A few times now I have got pocket aces to Queens, very early on in a tournament. And another player goes all in. I believe I almost always call. I seem to be losOmg more than I win.
Should I change my strategy and fold?

I am almost always calling with QQ+. I might even call with AK.

Originally Posted by Oldstrings

A few times now I have got pocket aces to Queens, very early on in a tournament. And another player goes all in. I believe I almost always call. I seem to be losOmg more than I win.
Should I change my strategy and fold?

I think, if you have pocket Aces on preflop - you should call All-In, in some abstract situation, because you have more than 80% chances to win any other hand, include pocket QQ.. For other hands - you need to think, but AA KK and QQ give you big chances to win another guy, and early in any tournament - you have big chances that your opponent is less clever and professional))
You shouldn't change your strategy after 2-3 looses, but you need to be ready to get 20% of looses several times in a row, just because you don't know your opponents cards and another 5 cards on table) And more than that - your bankroll should allow you to play
enough times and wait before you will be more lucky.

It depends on the number of big blinds effective the stacks are and how the action played out to me (plus number of other players in the hand to act behind me).

If someone just goes all-in unprompted opening the action, I think calling TT+ and AQ+ in any fast structure from 100BB and down would be fine. You probably can think about calling worse depending on toughness of table/tournament. I know I'm definitely calling looser if I want to double or bust and move on to something else - having a bigger stack is more fun.

Deeper stacks and especially if it is a raising war pre-flop (3bet, 4bet, 5bet) I'm more likely to tighten up to KK+ and AK against some.

While most sane people aren't bluffing like this and have something they think is the best hand, you will run into people who just go crazy hoping to build a big stack and you have to get an idea of who they are eventually, so call and make a note of what they can show up with in an early all-in for future use.

Good luck to you!

Originally Posted by Oldstrings

A few times now I have got pocket aces to Queens, very early on in a tournament. And another player goes all in. I believe I almost always call. I seem to be losOmg more than I win.
Should I change my strategy and fold?

good depends a lot on the variance and also on the low levels of entries you should enter with paid comfort tickets to your bank so you play safer

Aces I don't fold preflop, the only exception would be a satellite just before winning a ticket, maybe.
In the long run you win 85% vs. a random hand.
Some lost hands with AA should not affect you.
Just trust the statistics

All of your replies were very helpful! I appreciate it!

Originally Posted by Germanets

I think, if you have pocket Aces on preflop - you should call All-In, in some abstract situation, because you have more than 80% chances to win any other hand, include pocket QQ.. For other hands - you need to think, but AA KK and QQ give you big chances to win another guy, and early in any tournament - you have big chances that your opponent is less clever and professional))
You shouldn't change your strategy after 2-3 looses, but you need to be ready to get 20% of looses several times in a row, just because you don't know your opponents cards and another 5 cards on table) And more than that - your bankroll should allow you to play
enough times and wait before you will be more lucky.

I completely agree here. Pre-flop is pretty much a must call.

You can almost never fold aces pre only exemption being in satelites where there are shorter stacks and you can hold out for a ticket

If I don't like the flop I can fold AA, but if someone goes all in preflop I always call.

I think it is wrong to discard aces at any time of the tournament, but when you call at the beginning of the tournament, be prepared for the fact that your hand can lose to any random hand and get knocked out at the beginning of the tournament.

Thanks again everyone. Update 0/2 QQ and AK

Originally Posted by Arthur ZM

If I don't like the flop I can fold AA, but if someone goes all in preflop I always call.

with A-A I agree, but with K-K I always fear a A-A / A-X in the other hand

Never fold pocket Aces preflop. The only time you could do that is when this is a satellite with equal value tickets and you are short of getting one. In that case with a medium stack I would fold letting the short stacks bust.

Having high pocket hold cards early in the tournament is always a struggle for me. I usually do go all in preflop with pocket aces. Unfortunately I do end up losing to someone else who plays pot odds. I do sometimes get lucky too though lol.

Fold the best starting hand in Hold'em? Come on

Originally Posted by Oldstrings

A few times now I have got pocket aces to Queens, very early on in a tournament. And another player goes all in. I believe I almost always call. I seem to be losOmg more than I win.
Should I change my strategy and fold?

why would you want to fold aces here? what are you afraid of, busting out another mtt in the early stages? why does that matter?

Originally Posted by ohshootmybad

why would you want to fold aces here? what are you afraid of, busting out another mtt in the early stages? why does that matter?

But the thing is on poker stars , I’m keeping tally, I’ve lossed 5/7 AA all in pre flop. I’m not going to start folding but it makes you think.

I sympathize too. I lose regularly with this hand. however when you have AA it is always an opportunity to build your stack very early in the game. even against 3 opponents in the spot. we still have good luck winning this spot. you should play them every time and hope the variance is on your side.

Originally Posted by thehangdude

I am almost always calling with QQ+. I might even call with AK.

Probably with QQ+ I'd call it off in events with less Big Blinds or Turbo events etc. However, AK is a good hand, but I'd have second thoughts about going all-in with it. Perhaps I'm too nitty if the BBs are less, but I've seen AK miss so many flops and it is only a coin-flip situation against many hands: including any pocket pair. I know we are relying on their shove indicating they are a maniac and shove a wide range, but what if they aren't? What is they just got AA and feel like no one would believe them? This isn't a situation I want AK for all my chips. It would be different if the same player shoves 3 or 4 times all-in because now I figure that they probably don't have it every time.

Originally Posted by DougPkrMonsta

It depends on the number of big blinds effective the stacks are and how the action played out to me (plus number of other players in the hand to act behind me).

If someone just goes all-in unprompted opening the action, I think calling TT+ and AQ+ in any fast structure from 100BB and down would be fine. You probably can think about calling worse depending on toughness of table/tournament. I know I'm definitely calling looser if I want to double or bust and move on to something else - having a bigger stack is more fun.

Deeper stacks and especially if it is a raising war pre-flop (3bet, 4bet, 5bet) I'm more likely to tighten up to KK+ and AK against some.

While most sane people aren't bluffing like this and have something they think is the best hand, you will run into people who just go crazy hoping to build a big stack and you have to get an idea of who they are eventually, so call and make a note of what they can show up with in an early all-in for future use.

Good luck to you!

For deeper stacks, I completely agree with this post. I don't know if I'd shove AQ in a faster structure, but that is just me and AQ isn't so unreasonable. I guess I just have faith that I can fold and wait for a better spot, but this is much more tempting to shove in faster formats because there is a greater chance of getting blinded out if you get card dead or a few bad hands in.

I wouldn't even think about it, just all-in. If you fold AA, the card will turn away from you. Even if you lose once, the next will be yours.

Originally Posted by Oldstrings

But the thing is on poker stars , I’m keeping tally, I’ve lossed 5/7 AA all in pre flop. I’m not going to start folding but it makes you think.

no. it doesn't make me think because i don't waste my time worrying about irrelevant things that doesn't help me improve my game.

There's no way I could throw the pocket aces preflop, it's a different situation if you're on the flop and there may be more opponents, you've got to really consider playing.

Originally Posted by Oldstrings

A few times now I have got pocket aces to Queens, very early on in a tournament. And another player goes all in. I believe I almost always call. I seem to be losOmg more than I win.
Should I change my strategy and fold?

The first and imo, most important to realize is that your hand strength without knowing the table, the amount of BB's, players in front or behind, is just hand strength and you should never make decisions only based on the 2 cards you hold.

Now, AA for me, early in a MTT is just another hand, 1 of a couple hundred that I must play to win the tournament. So many people see AA and just jamm without second thought, now you are 80+ to win ( against 1 opponent) BUT if it is multi-way, you end up being out drawn by suited connectors. Evaluate the hand and position, I am not going to say fold AA in a heads up situation ever, well almost.

This is not a yes or no answer, just like so many questions in poker. To me learning and improving is as exciting as winning a small stakes MTT

Originally Posted by ohshootmybad

no. it doesn't make me think because i don't waste my time worrying about irrelevant things that doesn't help me improve my game.

Fair enough. Didn’t mean to waste your time.

Does it seem that you lose more or is it actually true ?

If you know that the other player is VERY tight then you might decide to fold QQ sometimes, but in general these are the situations that you hope for early on in a MTT.

I always call with aces preflop. Except for cases such as the bubble, before the prize places. Because it's a shame to lose with such cards. You don't know what your opponent has. He can bluff. But it's better not to risk it. If your stack allows

it is obvious that you have to play it. there is no reason to withdraw. it's the best hand. you just have to know when to fold if the Flop is not with you.

Originally Posted by Oldstrings

A few times now I have got pocket aces to Queens, very early on in a tournament. And another player goes all in. I believe I almost always call. I seem to be losOmg more than I win. Should I change my strategy and fold?

No. Whenever you know, you are going to be significantly ahead, no matter what your opponents hold, calling their jam is the most trivial decision in poker. And its fine to bust early in a tournament, as long as you played well. Then you just rebuy, reenter or play another one. Its a lot worse to bust on the bubble after playing for 3,5 hours, where of course the same situation can also happen.

Why are you so critical of this couple? If the best card seems bad to you, then which one is good? Yes, if a lot of players have entered with a big raise or all-in, then at your discretion you can fold AA. But I wouldn't do it at the beginning of the tournament.

Let's say you get aces early in 5 tournaments and face a shove in the first hand. 4 times you win and double up and once you bust. The 4 times you win you are essentially starting the tournament with double the number of chips. But you are paying 5 buy ins for that because of the 1 that you busted in. So you are essentially paying 1.25 buy ins per tournament to start with double the number of chips.

So would you pay 1.25 buy ins for double the number of chips? How would that affect your ROI in the long run?

That's how I think about it and I always call.

I am with you and play those very conservative early in a tournament. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Oldstrings

Fair enough. Didn’t mean to waste your time.

lol. i think you misunderstood. you aren't wasting my time, i'm trying to help you improve.

i'm saying you're wasting your time doing things like tracking how many times you lose with aces all-in. you don't need to do that and you're going to have to track tens of thousands of situations with aces all-in to get decently accurate win/loss percentage, and hundreds of thousands to get those numbers even more accurate.

it's a waste of your focus, time, and energy and you aren't going to prove anything with the small sample size you're likely to get. losing 5/7 times with aces all-in preflop is nothing.

Hard to get away from AA.

I think alot depends on when in the hand. I'll probably allows call an all preflop.

During the hand it'll depend on who my opponents are and what's already on the board.

Had a big ouchie happen during the league game last Monday...

Was delt pocket AA. Made a 3BB preflop raise from the hijack and got one caller. Fopped a set, on a rainbow board, and made another 3BB continuation bet. Opponent re-raised, so I re-raised back. Opponent then pushed all in. Easy call.

AAA vs JJJ (good position right? Opponent only had one out.)

Turn was a K, then that darn river the other J. ��*♀️

Just crap luck of the draw there... Such is poker lol.

Pre-flop you cannot fold unless the 8 other players are all in.

Originally Posted by pokersextreme

Pre-flop you cannot fold unless the 8 other players are all in.

and you still shouldn't fold.

Originally Posted by Oldstrings

A few times now I have got pocket aces to Queens, very early on in a tournament. And another player goes all in. I believe I almost always call. I seem to be losOmg more than I win.
Should I change my strategy and fold?

I believe that regardless of the stage of the tournament, AA is a virtually unbeatable hand, in the beginning of the game, the only situation that I would not release is the call from the all-in, just the one you mentioned. Of course, preflop.

Pocket AA or KK I will never fold preflop early. QQ Maybe depending on the player, the position and how many all ins before me. But AA or KK I will never fold preflop early in a tournament