So into that pot of .38c you could easily bet .05 or maybe even .08 and get called by almost anything just to see if you have it. Doesnt seem like much i know, but over multiple tables across multiple sessions it adds up. You play 1/2 live poker with me and you will see me bet $5 into $80+ multiple times during the night and almost every time they pay

 

[whosdaboss25]

I think you played it the best of your ability and this player wasn't going to give you that much anyway. Don't over think the hand take what you get you made alittle bit off this tidmid player your lucky your made that much from the way you deiscribe him so you played the hand well and just don't over think it to much and be happy with that .38 profit.

 

[texasfoldem]

OK, Thanks for the advice everyone. I have read all of the replies. I agree also that I should have been somewhat less aggressive on the river bet regardless of what I was holding. It was frustration more than anything.

I see people maximizing pocket aces (and also losing big with them as well). More than half the time everyone has folded before I even get to play high pocket pairs.

 

[rikisrakis]

I would say that you're lucky you got as much as you did out of him in that hand. As pretty as the quads were for you, that's a flop that virtually none of his range should be interested in calling with, because you know he doesn't have an ace and it's highly unlikely that he has a 4. You only really stood a chance of making money off of high-mid pocket pairs in that spot. Against a tight player especially, you can't always make money on your monsters if they don't also connect in some way.

 

[david1bear]

I think you played the hand well:0) sometimes hands are like that people just don't have enough of anything to call:0) maybe next time if ever try not betting maybe he or she will try to bluff with nothing:0) good luck out there

 

[roger perkins]

I often do the same thing shove the river hoping it looks like a bluff. I will say this is not a good strategy because i often just get a fold. Then i always think why didnt i make a small bet that may get called. Im working on that. I think its a much more profitable move in the long run to just make a small bet. now lets see if i can take my own advice.