Hi guys. I'm a beginner player and today I was in this situation in my first hand in the tournament. So, what would you do in this situation? What could I have done differently?

I'm G.Ferreira86
PokerStars, §8,700 + §1,300 - Hold'em No Limit - 15/30 - 7 players
Replay this hand on CardsChat

Kotsar03 (UTG): 1,366 (46 bb)
AlexisVince (MP): 3,315 (111 bb)
G.Ferreira86 (MP+1): 1,500 (50 bb)
Woodtick72 (CO): 980 (33 bb)
Bolsbols (BU): 1,385 (46 bb)
Mr.Mucks469 (SB): 1,310 (44 bb)
stacho1121 (BB): 6,430 (214 bb)

Pre-Flop: (45) Hero (G.Ferreira86) is MP+1 with A♠ A♣
1 fold, AlexisVince (MP) calls 30, G.Ferreira86 (MP+1) raises to 90, 1 fold, Bolsbols (BU) calls 90, Mr.Mucks469 (SB) calls 75, 1 fold, AlexisVince (MP) calls 60

Flop: (390) T♠ 5♠ 2♥ (4 players)
Mr.Mucks469 (SB) checks, AlexisVince (MP) bets 30, G.Ferreira86 (MP+1) raises to 270, 2 players fold, AlexisVince (MP) calls 240

Turn: (930) 7♥ (2 players)
AlexisVince (MP) bets 465, G.Ferreira86 (MP+1) raises to 1,140 (all-in), AlexisVince (MP) calls 675

River: (3,210) 6♦ (2 players, 1 all-in)

Total pot: 3,210

Showdown:
G.Ferreira86 (MP+1) shows A♠ A♣ (a pair of Aces)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 88%, Flop: 31%, Turn: 18%, River: 0%)

AlexisVince (MP) shows 2♠ T♦ (two pair, Tens and Twos)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 12%, Flop: 69%, Turn: 82%, River: 100%)

AlexisVince (MP) wins 3,210

After the Flop, I will have bet All in, perhaps he would have fold, is the only way, for my own way of playing!

His flop call and big turn lead bet would have set off alarms and I would have called turn and folded river. Always another spot.

I couldn't put him in this random range.
.
On second thought, maybe I should have pushed all-in pre-flop, but in that case the profits would be less. It was a really bad situation and I was thinking a lot about this hand hahaha.

It seems to me when I get AA one of three things happen. If I get AA UTG if I limp bet or I 2.5x bet I watch everyone fold and I make the min. I will get them in the bb and watch everyone fold and I make the min. If I get them anywhere else and get action they crack. I’m not saying I lose every time but I never seem to get a big pot to win.

Originally Posted by gabriekk

Hi guys. I'm a beginner player and today I was in this situation in my first hand in the tournament. So, what would you do in this situation? What could I have done differently?

What I would have probably done is one or two things. I would have either folded when he came out betting on the flop, or I would have called instead of raising like you did. The fact that the player called your opening bet, and then bet ahead of you on the flop would make me play cautiously. I may or may not have continued to call, rather than fold, on the turn and river. That answer is, of course, based upon having no prior knowledge of how this person plays. Either way, the result would have probably been the same.

I am going to 4-bet with AA preflop so hands like T2 will fold.

I would relax and wait and see what others do, if I were in 1 position then I would start with a minimum raise

I think you played well Only thing I would do different would be bet bigger preflop at le 4x rival bet, of course that villain seems crazy and going and paying with that crazy hand he's probably a recreational player so you can count it as a bad beat and move on to the next tournament.. good luck!

all in

I would raise at least 3BB

Originally Posted by Sergei 9417

I am going to 4-bet with AA preflop so hands like T2 will fold.

That is the right play to have made, if there had been a three bet, but as it was the other players who stayed in just called the opening bet so gabriekk had no opportunity to make a four bet. The BB who eventually won seems to have been a chaser who got lucky.

It depends on. If there are already players who place a bet, I go all-in. if i'm the first i make a small bet or raise to see if other players come along. If a lot of players bet or raise then I am more careful. you will soon run into a triple, flush or a straight.

Most of the time the same, rarely call the turn and fold the river, sometimes call all 3 streets.
Don't worry about this hand, happens all the time, just move on

This is poker. With this hand he called the raise and he was in early position. It happens. All bains have these players.

Originally Posted by Emily Trott

What I would have probably done is one or two things. I would have either folded when he came out betting on the flop, or I would have called instead of raising like you did. The fact that the player called your opening bet, and then bet ahead of you on the flop would make me play cautiously. I may or may not have continued to call, rather than fold, on the turn and river. That answer is, of course, based upon having no prior knowledge of how this person plays. Either way, the result would have probably been the same.

I should have been more cautious like you said, mainly because I didn't have a lot of information about him.

Originally Posted by Miguel Chacon

I think you played well Only thing I would do different would be bet bigger preflop at le 4x rival bet, of course that villain seems crazy and going and paying with that crazy hand he's probably a recreational player so you can count it as a bad beat and move on to the next tournament.. good luck!

He's very very crazy hahaha

Originally Posted by Emily Trott

That is the right play to have made, if there had been a three bet, but as it was the other players who stayed in just called the opening bet so gabriekk had no opportunity to make a four bet. The BB who eventually won seems to have been a chaser who got lucky.

Yep, i should have done it.

I would probably go all in pre flop. AA is the strongest hand and has big chance to win against for example AK or QQ.

Its extremely difficult to put the guy on 10 2 or 10 5. But you could def put him on either set. Flop bet totally fine, you have to try find out where you are. Maybe on the turn you can then fold or only call.
Not saying I would actually manage to do either, as its always hard to bin AA without any obvious hands beating you. However I would be thinking after that turn bet that I have now got a decent chance of being beaten. Really tough spot, something I try to tell myself is that poker is often won on the hands you can manage to fold, and live to fight another day!

Originally Posted by gabriekk

I couldn't put him in this random range.
.
On second thought, maybe I should have pushed all-in pre-flop, but in that case the profits would be less. It was a really bad situation and I was thinking a lot about this hand hahaha.

Don't worry too much about the hand, you played it well and for sure you'll print money against a player like this one(T2o... he will rarely get this kind of board and hold - most of the times he'll just end up 'donating' his chips with a pair he can't fold or some weird bluff- so, IMO you should put a note on the player and just hope to see often at your tables...); my only advice would be to not change your game just because you are 'afraid' of what cards will come and just play your game and try to make the best decision on every street- if you start shoving AAs for 50 BBs just because an opponent might limp than call with trash hands like T2o and sometimes get there you might as well try something else other than poker...

PS. I see that some people write about that your play preflop was wrong and from what I see you played it well(you might go for a slightly bigger raise size in the future early in the tournament): you have a limper (MP calls 30)-> you raised to 90-> SB calls and the limper also calls... yes, I agree that if someone raised your 3x open, you could have opted for a preflop shove to avoid a multi way pot(usually you want to play AAs vs only one opponent), but this wasn't the case here, on the flop you can't fold AAs on a T52 flop and you can't just call the min bet-> I like the 3-bet but the question is the size of it(if you go pot size than IMO you're ready to put all your chips in the middle on a 'good' turn), that 7 on the turn was a decent card and I guess it's not the worst decision to 3-bet shove a 1/2 pot bet from the villain and try to get max value from a possible draw and/-or a 1 pair hand... unfortunately, your opponent was ahead all along with a goofy hand and managed to hold... you'll get him next time $$$

Originally Posted by BillyR23

Don't worry too much about the hand, you played it well and for sure you'll print money against a player like this one(T2o... he will rarely get this kind of board and hold - most of the times he'll just end up 'donating' his chips with a pair he can't fold or some weird bluff- so, IMO you should put a note on the player and just hope to see often at your tables...); my only advice would be to not change your game just because you are 'afraid' of what cards will come and just play your game and try to make the best decision on every street- if you start shoving AAs for 50 BBs just because an opponent might limp than call with trash hands like T2o and sometimes get there you might as well try something else other than poker...

PS. I see that some people write about that your play preflop was wrong and from what I see you played it well(you might go for a slightly bigger raise size in the future early in the tournament): you have a limper (MP calls 30)-> you raised to 90-> SB calls and the limper also calls... yes, I agree that if someone raised your 3x open, you could have opted for a preflop shove to avoid a multi way pot(usually you want to play AAs vs only one opponent), but this wasn't the case here, on the flop you can't fold AAs on a T52 flop and you can't just call the min bet-> I like the 3-bet but the question is the size of it(if you go pot size than IMO you're ready to put all your chips in the middle on a 'good' turn), that 7 on the turn was a decent card and I guess it's not the worst decision to 3-bet shove a 1/2 pot bet from the villain and try to get max value from a possible draw and/-or a 1 pair hand... unfortunately, your opponent was ahead all along with a goofy hand and managed to hold... you'll get him next time $$$

i'll keep these guidelines for futures spots, thank, bro!

hi there

Always all in
The top pairs enable this play even pre-flop

Rgds

Originally Posted by molokheia

hi there

Always all in
The top pairs enable this play even pre-flop

Rgds

Do you think thats the most profitable way?

I love top pair. but if 5 players are going all in odds go up you lose. if there are rebuys the whole table might go all in scary situation...lol good luck at tables..

Don't slow play your AA's.

I would have raised a lot more, 150 instead of 90, to avoid those who will call with crap, and those who think they are somewhat committed (SB, BB). Try to force premium hands at best

i think i would have raised 5 or 6 bb preflop with aces when the blinds are that low specially considering that one player has already limp otherwise i think you have played your hand correctly and lose against 10 2 which is a horrible hand to play specially in middle position and they werent even suited! thats too much..

All In

Depending on my stack i would go all in pre flop if low in chips or i 3 bet and see flop if i don't hit then would go all in.

Originally Posted by gabriekk

Do you think thats the most profitable way?

All-in with bigger pairs preflop is one way to play, but I don't usually like this. Preference, but I seldom like being All-in; even with AA. Obviously, it depends on factors like effective stacks though. If we are say 20 Big Blinds deep, then yes, I'm usually all right with getting my entire stack in before showdown. However, being 100+ Big Blinds in (deep stacked for sure), then just shoving (even AA) probably isn't the most efficient way to play. This just makes it too easy for everyone to fold and give you the cheap pot. I'm not saying to slowplay the Aces, but just generic raising and betting for value should usually be sufficient; I'm not always looking to go All-in.

Originally Posted by FIERROS

Don't slow play your AA's.

Occasionally, I will slowplay AA. This is more of a possibility with:

-stacks super short because you can get all of your chips into the middle anyway

or

-an aggressive opponent or table that might make trapping justifiable

but yes, generally, we want to be playing AA straight-forward and value betting/raising and re-raising to isolate and/or build a pot.

As for my analysis of this hand, I think you played it right for the most part. Just unlucky that the opponent Flopped two pair (and Doyle's hand of T2 no less here).


One small observation is that you made it 3x when you raised, but there was one limper before you. If you generally raise 3x, then usually we can add 1x per limper. So a 4x raise might have been slightly better to discourage the limper from continuing. I won't critique every street of this hand in detail (others have done that enough already), but I think it is just an unlucky case where AA lost and we should move on. AA does get cracked against a random holding about 15% of the time you know. It isn't a sure fire thing and the opponent flopping two-pair is one way we could realistically lose with AA, but if the opponent is calling raises with T2 frequently, then we will probably pick up chips on them long-term.