AA folded

[Warrior1961]

Hi everyone.

Last night, I was playing a freeroll, and at the time there was an ITM of 6, I get AA.
The tournament paid 24 positions and I was 15. My position at the table was CO, and the hand came up (UTG), re-raised (MP) and highjack was allin with 100,000 chips or so. My stack was 60000, so I decided to fold my hand, anticipating that the allin would be matched by UTG and MP and stay with AA against 3 rivals, the three of them exceeding me in chips.
Beyond the play itself, which I suppose is very questionable (or not), the question I ask myself is: freerolls (and MTT tournaments in general) must be played to win them or enter prizes and then, already with the prize assured, seek to climb the prize scale (usually what I do).

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Best regards from Buenos Aires.

P.D: In the tournament I went out 9th.

 

[maksonios]

I would never fold AA with <average stack, I think you've made a mistake.

 

[Risto234]

Since you folded AA then it was definitely right decision as you didn't even finish ITM :hmmmm2:

 

[fundiver199]

Unless it was a satellite freerool, folding AA preflop is a huge mistake. It does not matter, how many other people are all in, because AA will always have way more equity than any other hand. Maybe you bust 50% of the time, but the other 50% of the time you increase your stack 300%.

 

[Nafor]

When there are many players willing to see the river AA is not so hot anymore. Once I folded Aces and that decision carried me to the final table.

 

[Nafor]

Since you folded AA then it was definitely right decision as you didn't even finish ITM :hmmmm2:

Actually, I think he did get to ITM. He just isn't very clear about it.

 

[Tunkki]

In some satellite you can fold AA but never in normal tourament. Atleast not in freeroll!! Never! If you want to win the tournament you just have to gamble with the AA near bubble.

 

[jordanbillie]

As stated, only an outlier situation involving a satellite would warrant folding AA preflop. You've got to take that chance for a monster stack!

 

[eetenor]

Hi everyone.


Beyond the play itself, which I suppose is very questionable (or not), the question I ask myself is: freerolls (and MTT tournaments in general) must be played to win them or enter prizes and then, already with the prize assured, seek to climb the prize scale (usually what I do).

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Best regards from Buenos Aires.

P.D: In the tournament I went out 9th.

Thank U 4 Posting.

I wish to focus on why most other posters say it is a call. This pertains to your question above in red.

If we play in a freeroll and the freeroll pays $1 for ITM and $23 for first when we play to win, we can lose 22 times and win 1 and make exactly the same as if we played just to get ITM 23 times.

So if we play to win and win 2x in 23 times our net result is $46 vs $23.

A 100% increase in ROI. A 10% increase in ROI makes a play very profitable.

This is a very basic thought, there are lots of other factors to consider but this is the basic reason why solid tournament players play for the win and would not fold AA in that spot.

Hope this helps

 

[digdug0037]

It is really your call. The fact you folded shows you have patience, it may sometimes cost you your whole chip stack where sometimes its the right call. I have never been able to get off AA preflop and sometimes I wish very much I would have. Like I have said in other threads, AA is nothing more than 1 pair.

 

[moulan7]

There are some situations where you can fold AA preflop.

For example.
You play a satellite where you know that you 'll win a ticket. 10 people have left and 9 will get the ticket. You are the 3rd in chip stack, someone goes all in and the 2nd in chips shoves.
Clear fold. Actually you don't need to play any hand, eventually someone will bust and you 'll win.

Or, lets say that you are on the final table of a mtt with good pay jumps and 6 people still play.
If the pay jumps are very important for you (for any reason) and you hold the 6th place and 3 people go allin xD and is your time to act. You can fold here I guess because everyone covers you and it's very likely that you will take the 4th place or better if you fold. But this situation is somewhat fiction and it's unlikely to occur.

Now for your situation, I see your decision as a mistake because at this point you want to hit the final table with a healthy stack and won as big as you can. With 23 people still in the game we want great opportunities to make our stack larger and you had one at this spot.
We have to play, we are 15th and 6 get paid. When will we play?
Also, at this stage of the tour, even if it is a freeroll, probably the remaining players are thinking players. Do you think that they will take lightly the action on the table? After a 3bet 2 people follow with allin. But even if they both call, well good for us xD.

 

[Haze777s]

Hi everyone.

Last night, I was playing a freeroll, and at the time there was an ITM of 6, I get AA.
The tournament paid 24 positions and I was 15. My position at the table was CO, and the hand came up (UTG), re-raised (MP) and highjack was allin with 100,000 chips or so. My stack was 60000, so I decided to fold my hand, anticipating that the allin would be matched by UTG and MP and stay with AA against 3 rivals, the three of them exceeding me in chips.
Beyond the play itself, which I suppose is very questionable (or not), the question I ask myself is: freerolls (and MTT tournaments in general) must be played to win them or enter prizes and then, already with the prize assured, seek to climb the prize scale (usually what I do).

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Best regards from Buenos Aires.

P.D: In the tournament I went out 9th.

I hope you didn't throw out the AA ? THIS IS VERY STUPID OF YOU

 

[Warrior1961]

Thank U 4 Posting.

I wish to focus on why most other posters say it is a call. This pertains to your question above in red.

If we play in a freeroll and the freeroll pays $1 for ITM and $23 for first when we play to win, we can lose 22 times and win 1 and make exactly the same as if we played just to get ITM 23 times.

So if we play to win and win 2x in 23 times our net result is $46 vs $23.

A 100% increase in ROI. A 10% increase in ROI makes a play very profitable.

This is a very basic thought, there are lots of other factors to consider but this is the basic reason why solid tournament players play for the win and would not fold AA in that spot.

Hope this helps

Excellent answer !!! Thanks a lot my friend.

Greetings.

 

[300HPGOD]

Never fold Aces unless you are on the bubble of a satellite tournament. The hand is best hand even if you have 3 or 4 other callers. Will you win over half the time with 3 other callers, probably not but you are still getting your money in great given the payout odds.

You can't fold here as you passed on a great opportunity to have a huge stack with 24, or less depending who is knocked out from this hand, players left in the tourney. You need to go for the win in this spot.

 

[mara2259]

In my subjective opinion, even if you fold pocket aces in a freeroll in the prize area preflop, then in tournaments with big bins it will be difficult for you to bet. Of course, it’s good to reason after the game, and 9th place is much better than 24. People often call this intuition, this is especially true when someone continues to struggle without any good reason and wins with luck. In your case, on the contrary, you lost your best hand preflop, and the development of events showed that someone caught a winning combination. The question remains open. You did not lose chips in a specific situation, but at a distance ???

 

[Lorpugo]

The day I fold AA preflop I will quit poker for ever

 

[KROT_PAKETA]

I never fold AA, sometimes it's possible to have folded AA, after you allow players to see a flop, so in this case I try to raise enough.

 

[possle]

I think i would never fold AA preflop. My strategy would be to get as more chips as possible in the pot. A player gets aces every 221 hand and i would try to get a much value as possible. I think it does not matter if it is itm or not. What is your aim? Reaching itm or win the tournament? The latter won't be possible by folding aces. I'm talking EXPLICITY about PREFLOP play!

 

[Jon Poker]

Talking preflop all ins - going broke with AA is never a mistake. Not playing the AAs is a huge mistake. Even vs 2 opponents I am comfortable with Aces. We cant control the runout of the cards so the rest will be what it will be, but getting it in as a massive favorite is always the point.

 

[BillyR23]

Like other members said, folding AA preflop it's NEVER a good play in a freeroll or a regular mtt (you might have a rare spot in a satellite when folding AA preflop is actually the correct play...), in poker you should try to always make the correct decision, taking +EV spots in important moments without hesitation/ fear; if for whatever reason you can't do that you should take a break and study, get the confidence in your game back and then return at the tables.

GL all at the tables BlessRNG

 

[Nr98]

There are some situations where you can fold AA preflop.

For example.
You play a satellite where you know that you 'll win a ticket. 10 people have left and 9 will get the ticket. You are the 3rd in chip stack, someone goes all in and the 2nd in chips shoves.
Clear fold. Actually you don't need to play any hand, eventually someone will bust and you 'll win.

Or, lets say that you are on the final table of a mtt with good pay jumps and 6 people still play.
If the pay jumps are very important for you (for any reason) and you hold the 6th place and 3 people go allin xD and is your time to act. You can fold here I guess because everyone covers you and it's very likely that you will take the 4th place or better if you fold. But this situation is somewhat fiction and it's unlikely to occur.

Now for your situation, I see your decision as a mistake because at this point you want to hit the final table with a healthy stack and won as big as you can. With 23 people still in the game we want great opportunities to make our stack larger and you had one at this spot.
We have to play, we are 15th and 6 get paid. When will we play?
Also, at this stage of the tour, even if it is a freeroll, probably the remaining players are thinking players. Do you think that they will take lightly the action on the table? After a 3bet 2 people follow with allin. But even if they both call, well good for us xD.

Exactly, except for some weird spots in Satelittes and very rare ICM spots (where we're a tiny stack and severall others jam on the FT), we never want to fold AA preflop.

For now until you go into studying ICM spots, keep it simple for yourself. AA is the best hand preflop, thus we never fold it pre. Simple as that

Kudos for posing the question though. I imagine alot of the people here thinking it's silly are too afraid to ask questions about their own leaks. But that's what a forum is for right. Keep up the study

 

[SuzdalDEcor]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I wonder how much money you think you lose in Freeroll if you go all in and lose?

 

[VovanBaron]

This is very specific case and you should learn ranges and calling pushes not ot be so scared calling your hands and know the power of your hand.This is mistake.

 

[Coinuss]

You should not go all-in with a combination of pocket aces immediately preflop - it is not known what the flop will be. I think there is no first place in MTT without a bad beat and then the chip leader could double. When I decided to win tournament then I finished on bubble.

 

[ga25x]

Cant imagine fold for myself here.
But i remember back in the days on partypoker i played 500$ buy in mtt (1 million gtd or so). Before i was dealt AA, some player got bad beat and he was tilted. So i get AA we are almost in the money and it was biggest tournament i ever played. We are very deep: my stack is 80 bb or so, his 100 bb or so. Some1 raises, tilted1 reraises and i push (i was thinking: we are almost in the money, i'm just happy take it preflop, got that gut feeling, if we see flop im gonna lose). original raiser folds, tilted muppet calls and shows 88... Rest we all know: he gets his 8 and i lose.
i took me few years to recover from that bad beat, i wish i folded lol.
Min cash was close to 1k, i believe muppet after that hand had 2nd or 3rd stack and it was up to 10-15 plrs left till the money.