How to play AA or KK - Limping from early position good or not?

[Grebbsy]

Limping with AA or KK is a dangerous game. Sometimes you can make extra profit by doing it, but sometimes it'll blow up in your face. You need to ask yourself; if I limp AA, get a flat call, and the board comes something like KK6 or JT9... do I have the discipline to get away from my Aces if necessary, if my opponent reps having them beaten on the flop?

Too many people try to get clever and then can't find the fold button in those circumstances, and that's a good way to throw a LOT of chips down the drain.

 

[alars63]

very interesting ideas and styles, my experience, espeaciall online, is to weed the lower connected and suited cards out with a 3 bet,that don't always get all of em out, but I,m done slow paying AA KK, been outdrawn to many times,, and even all in shoves later in the tourney when blinds and ante are so high its better to go uncontested and play on

 

[eidikos]

hi!
its a bad strategy longterm
besides you ll be involved in tough decisions often when more players are in the pot post flop
my opinion is to make a standard raise or 3bet
most times you limp the sb will call you and the bb is in the pot too.so you have 2 more players to beat there.that is not profitable at all

 

[curtinsea]

really think this is function of the villans, if you think the villans will most likely raise then limp is ok

dont think you really want to limp call, call off with just KK super deep though

and super shallow it really doesnt matter, its just about which way you get the most money in the pot

+1

The only reason to limp AA or KK in early position is if you are sure you will see a raise, and your intent is to 3-bet big.

Otherwise, you are inviting multiple callers, and you will be playing a hand that doesn't play well against multiple opponents, and doing so from out of position.

 

[Frank Burnette]

I don't generally limp AA or KK. I raise it enough to get the weaker preflop hands to fold (at least double the blind or sometimes more). The odds to win are better if you get the stragglers to fold. The fewer players left, the better your chances of winning.

 

[MasterOfDisaster]

i dont raise AA to get weaker hands to fold, but it often depends, still the most common and most optimal move is often just to raise it.

 

[skiptomyloot]

It can be profitable if there are short stacks to your left and if it seems you are playing more hands on the table. The thing is , if a short stack shoves in position, and another player calls with chips to play, I think re raising gives away the hand, but its better to make a move and get em to fold so it goes heads up. Itll alert the table and theyll know you slowed AA or Kk out of position, but it will give advantage to playing other ranges of hand and get more creative preflop.

 

[Himanshu]

in early stages of MTT when people are going to see flops with all kinds of hands AA or KK will be cracked more often then not if you limp so raise 4x and re-raise any raise to keep the number of opponents limited its best to go heads up with someone holding a small pocket pair or AK,AQ,qq,orJJ etc.
in late stages of the mtt when blinds are high this can work as someone may go all in thinking you are set mining or just plain stupid lol so it a good strategy but not early on.

 

[Martinosky11]

I do it like never, but if the tables are more randoms than regulars, and some maniac over agressive isnt a bad idea.

 

[Hazycorpse]

Never do it. I won't even limp from the button with AA or KK and risk the blinds outflopping me.

Totally agree with this. At least raise 2BB

 

[shomy21]

I always bet before flop these big hands but sometimes it's very clever just to call. When blind goes up and someone make big bet try just to call him and let him go to act for you.

 

[biggb]

Hi, I had a similar situation at a very aggressive table. And that, I think, is an advantage to know exactly, how the players will react. In that case I knew the range of the player and was pretty sure he was behind me (percentage).
Therefore I did let him get me value.

But if I´m new to the table I will play a standard 3bet (3BB or 2,5 BB depending on the position). Image.....you know

Bye,

b

 

[Mark rolfe]

AA

how do you guys play your AA i never win with AA if i go all in most time people fold if i play them slow i always seem to lose???????

 

[RodrigoCL]

In the long run you should be winning with pocket aces. That being said, pocket premiums should always be played the same. I open raise, 3bet and even 4bet with aces. Postflop you need to be aware of the board texture, how many players are involved and their possible hand ranges. No need to shove aces preflop unless you are short stacked or if you cover the villain in ships and you are deep in the tourney.

 

[lukeellul92]

AA are great preflop, but like any pocket pair, you're hoping for a set, fullhouse, or quads.

In a tourney, Preflop I raise AA the same as any other hand, however if Im short stacked its easy shove, post flop depends on board.

