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WJMKAM
Rock Star
Bronze Level
If you are near the end to act, 87 suited is worth a call. You have the opportunity to get it more money as it can be a surprise. AA is clearly much better to get, although it can get busted. Bet the AA big early and then hope.
F
fundiver199
Legend
Loyaler
On a more serious note if you collect your hands in a tracker, you will see, that over a reasonable sample like 50.000 to 100.000 hands, AA is winning around 80% of the time. Maybe a bit less, if you constantly play it passively, and therefore allow other players to realise more of their equity. But for a standard TAG player 80% is a typical number, and AA is also by far the biggest winning hand.
So why is there this myth or feeling, that AA "always gets cracked" and especially by hands like 87s? Well first off all medium suited connectors like 87s are actually the best hands to have in order to crack AA. On average 87s has 22,46% equity against AA, while AKo only has 6,83% and KK only 18,06%. So 87s does actually crack AA more often than those premium but second best hands, that people often go all-in with preflop.
The other element is, that typically the player with AA will do a lot of betting and raising, and then the player with 87s will not go to showdown, unless he improved to two pair or better. Few people are willing to play a big pot with a pair of 8`s or 7`s, which by the river is usually only second or third pair or even worth. And of course nobody are ever calling on the river with 8 high, if they ended up with a busted draw.
So when AA hold, we often dont get to see the 87s, because the hand will not go to showdown. Of course there will be exceptions like, when 87s decides to bluff, or when the board run out something like AK882 giving 87s trips but AA a full house. But 87s will mainly get to showdown, when it can beat AA. So with AA against 87s we either win a small to medium pot without showdown, which people tend to quickly forget, or we lose a big pot at showdown, which people tend to remember, because its painfull.
So why is there this myth or feeling, that AA "always gets cracked" and especially by hands like 87s? Well first off all medium suited connectors like 87s are actually the best hands to have in order to crack AA. On average 87s has 22,46% equity against AA, while AKo only has 6,83% and KK only 18,06%. So 87s does actually crack AA more often than those premium but second best hands, that people often go all-in with preflop.
The other element is, that typically the player with AA will do a lot of betting and raising, and then the player with 87s will not go to showdown, unless he improved to two pair or better. Few people are willing to play a big pot with a pair of 8`s or 7`s, which by the river is usually only second or third pair or even worth. And of course nobody are ever calling on the river with 8 high, if they ended up with a busted draw.
So when AA hold, we often dont get to see the 87s, because the hand will not go to showdown. Of course there will be exceptions like, when 87s decides to bluff, or when the board run out something like AK882 giving 87s trips but AA a full house. But 87s will mainly get to showdown, when it can beat AA. So with AA against 87s we either win a small to medium pot without showdown, which people tend to quickly forget, or we lose a big pot at showdown, which people tend to remember, because its painfull.
BetterThanAvgButNotByMuch
Visionary
Bronze Level
I would suggest folks looking into a preflop chart that has AA in the top upper left corner and 22 on the bottom right corner. Normally, the highlighted cards are playable and the ones not are trash hands that aren't supposed to be played. The better charts tell from what position to play the hands.
Those middle suited connectors are really supposed to be played from late position without seeing a lot of action before getting to you. And you need to be more skilled to be able to put someone on a hand and understand a texture of a board once you hit a pair so they're more involved than playing big pairs or big cards.
Baby suited connectors (like 43s, 32s) or baby suited with one gappers (like 53s, 64) for the most part are trash hands and shouldn't be played.
But to your point, how many folks are in the hands? What position were you in? How much did you put into pot? What are the circumstances? What type of people are you playing? I mean, aces are a pair and against Nitty Nancy that only 3 bets the flop when she hits a set or better then there's a good chance she's got more than top pair and your aces are dead so it might be a good idea not to make the pot big. Do they even know starting hands or are they TV poker "educated"? Some stuff to think about perhaps?
Those middle suited connectors are really supposed to be played from late position without seeing a lot of action before getting to you. And you need to be more skilled to be able to put someone on a hand and understand a texture of a board once you hit a pair so they're more involved than playing big pairs or big cards.
Baby suited connectors (like 43s, 32s) or baby suited with one gappers (like 53s, 64) for the most part are trash hands and shouldn't be played.
But to your point, how many folks are in the hands? What position were you in? How much did you put into pot? What are the circumstances? What type of people are you playing? I mean, aces are a pair and against Nitty Nancy that only 3 bets the flop when she hits a set or better then there's a good chance she's got more than top pair and your aces are dead so it might be a good idea not to make the pot big. Do they even know starting hands or are they TV poker "educated"? Some stuff to think about perhaps?
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HaroldHouse
Rock Star
Bronze Level
AA is about a 80% favorite. But most times you have 78suited youre not going to be facing a pair of aces. So 78 is good draw but still not a "All In". Suited connectors are much harder to play than AA , but can be very profitable.
zwbb
Legend
Bronze Level
Probabilities in poker are a measure of how often an event will occur, from 0 to 100%. Understanding the probabilities in poker gives you the ability to logically evaluate and analyze the profitability of a particular action in the current situation.
eberetta1
Legend
Loyaler
I do not know of one online poker player who believes their pocket AA's are going to hold up 80% of the time.
WDStipa
Visionary
Bronze Level
When I have AA in my hand I always make sure to raise preflop counting that the opponents who have cards like 7 8 suited will fold.
To get a pair of aces in your hand is a gift, but nevertheless you need to play it carefully. Just because you got a pair of aces in your hand, that doesn't mean that the opponent cannot win 2 pairs after the flop opens with 7, 8 in her/his hand.
So, on one hand, to get a pair of aces is a gift, but on another hand it can be a trap.
To get a pair of aces in your hand is a gift, but nevertheless you need to play it carefully. Just because you got a pair of aces in your hand, that doesn't mean that the opponent cannot win 2 pairs after the flop opens with 7, 8 in her/his hand.
So, on one hand, to get a pair of aces is a gift, but on another hand it can be a trap.
RumDrumSkinTin
Rising Star
Bronze Level
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TomCj
Rock Star
Bronze Level
The Most Outs
I consider any suited connector a good hand to see a flop
this is because you have 29 cards, in various combinations,
that can make your straight or flush
(except connectors below 4 or above J -
they have less outs because they
have less than six "slots" which can be filled)
12 on each side for the strait, (3 on bottom or top, 1 bottom and 2 top, or 2 bottom and 1 top), plus an extra 5 which will make the flush
that's over half the deck that can fill your hand!
frankly, I'm surprised I don't see more straights than I do,
and why I'm NOT surprised to see river straights and flushes so often
TC
I consider any suited connector a good hand to see a flop
this is because you have 29 cards, in various combinations,
that can make your straight or flush
(except connectors below 4 or above J -
they have less outs because they
have less than six "slots" which can be filled)
12 on each side for the strait, (3 on bottom or top, 1 bottom and 2 top, or 2 bottom and 1 top), plus an extra 5 which will make the flush
that's over half the deck that can fill your hand!
frankly, I'm surprised I don't see more straights than I do,
and why I'm NOT surprised to see river straights and flushes so often
TC