In Cash game I usually play $2/$5 and I will raise between $35 and $50. If someone wants to see a flop, they're paying for it, however I try to play these hands quickly. My favourite hands are suited connectors, pocket pairs I hate because they're very strong preflop, but post flop can draw you dead and sometimes they look too pretty to throw away.

On a dry board, I'll gladly see Aces through to the river, however on a dry board your aces %95 of the time will not need to be played to the river cause everyone else will fold

 

[TheCol]

I know AA does get beat alot. But you should allways raise pre-flop with AA. So you can lessen the field of players in the hand. Now if you get a caller and you dont hit a set on the flop you need to play it safe. Because more than likely the other person is holding a pocket pair too. So be carefull when you dont hit the flop.
The other day on ACR 5 seat to the wsop Main Event Sat. tournament I get AA and I raise preflop and get one caller. The flop is A37. So I bet and he calls the turn card is a K. I bet allin and he calls. He shows pocket KK so Im like yea I got him. The river is another K. Hits the one outer to win. I know that doesnt happen often but it does show you that AA can beat with a one outer draw.

 

[lscwin1]

I never limp with AA...getting everyone to fold or get HU is the goal...

 

[lukeellul92]

Now if you get a caller and you dont hit a set on the flop you need to play it safe. Because more than likely the other person is holding a pocket pair too. So be carefull when you dont hit the flop.

Not true at all, just because your AA gets called doesn't mean they have a pocket pair most of the time. you'll find A10s+ QJ+ and KJ+ will call your bet, as well as lower suited connectors. I made this mistake before as well...

Also your example with the AA vs KK set vs quads, not a great example either, you simply had a bad beat. AA gets beaten all the time by 2pair or better.
I feel like people over play AA and over rate them. AA is preflop nuts, not postflop.

 

[Mark rolfe]

Thanks everyone for your help

 

[RazKat]

Personally I feel it's always worth playing and I would either raise x3 or call a x3 raise just to eliminate the weaker hands, early on if you don't have the triple on the Flop or if others raise All in, I'd be very careful and likely to Fold. If you're aware of the other players style and push/Shove ranges you can use that to your advantage and make better decisions with the AA hand, although usually those that call Raises above x3 will have Pocket Pairs, Premium Pairs or Premium Hand. Later on, I've found raising x3 is only called by people with Pairs and if you're a big stack or one of the Shortest stacks it can be worthwhile to challenge them for the Pot. I've won more pots with AA as opposed to losing but I'll never Limp with a hand like that, even if everyone Folds, you still get the Blinds which is Good.

 

[shomy21]

I prefer 3x raise before flop but when blinds are big I ussualy riase just 2x bet. Don't be scared, on the long play you will have more wins with that hand, statistic is on your side.

 

[lukeellul92]

I prefer 3x raise before flop but when blinds are big I ussualy riase just 2x bet. Don't be scared, on the long play you will have more wins with that hand, statistic is on your side.

I honestly don't agree.
3x raise BB Preflop is a good enough start, but I guess with a 3x raise you're really looking to get 3bet here so you can 4bet shove in my eyes, dependant on stack etc.

HOWEVER, 2x raise just because the blinds are big is not optimal play. You have AA, which yes, statiscially even next to KK is still a %80 chance to win, but postflop your play can change drastically, and the problem with 2x raise, no ones going to fold 2x raise here. People with 2gap connectors (68s etc or even offsuit connectors are going to call because they're getting a very good price, you want to give a high price, so the weaker hands fold.


I guess eveyrone has their own way of playing AA, and there is no single correct way of playing it, it all depends on position, stack size, how the table plays etc, so realistically we can only give guidelines on how to play AA, because to me, the way to play it changes every single time.

 

[EvertonGirl]

I never shove aces pre, unless I am SS of course.

With betting pre, I keep my PF the same, that way villain wont know if I have AA or 72o

Love to see someone 3betting me when I have AA it doesn't happen much tho

I am the same in the later stages of the game, if I am not the SS and the blinds are getting too big and we are close to the bubble/FT then I am min-raising here with any hand (I always keep my sizes the same), as you don't get a lot of callers as a lot of people tighten up around the bubble/FT

Just remember that AA is only a pair, and sometimes they DO get cracked

 

[crazyangel88]

try to make big reise and hope donks call you . Bad Beats is part of the game dont play whit fear . Sometimes happen to lose with AA but most of the time you win if you play correctly

 

[11012015]

If it is difficult to make decisions with AA I recommend to do every time - all in. :smile: